Fully agree with what your saying abou stupid ticket prices, and especially the scheme the Glazer's have introduced. Its a joke. But the price range for the tickets are around what a game at OT is anyway. Also seeing as the FA impose an equal 45% split on gate receipts, which is directly taking from the home side, you can understand some clubs putting prices up a bit to compensate. Not in any way agreeing with a club the size of United doing it but the away clubs get a 45% share of gates, plus TV money from playing a big club, they cant complain. Then you have to factor in the size of OT, the bill for policing and staff wages that we have to pay still like any other game but with only 45% gate income.
Like I say im not justifying it in any way from a big club. Especially at this time of year and for the normal working class fan, but the away teams are hardly hard done by (even though the match going fan possibly is).
I wasn't suggesting the away team is hard done to Robbo. Soz if it read that way. The away
fans though are a different story. In this case Utd fans are even harder hit as Reading have taken it upon themselves to subsidise the tickets so not one is over £30. £45 on top of getting up from Reading to Utd is just outright madness. Your lads are still stumped with the scandalous £37-£45 price which is a disgrace in itself.
The FA are the biggest culprits yet again in changing the rules this past summer for some ridiculous reason. It always used to be both clubs would agree on a reasonable price, and if they couldn't, the FA would step in and set the price. (Which I can't remember ever hearing of that happening.). The only stipulation was a minimal price across the board you couldn't drop below to make the split in receipts worth it.
The rule as now stands is that it falls on the home club to set the prices, with no less than a £10 minimum, but no upper limit, and the only way away fans can be charged more is if it's mutually agreed with the away fans.
They've completely changed everything that made everything reasonable with the Cup and given unscrupulous owners of a home side the chance to rape everyone if they so desire in their outright greed. Under the old system, this very nice little earner through the ACS on Utd season tickets of £37- £45 regardless if they attend or not wouldn't of flown as Reading would of opposed it and if it couldn't of been agreed, the FA would of set the fee.
I think they thought they were trying to stop the real small clubs from attempting to cash in on a big day out by asking for mega high prices. But at least the home club could oppose that and the FA arbitrate if necessary. But all they've done is opened it up for home clubs to set what ever they want COMPLETELY unchallenged.
As always, they haven't thought about the match going fan at all.
BTW, how is this forced auto cup scheme with penalty's disgrace STILL going at Utd with seasonies? It's been a good few years of arguments on this now. How are the Yank shithouses STILL getting away with it? That should be an individual choice. Not a frigging requirement. Money making at it's finest.
