BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's

Subject: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Dazbo
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 09:04 AM

As a callow youth in the mid 70's I occasionally went to watch Arsenal from the North Bank at Highbury. As we're constantly moaning about the price of tickets to today's premiership games can anyone remember what a schoolboy would have paid to stand on the North Bank around this time?

Cheers

PS for American readers tickets for top flight games for adults can be a MINIMUM of £40-£50 each, don't know how this compares from NFL prices but I seem to recall that MLB games can be a great deal less.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: ard mhacha
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 09:57 AM

From memory I paid 1 shilling and sixpence [adult] to see Sunderland at Roker Park in 1957, I think it was 3 Shillings to get into Stamford Bridge in the early 1960s, what is it now £25 ?.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Den
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 09:58 AM

Don't know about the North Bank but the West Stand would have cost you £1 in 1973. Ticket stub here.
And £3 in the East Stand in 1979. Stub here.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Dazbo
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 10:29 AM

Den, that £1 was for an adult seat, standing on the North Bank would have been quite a bit less I'd reckon (25 -50p?). The second one didn't open for me

Ard Mhacha, I believe the Cheapest at Stamford Bridge are £48.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Den
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 12:18 PM

Dazbo, you might try your research on ebay. That's where I got my information.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: ard mhacha
Date: 26 Feb 07 - 04:04 PM

£48, I am told that the English Premier League is the most expensive in Europe. 7p in 1957, I wonder have the wages risen in unison with the prices into soccer games.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Scrump
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 10:06 AM

I wonder have the wages risen in unison with the prices into soccer games.

The players' wages certainly have, but I'm not sure about the punters'. I think football entry fees have risen to pay for the ridiculous amounts they pay the players these days.

Reminds me of the old joke:

Man: "40 quid to watch a football match is too much for me. Why, I could get a woman for that."

His mate: "Aye, but would you get 45 minutes each way and a brass band in t'middle?"

...I'll get me coat.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: patriot1314
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 05:46 PM

1972 European Cup semi final, 2nd Leg, Celtic v Inter Milan. Terracing ticket was 50p

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: ard mhacha
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 04:11 AM

Thanks Patriot that is amazing.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Folkiedave
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 04:32 AM

Whilst it it is clear that ticket prices have rocketed upwards, the biggest factor in the rise of player's wages has been TV money.

The fact is in each of the leagues, people will pay to see a winning team and "key" matches, and if anything conspires against that - weather, the game being on TV, then attendances fall. It was ever thus.

An exception to this is Sheffield Wednesday whose decline has matched sponsorship from a hit-and-miss ISP - let's call them Plusnet for now.

We also forget that many of these clubs are in huge debts. Chelsea around £500 millon since Abramovitch, Liverpool around £80 million before the takeover, Manure £600+ million to finance the Glaziers takeover, Newcastle £70 million etc. etc.

Sheffield Wednesday £26 million at the last count.

Sheffield United - probably breaking even due to succesful income streams being developed outside the game and a brilliant chairman.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 05:41 AM

Don't forget the fact that by law, stadia must now be all seats, no stands permitted. For our American listeners: A stand consists of rows of concrete steps with metal railings along the front, where fans could stand and watch the game. There were no seats, you stood for the entire time, pre-match warm-ups, both halves and the band in't middle. Numbers were supposed to be limited but in practice were only restricted by how many people you could physically squash into the space. After the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, many clubs had to fork out tens of thousands of pounds to upgrade to all seater stadium and the rise in ticket prices reflects this, not just the obscenely huge wages that professional footballers get.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 05:49 AM

I was going ot move this to the music section - this IS about a folk club, right?
[grin]
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 05:53 AM

Joe - have you been taking your medication again?!

: )

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 08:00 AM

As a student in 1966 I could get into the Sheffield United stand for 2 shillings (10p), which was half the adult price of 4 shillings (20p).

But then the cheapest pint in the Union bar was 1/8 (about 8p) for the almost undrinkable Tennants' Amber.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: ard mhacha
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 05:26 AM

An old friend Norman Uprichard now 78 years old and living in Hastings, told me that as an Arsenal reserve goalkeeper in the late 1940s he received £8 a week, later on playing for Portsmouth throughout the 1950s he received £20 per week.
Norman dosen`t begrudge the high wages that the present day players receive, he says that is a much fairer system than the fat-cast directors who creamed the vast bulk of the money in his playing days.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: autolycus
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 03:56 PM

Mr.Uprichard's wages compare interestingly with ticket prices then. When my Dad started taking me to the Spurs [Tottenham Hotspur] in the early 50s,the season tickets were £8 and 8 shillings.

So season tickets now should be £15 - 100,000.

And aren't football fans forking out £25-50+ per game amongst those who think opera is expensive (prices start at about £5)?

ard,if Mr.Uprichard played at White Hart Lane 1952-1962,I probably saw him,so I wish him well. Names like his take me back to one of my golden ages when I played Subbuteo [table football -these annotations are for non-British cousins] using resonant names like his.






       Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: ard mhacha
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 04:37 AM

I still keep in touch with Norman, he was home last year, you certainly would have seen him play for Portsmouth during the 1950s, he was their regular `keeper throughout that time, Norman played against France in the 1958 World Cup quarter final.
To clear up a puzzle for an old friend, during that period the Spurs team entered the field to McNamara`s Band sung by Bing Crosby, would the late, great, Danny Blanchflower have been responsble for this?.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: Scrump
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 08:27 AM

Ooerr, trouble - Spurs fans have hijacked this Arsenal thread.

I'm saying nowt, me.

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: ard mhacha
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 01:02 PM

I am entirely neutral.

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: autolycus
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 01:54 PM

Scrump - LOL. Really sorry - didn't think of that.

ard - can't help - one of the Spurs supporters sites might.


All yours,Gooners. Ciao.





      ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Arsenal FC - 1970's
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 05 Mar 07 - 04:13 PM

it's too late - the police are getting twitchy ...