Gaps & Spaces = the sign of apathy

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

I didn't renew this season and I haven't been to a single game. This from a bloke who is 38 years old, i've had a season ticket since I was 13 and travelled all over Europe watching the Villa.

Having chose not to renew I knew I wouldn't go through the process of buying games for individual games. It was always all or nothing for me. 

Football isn't competitive enough, the players generally don't give a fuck about the club or the fans, sky piss about with the fixtures (what time is the game on Boxing Day for example?) and the atmosphere is shit. Add to that we've sold our best players for the last 3 seasons, bought in players like Alan Hutton and Jermaine Jenas, we still have Heskey and finally we have a manager with the track record of relegation.

Those who still go, I take my hat off to your loyalty

 

[Clampy]

Why do people throw in lunch costs when they're showing how much it costs to go to the game? What happens if you dont go? Do you go without food?

 

I've always wondered this as well.

[Dave Cooper please]

Because if you aren't going out your lunch will probably consist of a sandwich made at home and a bag of crisps, costing no more than a quid. When you are out for the day you tend to eat out, and the balti pie/salmonella burger/kebab and a few beers is as much a part of many peoples match-day experience as the game itself, which is much more costly and is inevitably added to the overall cost of the day.

[pauliewalnuts]

If the food is such a problem, why don't they just not buy it?

The food in and around the ground is fucking awful, overpriced shit in any case. Why not just take the lunch with you? Or eat somewhere less expensive?  As for having a few beers, that's hardly something you can lay at the feet of football, the price of boozing.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the thinking behind all this, I just thnk that if you really want to go to the match, and you don't want to spend so much, then maybe skipping the eating and boozing out part is an idea worth considering?

You can at least do something about that bit of the expense. You can't do anything about the ticket prices.

[eastie]

I didn't renew this season and I haven't been to a single game. This from a bloke who is 38 years old, i've had a season ticket since I was 13 and travelled all over Europe watching the Villa.

Having chose not to renew I knew I wouldn't go through the process of buying games for individual games. It was always all or nothing for me. 

Football isn't competitive enough, the players generally don't give a fuck about the club or the fans, sky piss about with the fixtures (what time is the game on Boxing Day for example?) and the atmosphere is shit. Add to that we've sold our best players for the last 3 seasons, bought in players like Alan Hutton and Jermaine Jenas, we still have Heskey and finally we have a manager with the track record of relegation.

Those who still go, I take my hat off to your loyalty

 

Can total totally understand and and agree with much of your views my friend

[not3bad]

The food in and around the ground is fucking awful, overpriced shit in any case.

I dunno, the chicken curry I had from the Holte Suite was probably the highlight of my visit last Saturday.  Overpriced I agree.

[saunders_heroes]

Why do people throw in lunch costs when they're showing how much it costs to go to the game? What happens if you dont go? Do you go without food?

 

I've always wondered this as well.

Gives them another excuse to moan I suppose.
I couldn't care less about food prices at Villa because I can go an hour and a half without eating.

[not3bad]

Because if you aren't going out your lunch will probably consist of a sandwich made at home and a bag of crisps, costing no more than a quid. When you are out for the day you tend to eat out, and the balti pie/salmonella burger/kebab and a few beers is as much a part of many peoples match-day experience as the game itself, which is much more costly and is inevitably added to the overall cost of the day.

This is very true of families where kids will definitely count their 'half time treat' as part of the experience.

[PeterWithesShin]

Because if you aren't going out your lunch will probably consist of a sandwich made at home and a bag of crisps, costing no more than a quid. When you are out for the day you tend to eat out, and the balti pie/salmonella burger/kebab and a few beers is as much a part of many peoples match-day experience as the game itself, which is much more costly and is inevitably added to the overall cost of the day.

This is very true of families where kids will definitely count their 'half time treat' as part of the experience.

When I was a kid my folks used to take a pack of sarnies to shut us up if we got hungry. I'm sure the parents of today still know how to make them. And take along some crisps and/or chocolate bought at a supermarket for a fraction of the price Villa charge.

I still do that for if I get the munchies.

[pauliewalnuts]

Because if you aren't going out your lunch will probably consist of a sandwich made at home and a bag of crisps, costing no more than a quid. When you are out for the day you tend to eat out, and the balti pie/salmonella burger/kebab and a few beers is as much a part of many peoples match-day experience as the game itself, which is much more costly and is inevitably added to the overall cost of the day.

This is very true of families where kids will definitely count their 'half time treat' as part of the experience.

Yum yum, a half time treat of undercooked chips and watery gravy!!!

"Mommy, Daddy, can we go to the Emirates next time, they get sushi and stuff there"

[Dave Cooper please]

If the food is such a problem, why don't they just not buy it?

I don't think anyone is saying that the price of the food (and beer) is a problem, in fact it's probably the cheapest bit of the day, especially those forking out the petrol for a long drive there and back. Just that, on a day out, they will figure the cost of lunch out somewhere into the overall cost. Maybe they don't want to just turn up, watch and go home again?
 There will be many who have now weighed this up and decided that they would rather forego the football bit and just have the food and beer!

[Corleone]

it costs too much what with the cost of petrol / the tickets for me and the family / the programmes / drink / food / the shirt  /and the mugs, i can be spending over £400 every week, twice a week if we have a midweek game, thats almost £50k per season

[garyfouroaks]

I didn't renew this season and I haven't been to a single game. This from a bloke who is 38 years old, i've had a season ticket since I was 13 and travelled all over Europe watching the Villa.

Having chose not to renew I knew I wouldn't go through the process of buying games for individual games. It was always all or nothing for me. 

Football isn't competitive enough, the players generally don't give a fuck about the club or the fans, sky piss about with the fixtures (what time is the game on Boxing Day for example?) and the atmosphere is shit. Add to that we've sold our best players for the last 3 seasons, bought in players like Alan Hutton and Jermaine Jenas, we still have Heskey and finally we have a manager with the track record of relegation.

Those who still go, I take my hat off to your loyalty

 

A chilling post.

The truth is that all clubs will keep on ramping up the prices of everything- until people stop buying. There is not one person in a Boardroom who will say " thats quite enough for a programme", or "petrol and heating has gone up 20%, we need to cut prices to ensure fans can still come.

I wonder which club will be the first to offer incentives for away fans to attend, instead of screwing them, now away allocations are rarely sold out?

[gsbrn68]

The thing that is making me ( season ticket holder for over 30 years ) think twice about renewing next season is that there are offers every game now for cheap seats and as i cannot see the next time i think we will sell out this option will save me a lot of money

also the benefit of a season ticket i.e cup final tickets is starting to seem further and further away as sides now can field there reserves in the league cup and the side is still better than our first team

[Marlon From Bearwood]

The thing that is making me ( season ticket holder for over 30 years ) think twice about renewing next season is that there are offers every game now for cheap seats and as i cannot see the next time i think we will sell out this option will save me a lot of money

also the benefit of a season ticket i.e cup final tickets is starting to seem further and further away as sides now can field there reserves in the league cup and the side is still better than our first team

This is how I feel, and I'm sure many other ST holders feel the same. So far this season I could've bought Newcastle and Wolves games for £40 combined, plus the Wigan ticket for a fiver. I'm not blaming the club as I understand why they do this but the fact is you just don't need a ST at Villa, you'll always get a ticket. One of the attractions in renewing has always been access to away tickets, but again, this is hardly ever a problem currently, even for non ST holders.

Therefore I kind of regret renewing this season, and as things stand won't renew next season. I'll still go to games (incidently I can't understand people who either have a season ticket, or don't go at all, nothing in between), I'll just have to make do with lesser seats on a match by match basis.