What does the future hold for travelling support
supporters
By Ajack
July 31 2005
I know Brian C from the Irish site has done some very well researched and written articles on this subject, but now that I am starting to think about getting tickets for the upcoming season,the availabilty of tickets has now given me food for thought.
Tigers have now sold all their season tickets, the number of which I believe is restricted to 75% of the ground capacity, and they now have a waiting list to become a STH. I believe this amount is because you have to offer 25% to the away team in the quarter final of the European cup. They do seem to have overcome this problem by now offering GP tickets, which entitles you to go to every home game in the GP. I have no idea what other benefits this offers.
So in theory at least they need only have 500 tickets, the minimum you have to offer away teams in the GP, that are not “season” tickets for the GP. Assuming most clubs would want more than 500, would they then restrict the sale of those tickets to STH only?
Are we nearly at the stage where to watch Tigers you need to be a STH? Of course this is only one club but how far behind are Saints, Wuss, Glaws and Bath?
Again with Wuss last season, I was very lucky to get a ticket from a friend of a friend of a STH, without that the only option open to me was to take a day off work and travel down to the ground on a Monday, possibly an option for one game but certainly not for all.
From the clubs point of view being in this position makes a lot of sense as they are getting all their money up front and are not affected by bad weather, train strikes or whatever; every game is sold and no tickets are discounted, - an ideal situation.
From the fans' point of view it is less than ideal, as we are not far away from the situation where you have to be a STH to watch certain teams and even then you are still in a “lottery” to get tickets for away matches.
As things stand it seems that only a few teams are in this situation and with the possible exception of some Wasps games they all play on Saturday. Is this because these are all clubs that own their own stadiums and are unique rugby venues and as such are smaller than many of the soccer stadiums, or is it that more people want to watch games on a Saturday afternoon?
Would rugby be stronger if all games were played on a Friday night or a Sunday afternoon in larger soccer stadiums or would numbers drop if this happened? I know personally I much prefer Saturdays as meeting up with friends and having a few beers is very much part of the day for me, however I also like going to away matches, maybe doing both is not an option.
Quins, in my opinion, seem to have come up with a new and lucrative solution in sharing with a rugby league side, obviously this option is not open to all and it does have problems: resting the pitch, maintenance work, ground development and the like, but it also has many advantages: sharing staff - like ground staff, ticket office, club shops, even coaches and players and of course all ground development and running casts are dual funded whilst still allowing Quins to play on a Saturday. Is there a better way forward in their position?
Is building bigger and bigger stadiums the way forward? Is it an option to have a stadium that is half empty for most matches just so it can cope with the big one or two a season, or is supply and demand the key; would as many people want tickets if they were readily available?
Has rugby now reached a plateau with crowds or will it grow year on year? Even if it continues to grow are bigger grounds the solution? Will we go down the route of American football where nearly all the crowd are home fans and season tickets are fought over in peoples' wills as at the New York Giants, and yes, I am fully aware that distances are much more of an issue over there.
If this trend continues does it open up a second source of income to clubs for the A or development games? Should they start “giving away” tickets to schools and clubs knowing that in a few years say Wanderers will have its own following?
Whatever happens it will not suit all. I am sure I read somewhere a while back that Adam the steward had been to every Saints game for about three seasons, I doubt that anyone will be saying that in three seasons time.
Your views.
Ajack