Increase ticket prices, why not?

(Baonghean) -The news that the Vinh Stadium Organizing Committee decided to increase the ticket price by 10,000 VND/ticket in stands B, C, D when watching the match between SLNA and V. Hai Phong on Saturday afternoon (March 22) has led to mixed reactions on social networking forums and among football fans. Some people think that the ticket price in stands B, C, D of Vinh Stadium is too cheap, just "symbolic" compared to the current market price (stands D, C: 10,000 VND, stand B: 30,000 VND), so increasing by 10,000 VND is still cheap! Others think that increasing ticket prices at this time is not appropriate....

SLNA fans at Vinh stadium.

The sudden increase in ticket prices before a match is not a new issue. Previously, with the motto "increasing ticket prices to prevent... unruly spectators", in the 2011 season, Hoa Phat Hanoi Club increased ticket prices 4 times (from 50,000 to 200,000) in the match welcoming the visiting team Hai Phong.

In Europe, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, the English club Arsenal also decided to increase ticket prices for the match against the German team Bayern, with the explanation that it was to "increase revenue for the team"!

In fact, in countries with developed football - most clubs and teams have "lived well" by selling tickets and selling products related to the team's brand. Fans and supporters of the teams are willing to spend valuable money to go to the stadium to enjoy the matches.

In Vietnam, after more than 13 years of professional football, clubs and teams still have to live off the “milk” of the rich bosses and financial support from the localities. In the economic recession, football teams are becoming a “burden” that many people want to get rid of but cannot! And SLNA – a team with a rich tradition and brand name is also in that situation.

Meanwhile, SLNA is a team with a strong fan base, matches at Vinh Stadium are always packed with spectators, there are "key" matches where fans have to take out their wallets to buy "black market" tickets for up to several million VND, but the amount of money earned from ticket sales by the Organizing Committee is only enough to cover the costs of the stadium and security, the remaining amount is also insignificant, just a "drop in the ocean" compared to the amount of money that the owner and the locality spend to support the team.

With the level of passion and enthusiasm for football being considered the best in the world, why are some fans “making a fuss” when the stadium organizers increase the ticket price by ten thousand to cover security costs for a “special match” with Hai Phong? Why is it that only for this match did SLNA Club increase ticket prices in some stands instead of increasing them right from the beginning of the season, or depending on each important match to increase ticket prices to “make up for expenses” to gradually reduce dependence on the owner?

This is probably something that Nghe An football people have to think about and rectify in order to increase revenue for the team but also satisfy, ensure security and safety for fans. Because someone wrote on the FC SLNA forum that: "The ticket price of 40,000 or 50,000 VND/ticket is still too cheap compared to the true value that football brings. In fact, at other stadiums, the ticket price is only at the same level. But the stadium is ugly, the seats are dirty, when going to the stadium to watch, sometimes, the frustration, anger and boredom are more than the happiness"!

Duc Dung