Fleecing.

[kippaxvilla2]

I’m reading lots more about the club draining every last drop of cash they can from the ordinary fan whilst pissing them off in the process by installing things like The Terrace View.

An often talked about subject but is it me or is it now worse than ever?  Due to the special nature of the relationship fans will put up with a lot of things but this feels different.  I guess if the service and quality was even half as good then there would be less complaints.  But I was reading how tired the ground looked at the beginning of the season and you start to wonder who is actually making these decisions.

Last straw for me and I don’t get to any games theses days was the Everton price.  One I would’ve looked forward to going to.

[dave.woodhall]

I don't think there's any doubt that they've looked at the waiting list, looked at other clubs' turnovers and seen an easy way to increase ours. 

[kippaxvilla2]

Five years ago no waiting list and a bunch of diehards probably still going supporting us up from the championship and now seemingly not one shit given.

[VillaTim]

The sentiment and strategy is pretty much cough up or feck off. Disgusted by the direction and I'm not sure I'm going to be part of it for  much longer .

[Skerra]

Tim, at this rate, for us fanatical but not wealthy people, it’s only a question of when we decide enough is enough, not if, unfortunately.

[dave.woodhall]

What's really sad is the constant argument on Twitter between those who've had enough and the ones who think everyone should hand their money over without complaint, "because we want to sign players and win things."

[VillaTim]

I grew up in a 1 parent family. My grandad took me to my first game in 1978 . We took the 11 bus after walking from our privately owned council house to get there and back. It was affordable and accessible back then . What they are doing now is hideous and exclusive to what was a working mans sport. Fuck them , luckily my kids have little / no interest.

[VillaMatt93]

Sadly it's the way a lot of football teams have gone for a long time. If anyone has the belief it's been the working man sport that was gone long ago. The Everton prices just show they believe they can get the fans through the gates now with higher demand which will only last as long as the club is performing well. With those prices 5/6 years ago that would be a guaranteed 15-18K crowd.

[tomd2103]

Tim, at this rate, for us fanatical but not wealthy people, it’s only a question of when we decide enough is enough, not if, unfortunately.

It's probably getting to the point for quite a few, especially with the added European fixtures, that they might have to pick and choose which fixtures to go to.  Sadly, it's probably now gone past that point for others as well.

Since we came back up into the Premier League, it has still felt like the club I grew up watching and not the pretty soulless commercial entities that some clubs in this country have become.  Sadly it does feel like that the first few signs are there that that is going to change.

[VillaMatt93]

Tim, at this rate, for us fanatical but not wealthy people, it’s only a question of when we decide enough is enough, not if, unfortunately.

It's probably getting to the point for quite a few now, especially with the added European fixtures, that they might have to pick and choose which fixtures to go to.  Sadly, it's probably gone past that point for quite a few as well.

Since we came back up into the Premier League, it has still felt like the club I grew up watching and not the pretty soulless commercial entities that some clubs in this country have become.  Sadly it does feel like that the first few signs are there that that is going to change.

The Premier league is generally a soulless commercial entity which on the whole is fairly predictable teams who will win league get Europe or relegated etc. The teams in it just adapt to it for money reasons and many of the teams who have had sizeable increases in attendances with new stadiums ie Spurs West Ham have done this in part to tourist fans attending due to the global reach of the league.

[DeKuip]

The thread title is spot on, that is how it feels.
I hate the way certain clubs have bought success in the last 20 years and now the club I love is trying to do exactly the same with a couple of billionaires throwing their money around on their toy and us supporters having to keep up with their spending to help keep the income the right side of FFP.
It riles me that of all the billions the Premier League clubs earn from TV money none of this is put towards keeping costs down for the fans who pack the grounds out and help make it the ‘product’ it is.
The owners take advantage of our addiction.

And how the fuck do they come up with £36.50 for Everton? Have they knocked 50p off because they thought £37 was pushing it a bit, or added 50p on thinking they can squeeze a bit more than £36 from us?  Fuck ‘em.

[Charlie8182]

I was probably the only one wanting an away draw for the Carabao Cup as I saw this coming.  Huge hikes on season tickets, plenty of extra matches in Europe, but something has to give and it’s this game for me, just can’t justify it at that price.

No free cup game anymore either, I actually hope there's a poor attendance just as a message to the club (assuming that they care).

[frank black]

Yep, I’m out of the cup game partly on affordability but mainly on price versus value. They are taking the P.

It’s starting to get a bit “them and us” to me, doesn’t feel like my club really cares one bit.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

If you're a fan, you have a sentimental attachment to a football club. If you're a football club you have a financial attachment to the fans.

[RamboandBruno]

The thread title is spot on, that is how it feels.
I hate the way certain clubs have bought success in the last 20 years and now the club I love is trying to do exactly the same with a couple of billionaires throwing their money around on their toy and us supporters having to keep up with their spending to help keep the income the right side of FFP.
It riles me that of all the billions the Premier League clubs earn from TV money none of this is put towards keeping costs down for the fans who pack the grounds out and help make it the ‘product’ it is.
The owners take advantage of our addiction.

And how the fuck do they come up with £36.50 for Everton? Have they knocked 50p off because they thought £37 was pushing it a bit, or added 50p on thinking they can squeeze a bit more than £36 from us?  Fuck ‘em.

I agree with most of what you say, but doubt the owners have a scooby doo what match day prices are or what is happening commercially or not have happening, they are probably just interested in their overall balance sheet. There is also no getting away these owners saved the club.

I probably will go to the Everton game as where I sit in the Holte its £30 for me and £13 for my lad, my 16 year old daughter who is also a season ticket holder, doesnt always want to go to extra games as quite rightly as other priorities in life at her age.

I heard a decent managerial wage, my partner not so after a career in the NHS, so we are just ok. The season ticket hike this year on top of last year has pushed me about and if that trend carried on decisions would have to be made.