The club's relationship with the fans

[StefanAVFC]

4 minutes ago, bobzy said:

It'll be an absolute embarrassment if the Bayern game isn't sold out.

Bayern sold out in days, he's talking about the Bolognese munchers

[sidcow]

1 minute ago, Stevo985 said:

That game will sell out. Apart from maybe some of the higher priced GA+ offerings.

But Bologna I'm having serious doubts about, after previously being certain it would still sell out. There's shit loads of tickets left

 

 

Looking at The North Stand, that's going to resemble something from the late 80's with a sprinkling of people sitting around it.  Not why why at only £85 to sit somewhere resembling a desolate crumbling 60's shopping centre with a concourse narrower than a Thames Water sewage treatment pipe.

[Stevo985]

1 minute ago, sidcow said:

Looking at The North Stand, that's going to resemble something from the late 80's with a sprinkling of people sitting around it.  Not why why at only £85 to sit somewhere resembling a desolate crumbling 60's shopping centre with a concourse narrower than a Thames Water sewage treatment pipe.

You shouldn't expect anything better while paying that to see a game mate.

They could do it up a bit but that would take away from the bottom line so it would be insane!

 

You'll pay the maximum possible price and not show a shred of unhappiness. We're quite a good team now and that's all that matters. 

[sidcow]

Just now, Stevo985 said:

You shouldn't expect anything better while paying that to see a game mate.

They could do it up a bit but that would take away from the bottom line so it would be insane!

 

You'll pay the maximum possible price and not show a shred of unhappiness. We're quite a good team now and that's all that matters. 

It's OK.  I am a season ticket holder and a legacy fan.  It's my job to complain.  I'm trying to drive NSWE away, that's my central focus in life.

[sidcow]

And for what it's worth I am going to Bologna as I'm in the Champions League ticket scheme.  I could afford to and probably would pay double the price I currently do for my season ticket.  But it doesn't mean it's all OK and should sit here like a happy clapper as some seem to think I should.

Edited 2 hours ago by sidcow

[Stevo985]

Just now, sidcow said:

I am a season ticket holder and a legacy fan. 

Oh...

why are we even having this conversation? Your opinion is literally meaningless

 

[Stevo985]

Just now, sidcow said:

And for what it's worth I am going to Bologna as I'm in the Champions League ticket scheme.  I could afford to and probably would pay double the price I currently do for my season ticket.  But it doesn't mean it's all OK and should sit here like a happy clapper as some seem to think I should.

Yeah real talk same with me. Some people seem to think everyone moaning is just moaning because they can't afford it.

I'm going to the Bologna game. I'll probably go to all the CL games if I can get tickets.

 

Thousands of people won't be able to, purely because they can't afford it. And that's not right

[El Segundo]

1 hour ago, bobzy said:

It's absolutely where we're heading.

And I'd wager very good money that those fans who are on the "this is what we need to do to compete" "It's a shame but ticket prices need to increase" side of things have also very openly slagged off the shite atmosphere at the Emirates/Etihad/any other stadium.

Yes, it pretty much started with the "cucumber sandwich brigade" Roy Keane was so critical of 20 odd years ago at Old Trafford, followed by the Tarquin-isation of the Arsenal crowd.  It seems to be the price of success.

I used to be a bit disappointed that neither my Son or Daughter were interested in Villa or football in general as I'd have loved at least one of them to carry on a family tradition that began well over a century ago.  Now I'm kind of relieved as I can barely afford to go myself  let alone take the offspring.

I'm asking myself now if success on the pitch these days is really worth it if many of us can no longer afford to share in it, experience it first hand, and relish it like I was able to with the promotions from division 3 and 2, winning the League and then the European Cup, as well as a few League Cups along the way.  I mean what's the point if you can't be there to experience it?    

 

[DaveAV1]

13 minutes ago, sidcow said:

It's OK.  I am a season ticket holder and a legacy fan.  It's my job to complain.  I'm trying to drive NSWE away, that's my central focus in life.

Should I be surprised? 

[TDR V2]

16 minutes ago, sidcow said:

And for what it's worth I am going to Bologna as I'm in the Champions League ticket scheme.  I could afford to and probably would pay double the price I currently do for my season ticket.  But it doesn't mean it's all OK and should sit here like a happy clapper as some seem to think I should.

We're going as well, that's at least an attendance of 3 then

[DaveAV1]

18 minutes ago, Stevo985 said:

housands of people won't be able to, purely because they can't afford it. And that's not right

I’m afraid that’s life, certainly at the moment. I can’t go to many games live now because I live to far away but that was a decision that I made, there are lots of things I can and can’t do for various reasons some I can control and some I can’t. UTV!!!!!

Edited 1 hour ago by DaveAV1

[bobzy]

Just now, DaveAV1 said:

I’m afraid that’s life, certainly at the moment. I won’t go to many games live now because I live to far away but thst was a decision that I made, there are lots of things I can and can’t do for various reasons some I can control and some I can’t. UTV!!!!!

“Oh well, I can’t do anything about it so I don’t care” isn’t an attitude that has gotten people far, as a species

[TDR V2]

19 hours ago, sidcow said:

But what if Aliens landed and stole all our money with a ray gun. I mean it's very very unlikely,but you never no. 

Or Spurs win a trophy

[Mic09]

36 minutes ago, sidcow said:

It is an answer.  £5m is exceptionally unlikely to make a difference.  It's miniscule, an irrelevant sum of money in the scheme of things.  You're living in a world of "what if's" if you think it's absolutely essential to charge the fans.

I'm not a fan of the pricing, but I don't like the rhetoric of "£5m is a miniscule sum of money". 

It's a contract extension for Martinez within FFP. 

Or, 5m here, 2m there, and all of a sudden we buy the next Rogers. 

It all adds up. Each million is very important and could be the difference between buying a new player and not doing so. 

On the bologna match, it's a bit much. I'm doing ok, but with wanting to take my son to a PL game soon, having bought the Bayern ticket, it all adds up. If it was 60 I'd be saying "go on then, I'll go, I'll miss another game sometime". But an additional 35 quid is my son's football training and an internet contract for the month. It all adds up. 

So the dream of the CL football is getting taken away from regular fans. I understand why they do it, but it might well backfire. It would be embarrassing to have 38k for Bologna. 

But I guess caviar from hospitality packages will make up the difference in terms of revenue from empty holte end seats.  

[DaveAV1]

2 minutes ago, bobzy said:

“Oh well, I can’t do anything about it so I don’t care” isn’t an attitude that has gotten people far, as a species

I didn’t say I didn’t care but I live with what cards I’m dealt regardless of the circumstances. 

[DaveAV1]

2 minutes ago, TDR V2 said:

Or Spurs win a trophy

Now you’re just being daft!!

[Stevo985]

13 minutes ago, DaveAV1 said:

I’m afraid that’s life, certainly at the moment. I can’t go to many games live now because I live to far away but that was a decision that I made, there are lots of things I can and can’t do for various reasons some I can control and some I can’t. UTV!!!!!

Moving far away and not being able to go isn't the same thing as season ticket holders who go week in week out being priced out of the biggest games we've had for decades

[Captain_Townsend]

20 hours ago, sidcow said:

What the actual ****? I've seen Purslow crowbarred into thread totally necessarily before, but this one is really, really out there. 

Purslow = responsible for everything.

Heck = just a poor guy,  doing his best in difficult circumstances and completely powerless. 

That seems to be the argument put forward by many of Mr Heck's defenders here. But there is clearly a big problem with it!

Some of us were concerned when he was hired because of his track record, especially getting sacked in his first football job explicitly for a break down in relations with fans. Why some are so dogged in their defence of him given the clear deterioration in the bond between Club and fans (a bond that took us from Championship to top 4) is a real mystery to me

Edited 42 minutes ago by Captain_Townsend

[delboy54]

1 hour ago, El Segundo said:

I mean what's the point if you can't be there to experience it? 

Good point. I was in my normal standing rail seat in K5 Upper Holte for the Everton game and when our third went in, it was just wild unbridled joy, not just the winning goal but to witness one of the best goals I have ever seen at VP.

This type of emotion is alien to those whom have never experienced it. I have tried explaining this to typical plastic sky scum supporters that I know, that have never seen their team play live, they don't "get" it.

Witnessing Villa win the play off final was better than sex, mind you I am now 66 years old, Villa winning stuff seems to happen more frequently these days!

[VillaChris]

10 hours ago, Tomaszk said:

WTF is this?

There's only one 'side' to this argument that is refusing to acknowledge valid points due to the narrative.

Villa UCL ticket prices:

 

Liverpool UCL ticket prices:

Which ones cost more please?

TBF Liverpool isn't a great example as they've played probably 15 seasons in the CL in the last 20 years so are used to the competition and have a worldwide support.

The side we should be comparing ourselves to is Newcastle who we have replicated a year later from what they've done last 2-3 seasons. They had a glamour draw last year with AC Milan, Dortmund and PSG. Also one less home game in the old format. Pretty sure their prices were 40-50 quid so even that regime didn't fleece their fanbase in the manner we have even though they probably had more reason to than us.