| Tourists at Premier League games 12:10 - Jan 7 with 6871 views | le2blue |
I knew it was a thing before we joined the league, but the number of tourists you see at the Prem stadiums is one of the biggest differences vs the champ. Interesting what Kieran Maguire says here....
I met a Canadian family in the pub before the Wolves game who'd flown over for the game, were fully kitted out in Wolves Merch and were 'massive fans' who had never been to Wolverhampton before and had no association but had selected them as their EPL team...imagine their horror when they turned up at the station... |  | | |  |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:13 - Jan 7 with 5657 views | DarkBrandon |
Interesting his comparison of prices vs American football:
Only one way that will play out |  | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:14 - Jan 7 with 5653 views | BlueDouglas |
He's spot on with this. |  | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:17 - Jan 7 with 5624 views | giant_stow |
I've only managed to be a football tourist once for a Marseille game, with my boy - absolutely loved it and hope to do it again (maybe even back there - kind of fell for the place) when money allows.
So, I don't like this snottyness about others doing it here and I swear a well-travelled English fan abroad used to be a badge of honour too, so why doesn't it work in reverse?
Edit: tell a lie - I went to a Lille game 3 decades ago - woo! [Post edited 7 Jan 12:20]
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:18 - Jan 7 with 5611 views | SE1blue |
It’s very true what he says about American ownerships. I’m in Toronto and to go and see the Leafs play hockey is an average of $300 (£170) a game and locals are stunned when I compare what I’d pay to see Town each week. It’s just totally different in North America.
Football is being directed away from the working class. Has been for a long time. |  |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:22 - Jan 7 with 5515 views | Reuser_is_God |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:17 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
I've only managed to be a football tourist once for a Marseille game, with my boy - absolutely loved it and hope to do it again (maybe even back there - kind of fell for the place) when money allows.
So, I don't like this snottyness about others doing it here and I swear a well-travelled English fan abroad used to be a badge of honour too, so why doesn't it work in reverse?
Edit: tell a lie - I went to a Lille game 3 decades ago - woo! [Post edited 7 Jan 12:20]
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The problem here isn’t football tourism as such, but it’s the pricing out of real fans that is the issue like removing concessions etc.
If tickets are affordable for all but a few yanks get hold of them over others then it is what it is. |  |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:24 - Jan 7 with 5467 views | giant_stow |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:22 - Jan 7 by Reuser_is_God |
The problem here isn’t football tourism as such, but it’s the pricing out of real fans that is the issue like removing concessions etc.
If tickets are affordable for all but a few yanks get hold of them over others then it is what it is. |
That's fair enough - kissing off concessions is a dick move for any club. | |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:25 - Jan 7 with 5449 views | le2blue |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:17 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
I've only managed to be a football tourist once for a Marseille game, with my boy - absolutely loved it and hope to do it again (maybe even back there - kind of fell for the place) when money allows.
So, I don't like this snottyness about others doing it here and I swear a well-travelled English fan abroad used to be a badge of honour too, so why doesn't it work in reverse?
Edit: tell a lie - I went to a Lille game 3 decades ago - woo! [Post edited 7 Jan 12:20]
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I'm with you, have done lots of NFL and NBA in the US and footy games across Europe, but too much and limiting those that make the atmosphere isn't great.
I'd highly recommend going to Bundesliga games, have taken my lad to St Pauli and Union Berlin, atmosphere and experience are very different to UK games. | | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:28 - Jan 7 with 5376 views | giant_stow |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:25 - Jan 7 by le2blue |
I'm with you, have done lots of NFL and NBA in the US and footy games across Europe, but too much and limiting those that make the atmosphere isn't great.
I'd highly recommend going to Bundesliga games, have taken my lad to St Pauli and Union Berlin, atmosphere and experience are very different to UK games. |
Yeah a German game is high on the wish list, especially St Pauli funnily enough. Is it just noisier over there? At Marseille, the fans never stopped, from about 15 mins before kick-off right to the end. | |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:34 - Jan 7 with 5258 views | Europablue |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:17 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
I've only managed to be a football tourist once for a Marseille game, with my boy - absolutely loved it and hope to do it again (maybe even back there - kind of fell for the place) when money allows.
So, I don't like this snottyness about others doing it here and I swear a well-travelled English fan abroad used to be a badge of honour too, so why doesn't it work in reverse?
Edit: tell a lie - I went to a Lille game 3 decades ago - woo! [Post edited 7 Jan 12:20]
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The thing is to let it be balanced, not to price out proper fans. There are plenty of proper Town fans like me who aren't in the country or near Ipswich for much of the year, and would really appreciate the opportunity to go to one or two matches a year and would be willing to pay over the odds to do so.
I've also been a fan that went to every match without having a season ticket and then found myself replaced by fair weather fans when we were in the Premier League last time round.
It's a thing of balance. The club also has to think about attracting young fans who are certainly more valuable for the long term of the club than an OAP. That's not to say that we shouldn't respect long-term fans, the club just doesn't want to lock out new fans either.
What really needs to be done is to increase the capacity of grounds and then tourists would be more welcome. |  | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:53 - Jan 7 with 5112 views | Basuco |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:28 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
Yeah a German game is high on the wish list, especially St Pauli funnily enough. Is it just noisier over there? At Marseille, the fans never stopped, from about 15 mins before kick-off right to the end. |
As you may have seen Town fans started going to Dusseldorf every year, they have a good ultra scene in Germany, but it is about loud vocal support of your team rather than the fighting type ultra's of the past, they can buy and drink beer through a game and they seem to be big drinkers as well. When you combine copious amounts of alcohol with brilliant loud support it is great fun at a German game. They also have co-ordinated chanting and scarf / flag waving to add to the experience. It is a must to go to a German game. |  | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:57 - Jan 7 with 5045 views | JammyDodgerrr |
It's been painfully obviously for a while that the real problem clubs have in the PL is season ticket holders. They'd love to reduce them so they can sell more day tickets. Unfortunately just a matter of time. |  |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:58 - Jan 7 with 5030 views | tcblue |
It's a matter of time before some of the PL fixtures are played in North America, much as the NFL games here.
I always thought Blackpool was a long away trip | | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 13:05 - Jan 7 with 4940 views | Plums |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:53 - Jan 7 by Basuco |
As you may have seen Town fans started going to Dusseldorf every year, they have a good ultra scene in Germany, but it is about loud vocal support of your team rather than the fighting type ultra's of the past, they can buy and drink beer through a game and they seem to be big drinkers as well. When you combine copious amounts of alcohol with brilliant loud support it is great fun at a German game. They also have co-ordinated chanting and scarf / flag waving to add to the experience. It is a must to go to a German game. |
I agree, I've been to Fortuna (not with a Town group - but our links were evident), Monchengladbach twice (a visit to their Fan Haus before a game is essential ), Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin. The support is fantastic, strongly anti-fascist and with the odd exception unthreatening.
Furthermore, if you have a ticket for a game your public transport is free - yes imagine that!
I think Hertha cost 28 Euros for a ticket which is great value. |  |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 13:12 - Jan 7 with 4864 views | sjg |
A massive part of the global appeal of Premier League football is the atmosphere - ultimately clubs are shooting themselves in the foot and the 'product' will become devalued when it's majority tourist fans | | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 13:24 - Jan 7 with 4708 views | TractorWood |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:34 - Jan 7 by Europablue |
The thing is to let it be balanced, not to price out proper fans. There are plenty of proper Town fans like me who aren't in the country or near Ipswich for much of the year, and would really appreciate the opportunity to go to one or two matches a year and would be willing to pay over the odds to do so.
I've also been a fan that went to every match without having a season ticket and then found myself replaced by fair weather fans when we were in the Premier League last time round.
It's a thing of balance. The club also has to think about attracting young fans who are certainly more valuable for the long term of the club than an OAP. That's not to say that we shouldn't respect long-term fans, the club just doesn't want to lock out new fans either.
What really needs to be done is to increase the capacity of grounds and then tourists would be more welcome. |
Agree.
Downside risk being we get relegated and spend a year or two in the championship with little hope and we'll be back to 17,000 against Blackburn in a big ground. As we have been for 15/16 of the last 20 years. |  |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 13:37 - Jan 7 with 4552 views | Reuser_is_God |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 13:05 - Jan 7 by Plums |
I agree, I've been to Fortuna (not with a Town group - but our links were evident), Monchengladbach twice (a visit to their Fan Haus before a game is essential ), Leverkusen and Hertha Berlin. The support is fantastic, strongly anti-fascist and with the odd exception unthreatening.
Furthermore, if you have a ticket for a game your public transport is free - yes imagine that!
I think Hertha cost 28 Euros for a ticket which is great value. |
My only issue with Hertha was them being in an 80,000 stadium & only having 40,000 in there.
Still good though. | |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:11 - Jan 7 with 4396 views | Zx1988 |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 13:37 - Jan 7 by Reuser_is_God |
My only issue with Hertha was them being in an 80,000 stadium & only having 40,000 in there.
Still good though. |
Hertha is a weird one, and a real example of how even German football isn't immune from the tourist/day-tripper crowd.
They'll get 40k-odd for a normal game, but easily sell the place out when it comes to playing the likes of Bayern or Dortmund. I remember one derby game against Union about ten years ago, where they gave Union about 25,000 seats - more than can be held in the Stadion an der Alten Försterei!
The atmosphere is still pretty decent despite the poor attendances, although the running track somewhat spoils the affair. There were certainly plans to move to a new purpose-build stadium with about 50k capacity, but I think they've been shelved for the time being given that Hertha are now somewhat marooned in the 2. Bundesliga, looking more and more as if their next move could be downwards rather than up. | |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:21 - Jan 7 with 4306 views | textbackup |
Might just be me, but I’ve absolutely no interest in watching a game (live) involving teams I’ve no connection to.
It’s Town, or nothing |  |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:27 - Jan 7 with 4292 views | giant_stow |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:21 - Jan 7 by textbackup |
Might just be me, but I’ve absolutely no interest in watching a game (live) involving teams I’ve no connection to.
It’s Town, or nothing |
not just you at all - one of my Orient mates feel exactly the same: just not interested on any level in non Os games. | |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:45 - Jan 7 with 4179 views | ReusersTown |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:17 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
I've only managed to be a football tourist once for a Marseille game, with my boy - absolutely loved it and hope to do it again (maybe even back there - kind of fell for the place) when money allows.
So, I don't like this snottyness about others doing it here and I swear a well-travelled English fan abroad used to be a badge of honour too, so why doesn't it work in reverse?
Edit: tell a lie - I went to a Lille game 3 decades ago - woo! [Post edited 7 Jan 12:20]
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Two points. Do you now claim yourself to be a massive Marseille fan?, and is there a level of football tourism in reverse that is preventing the local lifelong fans from attending the matches and ruining the general 'football' atmosphere? I would say those are two key differences. | | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:51 - Jan 7 with 4144 views | Kievthegreat |
Thinking beyond just football. How many people have watched a sporting event when on holiday? Everyone I know who has been to America has been to watch a game of some kind. I mean if I'm a Brit going to America, I suddenly have the opportunity to watch a world class league far superior to it's equivalent in the UK in pretty much every sport except football. If they come here then football fulfils that. Yeah they can watch MLS, but the Premier League is a far better and bigger league. I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to watch a world class event in a place you're visiting on holiday, but it's much easier to justify it when you're the tourist and not the local missing out.
On a tangent, I also know plenty of people who've been to watch NFL/MLB games in the UK. This is essentially the inverse of sport tourism by bringing the sport to the 'tourists' in a way. I'm conflicted on this, I'd hate to miss a Town game because they did this, but at the same time I've been to watch MLB at West Ham twice and while I watched 'my team' this year, before I had no allegiance (except not liking one team because they were the Yankees). It's hypocritical to indulge and encourage this practice while opposing it when it's not in my interest. |  | | |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:53 - Jan 7 with 4109 views | giant_stow |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:45 - Jan 7 by ReusersTown |
Two points. Do you now claim yourself to be a massive Marseille fan?, and is there a level of football tourism in reverse that is preventing the local lifelong fans from attending the matches and ruining the general 'football' atmosphere? I would say those are two key differences. |
fair points / questions.
I'm no Marseille fan, but then I am a bit of a football hussy these days - will be cheering on Arsenal on the telly tonight, without shame, for instance. Like a bit of Orient too, so maybe I'm not the right person to be in this thread, tbf. [Post edited 7 Jan 14:57]
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 15:04 - Jan 7 with 4004 views | keighleyblue |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 12:17 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
I've only managed to be a football tourist once for a Marseille game, with my boy - absolutely loved it and hope to do it again (maybe even back there - kind of fell for the place) when money allows.
So, I don't like this snottyness about others doing it here and I swear a well-travelled English fan abroad used to be a badge of honour too, so why doesn't it work in reverse?
Edit: tell a lie - I went to a Lille game 3 decades ago - woo! [Post edited 7 Jan 12:20]
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Because you paid a regular ticket price to attend Lille/Marseille. PL clubs have now seized on the long distance tourist market to hugely raise their matchday revenue by targeting a different premium market, a new 'community' if you will, that will slowly replace the 'traditional' local community fanbase while increasing seat ticket prices across the board. So we - ie lifelong Town supporters - either pay up or lose out. [Post edited 7 Jan 15:32]
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 15:29 - Jan 7 with 3858 views | textbackup |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 14:27 - Jan 7 by giant_stow |
not just you at all - one of my Orient mates feel exactly the same: just not interested on any level in non Os games. |
Bloke I work with goes to a different European game each month…. I ask about it and pretend I care, but honestly, why. You can’t have an emotional tie, which is the whole point of football for me | |
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| Tourists at Premier League games on 15:47 - Jan 7 with 3734 views | Tractor_Buck |
| Tourists at Premier League games on 15:29 - Jan 7 by textbackup |
Bloke I work with goes to a different European game each month…. I ask about it and pretend I care, but honestly, why. You can’t have an emotional tie, which is the whole point of football for me |
Good point, well made.
I regard myself as a Union 'follower' - not a fan. I would love to go to a game at the SadAF. It came about during Covid when Bundesliga was the only football on telly - the lad decided that we should each choose a team. He went for Hertha because a very distant relative of ours used to play for them, so being the dutiful father I am I opted for Union. I've made an effort to understand the clubs history, keep up to date with the squad and other info and watch them whenever they're on Sky. They're a hugely welcoming bunch on Social Media as well, so now I root for them (to use the annoying Yank phrase). Still can't regard myself as a fan though, I'm not from Berlin or the surrounding area and will likely never go there. |  | | |
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