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Chelsea fans I know say it's got much easier in recent years to get hold of occasional tickets. What's your experience?
That said. Television money is where it’s at.
Indeed. And I think the great #stopfootball rebalancing will be when one (or a few) of the big English clubs tell the Premier League to get fucked, break away and negotiate their own individual TV deals (like Barca and Real have).
I personally still think it's madness that England has 4 professional divisions, without sugar daddy investors coming in to periodically bail out lower league clubs we should only have 2 (fully professional) leagues.
Greenbank
There are also three or four types of “fans”.
Season ticket holders. Pay up front which is useful for clubs who have to pay off debt.
Regular attendees. Often members and so show financial commitment to the club albeit that the income from them comes in later.
Occasional attendees. These are hugely important. The divorced father who brings his kid for a birthday treat or the family from SE Asia who make a pilgrimage to the ground. Buy tickets but also (on a per trip basis) are more likely to buy tat from the club shop and more likely to buy hotdogs in the ground.
Corporates. Very expensive seats, catering, the works.
Chelsea’s plan was to grow the capacity by a little under 20,000. Half of these would have been corporates. Chelsea have also restricted the number of STs to encourage particularly overseas one off attendees through easy purchase of tickets via supporters clubs throughout the world.
That said. Television money is where it’s at.