Cost of Watching Rovers

[Dagenham Rover]

http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/watching-doncaster-rovers-in-league-two-costs-same-as-watching-manchester-city-in-premier-league-football-price-survey-reveals-1-8243385

[wing commander]

   pffft Who wants to watch those prima donnas anyway much prefer the Rovers....

   Interesting how we compare on catering costs though or don't as the case may be..It must all be of the highest quality if we are the most expensive...oh wait.....

[nightporter]

If you took away the £100 million TV money, Man City would have to sell another 250,000 season tickets at £400 each.

[Pancho Regan]

I always buy a Season Ticket even though I know I'll miss a few games each season, partly because I've wanted to keep my seat in the West Stand and partly because I see it as my contribution to the club as a fan.

But I happened to join a discussion with a few colleagues last week (they included Bradford City and Liverpool fans) about season ticket prices and they were all surprised at how expensive my Donny season ticket is at £384.

I don't pay much attention to match-day ticket prices, but I happened to ring the KM ticket office yesterday to get a ticket for Saturday's game against Hartlepool for my Father-in-Law who is visiting us this weekend.
I must admit I was a bit taken aback at having to pay £17 for a Senior Citizen concession.

I'm not complaining, it just felt like a lot to pay.

[bobjimwilly]

It's ok the DFP and other news outlets showing how watching Manchester City is cheaper, but we don't give two shits about Man City - we're Donny f*cking Rovers supporters!
So what is watching Man City is cheaper? How does that effect us one bit? And as had been pointed out, without the TV money, or their middle-eastern owners, these teams would be in the mire like the rest of us.

[Donnywolf]

   pffft Who wants to watch those prima donnas anyway much prefer the Rovers....

   Interesting how we compare on catering costs though or don't as the case may be..It must all be of the highest quality if we are the most expensive...oh wait.....

We have very inexpensive Catering I will have you know ! Well in truth I've never managed to get to the front of the queue so its cheap for me !

[NickDRFC]

It's ok the DFP and other news outlets showing how watching Manchester City is cheaper, but we don't give two shits about Man City - we're Donny f*cking Rovers supporters!
So what is watching Man City is cheaper? How does that effect us one bit? And as had been pointed out, without the TV money, or their middle-eastern owners, these teams would be in the mire like the rest of us.

The point is that it can be cheaper to watch one of the best teams in the country than it is to watch a team in the 4th tier. I find the comparison very interesting, doesn't mean I give "two shits" about Man City.

[Lincoln Rover]

Man City may be cheaper but it's the wrong side of The Pennines, it's not my club, my car would have no wheels on if I parked it anywhere near the ground.
To even believe we are comparing us against them is in realms of fantasy.
We beat them on the pitch ( where it counts), we play in Donny and I'm more than happy to pay what I can afford, when I to go and watch my team won I can.
That's my opinion for what it's worth.

[Bentley Bullet]

The thing is you might be more than happy to pay what you can afford because you can afford to go! Those Rovers fans who can't afford to go will be less than happy.

[Bristol Red Rover]

It seems we also have one of the lowest differentials between the highest and lowest priced season tickets. The pricing overall being more for League 1 than 2.

£2.10 for waitress served fresh brewed loose leaf tea with organic milk in a china cup with an artisan biscuit shouldn't be sniffed at.

[Lincoln Rover]

BB that's correct. My circumstances have changed, due to retirement.
I now have time on my hands, but I still look for value.
I've been in the same situation as many fans, having to prioritise ( family, shifts, commitments etc), and I totally accept that some people can't go for many reasons.

[Bentley Bullet]

Similar circumstances to me LR.

What I don't want to see is the club pulling at the loyalty strings of fans by charging what they like, with the reason being because, after all, there's only one Doncaster Rovers.

[IDM]

Thing is with these surveys, including pies, tea, programmes etc - you don't need to buy any of that, just the ticket.

[bobjimwilly]

Similar circumstances to me LR.

What I don't want to see is the club pulling at the loyalty strings of fans by charging what they like, with the reason being because, after all, there's only one Doncaster Rovers.

The point is the club can't charge much less than they already do without going bankrupt OR the owners putting in more money. The situation for most football league clubs is at breaking point - owners are expected to pay more and more so players can be paid more and more to do the same job they've always done. Without Sky propping up the Premier League, no Premier League clubs would be charging less than TLO Doncaster Rovers for season tickets. This article points the reader to draw the conclusion Rovers are ripping off fans to watch "worse" football, when it is simply not the case.

[Bentley Bullet]

It's the same old argument over and over again BJW. We have a stadium more than half empty at virtually every home game. That statistic means that something is wrong with the product, be it the price, or the standard of it.  We can argue endlessly over what is needed to put the situation right, but as it stands, the general public aren't interested so it's left to us daft buggers who are willing to put up with getting ripped off in the name of dedication.

How are Bradford city doing these days since their decision to reduce prices?

[Sammy Chung was King]

You can't change what your heart tells you. Many try but it just doesn't work. Once you have gone through seeing your side against Chester win their first game for ages with eight hundred others then seen them humiliated against Rotherham where they could have won by double the amount and it hasn't put you off. I'm afraid you are stuck in a love that made no sense but you followed it anyway.
Since then what we have achieved it's like heaven on earth. But even back then the team came up with wins you didn't expect. And even though we were near the bottom our players were still the best in the league in this kids eyes as i was back then!.

[idler]

It's the same old argument over and over again BJW. We have a stadium more than half empty at virtually every home game. That statistic means that something is wrong with the product, be it the price, or the standard of it.  We can argue endlessly over what is needed to put the situation right, but as it stands, the general public aren't interested so it's left to us daft buggers who are willing to put up with getting ripped off in the name of dedication.

How are Bradford city doing these days since their decision to reduce prices?

City have had cheap prices for years now BB. They haven't just reduced them.
They have the benefit of 16,000 plus STHs and members of the Flexi ticket. This means that even if they all turn up for a match they still have room for another 8,000 including the away fans.
They only got about 4,000 odd I think for the FA cup 1st round match.
I have a few mates with their £149 season tickets and also a couple that have to pay extra despite having bought 25 year season tickets for £2,500 when City brought them out about ten years ago. Their tickets are therefore the £149 plus the £100 per season already paid although they can choose to sit in the best seats and have access to the McCall suite for a meal or beer.

[IDM]

If you just want to be a spectator at a random sporting event then that is fair enough, but most of us, I reckon, are fans of our club. 

We'll go watch Doncaster when we can afford to - when the tickets are pricey I'll not buy food etc, the important thing is watching the game.

[Bentley Bullet]

Yes, most of us are fans of the club, and we'll go when we can afford it. But that's not the problem. If everyone was like that there wouldn't be a problem.

The problem is some fans can never afford to go, and other potential fans are put off going because they consider it too expensive, even if they can afford it.

[IDM]

My point was in response to Rigo that I wouldn't bugger off to watch other random clubs as a result of the club I support being to expensive to go..

I do go to random other football, occasionally, but by choice not because of price.

[idler]

I've lived in Bradford for 38 years and have probably been to Valley Parade about four times for matches not involving the Rovers.
One of these was a game to raise funds after they went into administration.
Watching another league team just isn't the same. Escalating costs don't encourage the neutral. I can watch Thackley in The Toolstation North or Guiseley is only about 6 miles away. Both far cheaper than City.

[NickDRFC]

My point was in response to Rigo that I wouldn't bugger off to watch other random clubs as a result of the club I support being to expensive to go..

I do go to random other football, occasionally, but by choice not because of price.

You just like disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing.

But come on, do you not think there's something amiss when, in 2/3 weeks, a return flight to Toulouse (from Stansted) and a ticket for Toulouse vs Lorient is the equivalent price of a ticket to see some League One/League Two games?

Laughable. The flight to Toulouse is £8, fair enough. But the flight back is £25. On the Sunday, given it's at 10 in the morning. So you've got to find accommodation - let's say some scummy hostel for £15. Assuming you live in London (which the vast majority of this board don't so you'd have a train fare on top of this), a return coach ticket to Stansted is £15. Let's assume that for the entire time you are travelling (probably 3am Saturday morning for the 7am flight until 2pm the following day) you don't eat or drink anything, so that's no cost. Cheapest Toulous ticket is £10. So that's a cost of £73 TO GO. You'll have to point out what ticket costs £73 in League One or Two.

I agree with your point that football in this country is probably overpriced, but don't just talk crap because you think you've transcended into some sort of superior footballing world.

[NickDRFC]

And if you're so bored with the football league, why the frig are you on this forum all the time?!

[wing commander]

    The most expensive tea in div 2..i'm finally managing to understand how we have the biggest percentage of spend per person that centreplate have...A cheap dig I know but hey ;-)

[IDM]

My point was in response to Rigo that I wouldn't bugger off to watch other random clubs as a result of the club I support being to expensive to go..

I do go to random other football, occasionally, but by choice not because of price.

You just like disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing.

But come on, do you not think there's something amiss when, in 2/3 weeks, a return flight to Toulouse (from Stansted) and a ticket for Toulouse vs Lorient is the equivalent price of a ticket to see some League One/League Two games?

Not at all, I wanted to point out a flaw in your argument.  Nick beat me to it in respect of travel costs..

I have been to see Hannover 96 a couple of seasons ago in the Bundesliga, and paid about the same (or less) as I paid at Doncaster in League 1.  I went to Stamford a few weeks ago and paid a tenner.  I went to NYC in September and paid $27 - and my travel was effectively free to me as I was on business travel.

But the point is, we are attached to our clubs!  I agree with BB, some folks will be put off by cost whether they can afford it or not, and that is another matter.   I read your post to mean that finances override any sense of attachment we have to the club we support?

That's not being argumentative for the sake of it!

RTID!!

[Copps is Magic]

Comparing Rovers to Bayern Munich, Man City, or any of the team in any of the major leagues in Europe has to be one of the most pointless excercises known to man.

They receive hundreds of millions in TV revenue. Rovers will be lucky to get £100k per season. Its an astronomical difference. Most top clubs can effectively charge their fans whatever they want - £1, £5, £50, and it won't alter their financial state to any major in degree. In fact, it's an outrage that Bayern Munich do charge a tenner if that is indeed what they charge.

Rovers have a constant battle over ticket prices because it actually means something to us. Fans generally know this and that is why they 'pay through gritted teeth', because they see value in supporting a league football club. Unlike some.

[IDM]

'The Bundesliga is about the same price as League One'...

You said it.

Now, realistically, from a neutral perspective, what would you rather watch? Schalke vs Nuremberg or Hannover vs Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga, or Fleetwood vs Oldham in League One?

Fact is, there's plenty of folk out there who would support their local lower league team, wherever it is in the country, but prices upwards of £20 deter them.

It'll still be the same argument in another five years though, so it's futile.

But I am not a neutral..

And that is the point I was making.  As a partisan DRFC fan RTID and all that, I will go to the matches if I can afford the tickets, and the time.

yes I do go elsewhere as a neutral occasionally, and price is a factor.. For example when I was in the USA I could have got a NFL ticket but that was over $100 - I would have liked the experience but that was too much for my pocket..

But as for the discussion about DRFC tickets, it is a completely different kettle of fish.

[mattco]

The decision, imposed by Sky, to move our game against Portsmouth from a Saturday to a Thursday night will cost the club. Pompey might have brought 1000+ on Saturday, there will be nothing like that for an evening match. Even some home fans will prefer to sit in a warm home or pub watching telly than venture out the first week in January. Sky will pay the club £10,000 so the game on tv is likely to result in lost revenue to Rovers.

[nortikorner]

How much debt have   these clubs got  how much as DONCASTER a none story

[Bentley Bullet]

20 years ago Rovers were like the Skoda of football. Both companies were the laughing stock of their respective businesses. Only a few loyal customers were faithful to them.

Then Both of them rose from obscurity to become highly respected, and customers increased in numbers. 

Then the similarity ended.

Skoda continued to impress the public with their ever improving product, attracting more sales, and becoming a leading brand.

............Rovers didn't.

Skoda continues to attract more customers.

Rovers now rely again on just a few loyal customers who remain faithful to them.