Soccer Franchise Notes: ManU Fans File Tix Prices Complaint
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ManU Fans File Complaint Regarding Club's
Ticket Prices, Non-EPL Game Ticket Policy |
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) has reported the English Premier League club to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after "claiming some ticket prices have risen" by 60%. MUST, in an official complaint to the OFT, said the club has "breached its statutory and legal obligations to season ticket holders." MUST's argument centers on ManU's non-Premier League ticket strategy, which "forces season ticket holders to agree in advance to buy tickets for cup games even though they do not know how many they will have to pay for and who the opposition will be." MUST also is arguing that "massive ticket price rises in recent years ... contravene a pledge given by [ManU Owner Malcolm] Glazer in the build-up to his takeover attempt" (TIMESONLINE.co.uk, 11/19).
EPL ATTENDANCE: ESPN SOCCERNET noted the EPL insists that the credit crunch is "not affecting the top flight as a whole," as stadiums are "still 92% full this season." But some clubs "are suffering," as Newcastle United is experiencing a "dramatic slump in attendances this season." The club has averaged 46,689 fans per game this season compared to 51,321 last season, a drop of 9%. Sunderland and Blackburn also are down this season, but Bolton, Manchester City and Middlesbrough have "all enjoyed a boom in attendances compared to last season" (ESPNSOCCERNET.com, 11/19).
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Writer Believes Giants Stadium Hurts
Red Bulls' Ability To Draw Fans |
BULLS MARKET: YAHOO SPORTS' Martin Rogers writes the problem for the MLS Red Bulls is "how to get New York City interested in them." Though "nearly 47,000" fans attended the Galaxy-Red Bulls game at Giants Stadium in July and 38,152 attended the August exhibition against La Liga club Barcelona FC, the highest regular-season crowd apart from the Galaxy game was 18,546 for Crew-Red Bulls in October. And the lowest was a "paltry 9,053" for Earthquakes-Red Bulls in April. Giants Stadium's "difficult access and unsightly surroundings are not conducive for a family-style soccer atmosphere," but that issue "should improve significantly when" Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, opens next year (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 11/20).
GOLD STANDARD: In S.F., Susan Slusser reports the Bay Area Women’s Professional Soccer team yesterday unveiled its name, the FC Gold Pride and its logo, which is a “lioness in mid-stride.” The announcements were made in Santa Clara, where the team will play its home games at Buck Shaw Stadium. FC Gold Pride Owner Brian NeSmith said that the team’s name is “meant to evoke California, the Golden State, along with honoring the U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning women’s soccer team.” NeSmith said the rest of the name is “tying into a pride of lionesses” (S.F. CHRONICLE, 11/20).
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