|
West Ham is "the most expensive club for an adult and two children to watch" in the Premier League, costing £150 ($194.69) for the three-person outing, according to Paul Nicholson of INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL. In contrast, the same outing to Bournemouth would cost £44 ($57.11), and £47 ($61) at Newcastle. With Premier League clubs "generally operating at full capacity," it seems the economic law of price being dictated by supply and demand is "only operating in London," where West Ham is followed by Arsenal as the second-most expensive at £113.50 ($147.31) and Chelsea at £100 ($129.79). The analysis of the cost of attending football matches in the EPL by Liverpool University football finance expert Kieran Maguire "looked at prices being charged by clubs for the forthcoming season to see different strategies being employed." Maguire said that clubs have "different strategies depending upon the extent of the fanbase, and how tolerant fans are of paying different prices to watch different opposition." He added, "We have therefore contrasted prices charged when the opposition is a glamour club (Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, etc.) or a small club, such as Crystal Palace. Some clubs (Liverpool, Burnley, Bournemouth, Huddersfield for example) charge identical prices regardless of the opposing team." Maguire also pointed to the "large and growing market for football tourism" as a factor in changing the matchday ticketing landscape (
INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 8/10).