Third division clubs told to stop ripping off Rangers fans

[johnnyk 158]

Third division clubs told to stop ripping off Rangers fans by SFL chief David Longmuir

 

DAVID LONGMUIR was appalled to discover that Elgin had inflated their ticket price for the Rangers clash - a move which Queen's Park look set to follow next month.

SFL chief David Longmuir will warn Third Division clubs to stop ripping off Rangers fans after expressing his dismay at Elgin’s greed.

 

Longmuir slammed the Highlanders for putting profits before safety by selling at least 1200 more tickets than their capacity, forcing police to call off the game.

 

That will see them hammered with a heavy fine once the SFL investigation lands on Longmuir’s desk tomorrow. But he has also vowed to take other clubs to task for profiteering from the Rangers fans by hiking their prices whenever the Ibrox club come to town.

 

Elgin had raised their ticket prices by 50 per cent for yesterday’s ill-fated clash at Borough Briggs and now Queen’s Park are inflating the fees for their clash with Rangers next month.

 

The most expensive adult brief is usually £12 so Gers fans were angry to see tickets on sale at £15 and £20.

 

Longmuir said: “I’ll be taking steps to remind clubs of recommended minimum prices that we have always applied in Division Three. I will make that reminder as forceful as I can.

 

“I agree it’s profiteering. But we should not be profiteering at the expense of safety. That has to be the most important factor.

 

“I was dismayed when I heard about the situation at Elgin. I was fully briefed at all points about what was going on and we made a decision late on Friday to call the game off.

 

“That was 100 per cent about public safety. I’m confident SFL clubs in the Third Division are adequately prepared to cope with the crowd limits set.

 

“We put a lot of effort into preparation and planning. We put the same effort into this game as we would a cup final at Hampden.

 

“So I am more than comfortable about the league’s ability to cope with big crowds – provided clubs stick to what is allowable.

 

“On this occasion, that obviously wasn’t the case. This is a message to any club contemplating that kind of conduct that we won’t tolerate it.”

 

Longmuir refused to discuss the severity of the sanctions available but believes that whatever punishment is delivered, the fallout from this shambles has already made an example of Elgin.

 

He added: “I would hope any club contemplating that kind of thing should be completely dissuaded.

 

“That’s even before we deal with Elgin. We should not need to deal with them to make clubs realise that cannot happen.”

 

The decision by Queen’s Park to inflate their prices for the live Sky clash on December 29 has infuriated many Rangers fans.

 

But Spiders secretary Christine Wright yesterday hit back at claims they were ripping off Gers fans.

 

She said: “I’m aware some fans – home and away – are not happy but there are huge costs associated with this game. It’s a five-star FIFA stadium and there are all these regulations we have to adhere to. Policing is also at a level we don’t usually have at our games – and that’s just the beginning.

 

“There’s a cleaning bill in excess of £10,000, the cost of printing tickets and we must accommodate Sky TV and an increased number of media. We also usually have just one person selling match programmes.

 

“Despite the game being live on TV we don’t see that money, it goes to the SFL. You also have to take into account Rangers’ pricing strategy. When our fans went to Ibrox they paid £17 but we’re charging £15 and £20. What other event at Hampden would you get a South Stand seat for £20?

 

“There’s also a massive family section where a parent-and-child ticket is £16 so you’re paying just £1 to bring your child.

 

“People should also remember there isn’t a chairman sitting at the top who gets rich.

 

“We’re an amateur club and everything we get is invested back into Hampden and Lesser Hampden. So Scottish football benefits.”

 

But Andy Kerr, president of the Rangers Supporters Assembly, said: “I often hear the line that these clubs have increased costs.

 

“But they’re getting increased income with the larger numbers.

 

“Clubs need to be careful. We’ve energised the division and they shouldn’t take liberties. On the back of this Elgin fiasco clubs may start looking at their structure.

 

“There’s no need to be greedy. If a Scottish Cup tie comes around once in a blue moon then you can accept they’ve got to make the best of it but not when it’s bread and butter league games.”

[calscot 0]

Those excuses are terrible - "we have to pay to have the ticket printed"; don't they normally pay? Surely the printing of the ticket is included in the cost - and a larger order usually makes it cheaper.

 

Same goes for cleaning and policing - proportionally more fans and so proportionally more costs - but that's included in the ticket price whether it's 600 or 30,000; and there is usually a proportional cost reduction with greater scale.

 

One person standing around twiddling their thumbs for a lot of the time selling programmes costs no more than one who is non-stop selling them. If you make a profit selling programmes to 600 people you will make more selling to 30k and your costs will be proportionately less.

 

But in the end - how can you say you're costs have gone up when you're going to make more profit than you normally do in a whole season?

 

That is certainly profiteering. They are due a massive windfall if they charge normal prices but that's just not enough for them, they really have to milk it.

[Cotter 0]

Is it just me that doesn't have a problem with these clubs inflating there normal prices a bit? Personally I reckon Kerr comes across a right prick. Are we re-energising Scottish football or are we whinging about an extra fiver that we would have paid to watch Dundee utd anyway? Make your mind up bawbag.

[bluedan 93]

We shouldn't be surprised. It's not the first time clubs in Scotland make profits off our club and won't be the last. Let's hope Longmuir is as good as his word.

 

Rangers fans having to pay over the odds to go to shit grounds is a joke. Hampden I can understand a bit. It is a state of the art stadium. But the Spiders shouldn't be aloud to take the piss nor should anyone else.

[calscot 0]

Is it just me that doesn't have a problem with these clubs inflating there normal prices a bit? Personally I reckon Kerr comes across a right prick. Are we re-energising Scottish football or are we whinging about an extra fiver that we would have paid to watch Dundee utd anyway? Make your mind up bawbag.

 

Don't get you, Rangers are re-energising Scottish football by filling out grounds that are usually empty. That brings them a massive windfall. Why should Rangers fans pay more than other people for the same thing just so they can increase their windfall due to greed? You could argue Rangers get far less space and comfort for their money already.

 

Would you be happy to go into a pub in another town and just after a local pays £3 for a pint, you order one and they say - "Oh, you're a Rangers fan? That will be £4 please." Would you be happy to re-energise the pub?

[simplythebest 0]

Is it just me that doesn't have a problem with these clubs inflating there normal prices a bit? Personally I reckon Kerr comes across a right prick. Are we re-energising Scottish football or are we whinging about an extra fiver that we would have paid to watch Dundee utd anyway? Make your mind up bawbag.

 

Football is out pricing fans enough as it is.

[Darthter 542]

I can understand WHY the clubs are doing it. Come next season, Rangers will be gone (ie. 2nd Division), and it'll be business as usual. They are trying to maximise their income while they can.

 

An extra couple of quid would still make a massive difference to their income, without ripping out the Gers fans....

[GovanAllan 0]

Same old same old Rangers come a calling and the prices go up, f#^king sick of it.

 

I actually believed it would different in the lower divisions it seems everybody comes under the spell of the big £ sign.

[GovanAllan 0]

I can understand WHY the clubs are doing it. Come next season, Rangers will be gone (ie. 2nd Division), and it'll be business as usual. They are trying to maximise their income while they can.

 

An extra couple of quid would still make a massive difference to their income, without ripping out the Gers fans....

 

Going by the way the league is heading Elgin have a good chance of coming up with us, so in my book that just makes them greedy bastards.

[EDGE 0]

I agree, so what if they charge extra, if you're not happy about it, then don't go.

 

We live in a Capitalist society, it's everyone right to make money.