It has been a top-heavy league for decades and the attendance numbers across the league suggest there are plenty of engaged fans, and not just for the big clubs.
Premier League thread (5 Viewers)
- Thread starter Evo1883
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Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
You are right to a point about attendances, but the likes of Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea, also have a very high percentage of " footy tourists ", who buy extremely expensive packages from third party companies, as well as the club itself.
My lad works for an events company that provides enormous and very expensive pre match corporate events for Scandinavians and American footy tourists at Anfield and two of my friends, run a business providing complete weekend match day packages, inc flights, accommodation, pre match entertainment, match day tickets and restaurant bookings for Norwegian footy tourists and there are many more people doing similar.
There are whole swathes of Anfield, which contain nothing but footy tourists, who are there on these packages, Man U is the same, as is Chelsea. Man City aren`t far behind, but are getting there.
Then on the flip side, you have the likes of Bournemouth getting gates of 11/12k for home games - the revenue from the gate won`t even be touching their wage bill.
The fans from a good few Premier League clubs, have almost becoming ancillary to their income, as they`re getting so much from the TV money, advertising and shirt sales in the likes of India etc.
The Premier League is eating itself.
And we're trying to do that in a small way, can't complain though I suppose.
None of what you are describing suggests the PL is a league that people are bored with. Your own team just moved into a much bigger stadium didn’t they?
Farmer Jim
Well-Known Member
They did and fans seemingly can`t get tickets, because of the massive expansion of corporate areas of the ground, which as always seem to have large numbers of empty seats, especially after half time if the game is crap, which it usually is !
It`s nigh on impossible to get a ticket as a regular fan, unless you`re in one of the various membership schemes, which you have to pay for.
You can`t go to a ticket office and physically buy a ticket anymore, as everything is online, so that`s pretty much ruled out all the casual fans, who used to pick and choose their games.
It`s become such an expensive hassle to go, that some fans ( of both clubs ) have given up and now go and watch local teams instead.
Marine, the nearest lower league club, who play in the Conference North, have seen their gates rise from just over 1000/1500 depending on who they`re playing in recent years, to 2500 plus. ( they had to move grounds ).
The common thing you`ll hear people saying after they`ve got into watching lower league, after rejecting the Premier League, is how refreshing it is to be watching " proper footy " again, with an enjoyable match day experience, rather than paying £8 a pint, £10 for a hot dog, to watch a match, where you pretty much know who will win, depending on who the referee is. ( it really is that rigged in the favour of the Sky 6 )
If Cov get promoted and I truly hope they do, you`ll experience all this first hand, if you go to the away games, especially at the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Everton.
Wait until you get a load of the Etihad Village at City, it`s like the Meadowhall at Sheffield, with a footy ground plonked in the middle and with nowhere to get a pint
Outside of Liverpool / Man City / Arsenal, maybe Spurs and Chelsea, no one really has a chance of winning anything and for most teams, staying in the league is the only objective £££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££. ( the Carabou cup possibly, as the money clubs don`t care about it, as it earns nothing )
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