FOLLOWING the publication of the BBC's annual 'Price of Football' review, STEVE CLAYBOURN spoke to his fellow Grimsby Town fans about the financial cost of supporting the Mighty Mariners home and away...
Mark Pulford, 42, Humberston: "I go to all the Town home games as I have a season ticket with my family, so two adults and a student in total at each home game. We probably go to approximately five or six Town away games a season. I don't go to as many away games as I would like, due to travelling and or accommodation costs, as most of the Conference teams are based in the South. If the team is not too far away, like Lincoln, then the cost is pretty reasonable in my opinion. If we travel to a club that is further away, then we usually stay overnight in a hotel and make a weekend of it. Based on the actual price of supporting Town, I would say the cost is more expensive than it used to be. If you compare the price of a ticket in the conference with Arsenal, for example, then they are fair and reasonable value for money, but if you compare them with the 'real world', then probably not. I think clubs forget that it is an entertainment business and, at this level, you don't get the quality of football, or the facilities to justify what prices are charged. We have seen Arsenal play at Sunderland, Bolton – I didn't really want to go to Hull – the stadiums and whole matchday experience are obviously on another level to Blundell Park. Cleethorpes Town are now charging Town season ticket holders £3.50, this is the best value for money around. My son Tom and I watched them play Gresley in the FA Cup and there were nine goals, four sending offs and a penalty – you can't beat that for value for money! I prefer to pay the small cost to watch another local team – rather than watching a Premier League game on TV. One advantage of watching Grimsby and now Cleethorpes, is that lower league football is more family-friendly and players interact with the fans. Top-level football may be better value for money based on the quality of players on show, but it is too corporate and the real fans are shut out too much now. At the end of the day, I have supported Town for 35 years, and they will always come first before any other team, and the England national team. Even if I don't agree with the prices, I will pay whatever the cost to support my club, as I understand at this level more money is required to run the club during the season, and pay the players wages. We buy a season ticket and get a programme every game so I feel that we contribute, and that could allow some cash to become available to improve the squad when necessary, or just keep the club in business. If we could get promoted back to the league then there would be more teams closer geographically, which means more away support for Town – and more away fans at Blundell Park equals better atmosphere plus more money!"
Andy Cook, 28, Grimsby: "Over the course of a season, I would say I attend between 12 and 15 games, with around three of those being away games. With travel costs and the ticket price, it makes going to away games regularly close to unaffordable and hard to justify with the costs of living and looking after a family. Ticket prices at Town don't seem to have increased over the past few years, but neither can I remember them being reduced as we have fallen through the leagues and face less well-known opposition. I wouldn't say ticket prices at Town's level are particularly good value for money. With regard to the cost of an adult ticket, for less than £10 more you could get in to see some Premier League and Championship teams – obviously playing considerably better quality football, in state-of-the-art stadia. So prices don't really seem to reflect the standards of facilities and football. Fairly soon my son will be old enough to go to his first Town game. To take him and my wife as a family would cost £40-£50 which is around the cost of a weekly shop and so hard to justify on a regular basis. In fairness to GTFC, the 'kids go free' offers from time to time will help with this and I will make the most of them."
Karen Ward, Grimsby: "I go to the vast majority of Grimsby Town home games on a Saturday and try to attend as many of the Tuesday night home games as I can. I do enjoy going to away games when I can, but this can prove to be quite expensive depending on how far I have to travel with the majority of the teams in this league being based in the south. I don't personally think ticket prices at Town's level are value for money for the standard of football and standard of the opposition. However, I am a Grimsby Town fan and I enjoy my days out on away days so will always try and find the money to go as often as I can."
Stuart Ridley, 74: "I've supported Town for most of my life and travelled to most away games during that time, on or off. I went to Torquay on the supporters' coach at the weekend, leaving Grimsby at 5.30am. I don't find the cost of watching Town too expensive – it's no problem. I'm a pensioner and I only pay £10 at Blundell Park, while the away trips with the Supporters' Club are well-priced – I couldn't do it on my own in a car. We couldn't have gone much further to watch Town than we did on Saturday but it was a good day out and fair price. In the Premier League, it does seem very expensive – I wouldn't afford to be able to watch it week-in week-out, that's for sure, but at Town's level, it seems fair. Town make an effort to make it affordable for older supporters like myself and you can see that."
Terry Hall, 62, Grimsby: "I go to every Town game home and away throughout the season. I run the away supporters' coach and those who travelled to Torquay at the weekend paid £33 each plus their match admission. I think the ticket prices throughout the league are very similar to last season and they don't seem to have gone up much at all. I think the ticket prices at this level are about right and are realistic. Our season tickets are quite good value, especially when compared to some other clubs across the country."
Aaron Rattray, 21, Grimsby: "I went down to Torquay on the supporters' coach. I would estimate the trip cost me between £60-70 to travel down and watch the game. I go to around 15 or 16 away games over the course of a season, in addition to all the home games. I think ticket prices overall in this league are fairly well-priced in terms of value for money. I personally think the away games are more value for money as you get to sample a better atmosphere and it's a day out."
