Chris Heck, head of Aston Villa operations expresses sympathy with club supporters over ticket prices , after social media trolls
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Aston Villa
Tickets for Aston Villa’s first home Champions League game against Bayern Munich were sold out in record time. However, seats for Bologna’s trip to Villa Park have now gone on general sale. Although general admission tickets are expected to sell out soon, the fact that this hasn’t happened yet, less than a week before kick-off, is notable. This situation highlights the issues with Aston Villa’s current pricing strategy for the Champions League league phase games. The high ticket prices during a cost of living crisis have deterred many fans, despite the team’s Champions League participation. The cost, combined with travel expenses and high prices for food and drink around the stadium, makes attending matches financially difficult for many supporters.
For instance, a family of four non-season ticket holders would pay £230 to sit in zone three or four, and prices rise to £248 in zone two and an astonishing £376 in zone one. The club has capped U18 season ticket prices at £20, but they rise to £30 for non-season ticket holders. This pricing model has been criticized as it limits access for many long-standing fans to these significant events at Villa Park.
Chris Heck, a representative of the club, addressed these concerns. While discussing the club’s pricing tactics and the fans’ reactions, he stated: “It’s part of the culture of like everything is just so critically important to them. Everything. To be fair to them, they don’t have four other sports to dive into. They don’t have college sports – that doesn’t exist. It’s European football that’s it. That’s what matters. It really is more than lifestyle. It’s their family, it’s generational and everyone takes it really personally. I respect that and you have to be very careful with it, but I also want to win. I was reading something last night and every once in a while, and I’ve been pretty good about getting off social media, but I was getting destroyed yesterday for something. I can’t even remember what it was, but it was something that has been wildly successful and I’m getting just destroyed on the whole thing. It’s like 20 or 30 people killing you. You’re kind of like this is the game, this is the deal. But what I’ve been saying to everybody is that I’m not claiming to be the expert on the sporting side. I’m an expert on the business side and I’m not apologising for that. I do believe that I surround myself with really good people and I do believe that I will deliver results and I do believe that they’ll be happy in the end. I think that everything affects one another and this affects positivity for our fans. Our plan is to go out with renewals for our general admission adult ticket at a five per cent increase which is fairly modest.”
Heck instructed that while V Sports has significant wealth, financial restrictions limit the club’s spending, and current ticket prices are necessary due to these constraints.
He explained: “Here [in the Premier League], you could have the richest owners in the world and it doesn’t matter, it’s how much you actually generate. So how do you do that without ticking off your most loyal fans? Far from it. If Villa do achieve that, will the price of tickets dramatically decrease? It’s highly unlikely.”
In reflection, Heck admitted: “We recognise and understand the depth of passion felt amongst fans and their recent frustration around ticket pricing. It’s something which should have been budgeted before the summer transfer window, because fans shouldn’t be asked to stump up money after the years of loyalty they have shown in decades previously.”
The club’s decision to increase ticket prices has sparked debate among fans. It’s a reminder of the broader issue of balancing financial viability with fan accessibility. Many fans worry they will miss unforgettable nights at Villa Park if prices remain high. Chris Heck’s comments express a dedication to improving the club’s financial status while recognizing the importance of maintaining a loyal fan base. The club aims to revisit and potentially revise the pricing strategy for future Champions League matches to ensure that fans can continue to support their team in person.
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