Vocal Voices

One of the reasons I tend to watch local non-league football and grass-roots egg-chasing (rugby union) is the sheer financial cost of spending an afternoon at one of our local Premiership sides. I don't know what they charge elsewhere, but even humble Division 1 or whatever Walsall here will knock you back £20-odd for a ticket. The last Premiership game / ground I attended was Villa v Middlesborough back in 2001 (and it was a flippin' goal-less draw at that!!)

But this Saturday, the Baggies have an FA Cup Round 3 tie against Conference side Gateshead. West Brom wanted to charge the basic minimum FA Cup price of £10, but Gateshead (wanting a "pay-day") argued for £20. They compromised at £15. So I thought, why not,cheap way of attending a Premiership ground, and wandered over to the Hawthorns this morning to see about a ticket. No problem obtaining one (once I'd actually managed to find the ticket office), and as they offered me an "old-gits" concessionary rate for over-60's, it only cost me £5 !

I bet they charge me more than that for a cuppa tea and burger at half-time .....

Old gits?? Well, you're not an old git Ossie

That's about the cost of a ticket over here, for Olhao, who in the first division. The cost for clubs like Sporting or Benfica are a little more, but not as much as in England.