Phil SumblerAn interesting graphic appeared on Twitter yesterday that compared the costs of season tickets across all the Championship clubs and showed the Swans as a leading light with the cheapest tickets in the Championship.
In fact, it is probably understating the great work that we have put into season ticket pricing – and a great credit to all involved – when you consider that the Swans most expensive ticket is cheaper than the cheapest option available at 14 of our 23 Championship rivals (with two clubs also not showing figures.)
You then need to add in the £99 deal that was available to those who didn’t take refunds last season and you have a huge positive for a club who has the same financial challenges as everyone at this level.
There was much discussion over the course of the summer about football being nothing without the fans but there are more than a handful of clubs that can learn lessons in pricing from the Swans and some who, frankly, are possibly not opening themselves up to season ticket sales in a division where many games are midweek fixtures and a struggle for those working to be able to attend.
Take Bournemouth as a first example. The Swans pricing structure shows us ranging from £249 (cheapest) to £299 (most expensive) but at Bournemouth those figures are £550 to £760. With 23 league games over the course of a Championship season the effective price per game is between £24 and £33 even at season ticket holder level.
Fulham have the biggest range of prices at £399 to a mind boggling £809 (£35 per match) whilst just up the road at Cardiff they match us on the cheapest price but have a most expensive ticket of £479.
The research – carried out by the Second Tier podcast compared Adult season tickets across the division and whilst different clubs may have marginally different benefits it can show the wide ranging costs of those, especially some of have recently experienced Premier League football.
However, even those recently promoted from League One are trying to make the most of a Championship campaign with the most expensive seats at Blackpool and Peterborough at £649 and £529 respectively. Hull operate a monthly membership scheme but a glance at their website references “Adults from £15.65” but they don’t seem to have anything cheaper than £30 per game or effectively £690 a season.
We are 1 of only 6 clubs to have pegged their highest cost under £300 whilst only Coventry and Huddersfield join us in the under £400 category – Kudos to them for the brilliant pricing.
Credit within this should go to the whole team at Swansea City – which of course will include our Supporters Trust – for keeping this real and appreciating that – after 18 months away from stadiums – fans need to be enticed back. Especially when you factor in that many will have faced financial challenges of their own. Football clubs belong to communities and ticket pricing at £500+ for a season of second tier football does not encourage that concept at all.
Thanks to the Second Tier Podcast for their research on this one – you can follow them on Twitter here
Season ticket prices in the Championship this season 🎟 pic.twitter.com/x8s3OFaOpG
— The Second Tier (@secondtierpod) July 27, 2021
