Everton’s Australian tour is an absolute rip off
Columnist By Mike Tuckerman, 16 Jul 2010 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
High ticket prices, half full stadia. Welcome to another A-League pre-season, where loyal fans are gouged senseless by ‘music promoters’ and the Euro-snobs crawl out of the woodwork to attend their solitary club game for the year.
The A-League’s new ‘fan-made’ advertising campaign focuses on active support, but you wouldn’t have experienced much of that last Saturday night when Sydney FC took on Everton at ANZ Stadium, with stadium officials banning just about everything used to create the very same kind of atmosphere that Football Federation Australia are trying to advertise.
Forget the vuvezela – the killjoys running these pre-season ‘events’ would rather have you sit down, shut up and leave your megaphones, drums and football-related chants at home – even if stadium security staff deserve to bear much of the blame.
But what else should we expect from Sam Righi, a music promoter who helped bring such talent as Nickleback, the Goo Goo Dolls and Simple Plan to our shores?
The bloke should be forced to listen to Miley Cyrus records on endless repeat for committing crimes against music, but instead we let him handle the supposedly prestigious tour of what one might politely call “the fourth best club outside England’s top four.”
And what do we get? Rip-off ticket prices, inappropriate venues and the absence of star players.
I’m all for friendlies against high-profile opposition – that’s precisely why I think the Sydney Festival of Football is such a fantastic idea – but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if your original ticket prices are between $50 – $140, plenty of fans will simply stay at home.
No wonder Righi and his Big Deal touring company were eventually forced to slash ticket prices to just $20 for the cheapest seats, after it became apparent that the so-called Premier League ‘powerhouses’ Everton were in danger of playing in front of three men and a dog.
How much longer do we have to sit back and suffer the FFA’s complicity in allowing tour promoters with zero interest in football to rip off genuine fans?
Will Righi and his cohorts offer refunds to the genuine supporters who coughed up the outrageous $50 asking price for the worst seats in the house, only to discover that the same tickets were later sold for less than half that price?
Of course not.
That more than 40,000 fans turned out at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, and just under 20,000 turned up at Etihad Stadium for Melbourne Heart’s midweek clash with the Merseysiders, is testament to the fact that there is a market for these kinds of friendlies.
But it’s a market that is being robbed blind, and playing the games at such oversized venues suggests that those who promote the tours are either hopelessly optimistic or incredibly stupid.
At least the A-League clubs involved aren’t forced to wear the cost of organising the Everton tour – indeed, they’ll receive an appearance fee for their troubles – and one can hardly begrudge them the early season hit-out and a free shot at publicity.
However, unless some of the bandwagon fans no doubt bored senseless by these glorified training sessions are converted into dedicated A-League supporters, the whole exercise appears to be a waste of time.
Had the matches played so far taken place at the normal home grounds of Sydney FC and Melbourne Heart, we would have seen near-capacity crowds turn out.
Instead, those fans who make the effort are treated to the sight of Diniyar Bilyaletdinov firing the ball over the crossbar and into an empty Row G.
I won’t be attending Brisbane Roar’s clash with Everton at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night – I’m still trying to get over the dizzying high of seeing Fulham on Australian soil last season – but I wish those who attend all the very best.
But when it comes to watching some meaningful football, the new A-League season can’t kick off soon enough.
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July 16th 2010 @ 9:29am
Anthony Begbie said | July 16th 2010 @ 9:29am | Report comment
At the en of the day, people choose to go and are not forced into purchasing tickets. Price cuts are annoying for initial buyers but it happens in every Industry.
The club will also make more money, and get free publicity from this match than they would a local club. I choose not to attend these style matches after watching fulham and a low intensity match that I felt was overpriced.
Saying that, from memory that match was organized b the club and prices and venues were similar to those by the organizer if the everton tour.
I must admit I am a little envious of seeing boca play though.
July 16th 2010 @ 9:30am
bazza667 said | July 16th 2010 @ 9:30am | Report comment
I wonder who will come out next year?
Bolton, Blackburn or Sunderland?
July 16th 2010 @ 9:36am
Roger Rational said | July 16th 2010 @ 9:36am | Report comment
It’s a free country, Tuckerman. If people don’t want to pay, they won’t. I reckon you’re just upset that a mediocre team from the EPL you despise so much can attract 40,000 to a friendly fixture.
July 16th 2010 @ 11:57am
Roger said | July 16th 2010 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Mediocre? Hmm, I think you’re selling them a bit short. I would’ve thought consistently finishing in the top half of the EPL would be pretty good. They are a quality side, make no doubt.
And no, I’m not an Everton supporter.
July 16th 2010 @ 9:41am
Farqwar said | July 16th 2010 @ 9:41am | Report comment
I think you guys are missing the point. This guy brought Nickleback, the Goo Goo Dolls and Simple Plan out.
He needs to be stopped, won’t somebody think of the kids!
July 16th 2010 @ 9:46am
Barry said | July 16th 2010 @ 9:46am | Report comment
You’ve got a point there Farqs…
July 16th 2010 @ 9:56am
ItsCalledFootball said | July 16th 2010 @ 9:56am | Report comment
I think the Everton FC asking price had something to do with the cost and ticket prices.
After 19K in Melbourne, unless there is a bumper crowd in Brisbane, the promoter will probably make a loss on the tour.
The FFA should get involved and negotiate at a football club/community level with reciprocal arrangements for Socceroos and A-League club games overseas as a total package, rather than leave it to profiteering one-off promoters who are interested in making money – not growing the game.
The Sydney Festival of Football will be better and more reasonably priced – the tickets for a double header are cheaper than any of the Everton seats.
This tournament was backed by the FFA and the NSW government, who will underwrite some of the costs because it is expecting a $10-20 million windfall in terms of visitors to Sydney and revenues.
July 16th 2010 @ 10:04am
AndyRoo said | July 16th 2010 @ 10:04am | Report comment
It’s just a shame that we have a good team come here but due to the pricing the stadiums not full because you would want as many football fans as possible to enjoy the occasion. It would be a great promotion for the A league clubs if it was, and probably better for Everton too. I think Everton and the clubs have behaved fine and no qualms about their line ups. It is their pre season so I don’t expect them to treat this like the 39th round.
I would rather Everton come here and the tickets are $50 rather than no team comes at all. Hopefully the Sydney festival works for all involved.
I really don’t like private promoters, not just for the price gorging but because of the murky relationship Soccer Australia had with them in the late 90’s where I think the game was shafted. However surely the FFA has to look at themselves first. I was lucky in that living in Brisbane our Socceroos game was fairly priced because the FFA doesn’t rate the Asia Roos as a draw card meanwhile Melbourne got stiffed over the Oman and NZ game pricing.
If the FFA isn’t concerned about eroding goodwill by gorging fans then I don’t see how they could keep a straight face and complain about the promoters.
July 16th 2010 @ 11:03am
Grant Rieper said | July 16th 2010 @ 11:03am | Report comment
Well said Mike, good to see the venom is flowing freely this morning!
July 16th 2010 @ 11:41am
Con Stamocostas said | July 16th 2010 @ 11:41am | Report comment
nice one Mike!!!
July 16th 2010 @ 11:47am
David V. said | July 16th 2010 @ 11:47am | Report comment
I’m no “Eurosnob”- I’m someone who lives for my team. And I was surrounded by Scousers where I was.