8 American Chelsea fans – All in brand new kit and paid nearly a grand each for a ticket | OneFootball

I wrote recently about young Newcastle United fans (Generation Z) struggling to get to see their team play live in the modern era, as opposed to back in the day when I was a teenager and then into my twenties.

Back in the days of the terraces, you just turned up and paid at the gate. Anybody, young and old, could go and watch Newcastle United play, just a case of getting to St James’ Park early enough, when we were doing well.

A totally different situation these days for young Newcastle United fans, very difficult to get into St James’ Park in this era of the majority of supporters relying on a season ticket.

The demographic of the St James’ Park crowd has massively changed since the 1980s. A far older fanbase attending home matches, compared to when it was teenagers and lads in their twenties who made up most of the St James’ Park crowd.

For me, this undoubtedly has led to serious harm to the atmosphere, the fact that everybody has to sit as well (apart from the small number of safe standing places) doesn’t help.

My Forest mate Mister Haddock lives in London, as I do. He has two kids and like me, tries to get tickets for as many games as possible via Forest memberships.

His description of the City ground sounds familiar and his chances of tickets are now receding with their current success. Their stadium has twenty thousand less seats than ours!

He, like me, has spent years going to away games as no one was up for those games years back and you could simply just turn up and pay in (at least he could).

The issue as I see it is, and was pointed out clearly by Mat in the comments after my last article, is that we are now in an age of money and the global game.

All clubs are in competition, whether that means making money from tourists paying exorbitant sums to experience the occasion, or those who have clung on to season tickets that they can afford, then there is everyone else who can be milked for the maximum amount after that.

Man U have decided to push their agenda even further, taking away concessions prices, so now kids and other concessions are paying a minimum of £66 for a ticket. Man U actually justifying it in part, by stating Fulham charge more than them.

The point of the season ticket in that last article, I think I lost people on.

Major clubs these days do not actually need season ticket holders, unless they are desperate like Mike Ashley was.

Season tickets were introduced to avoid cash flow problems in the summer months when there was no income at the turnstiles and players needed to still be paid.

I recently bumped in to a bunch of Chelsea fans in central London.

Eight Americans decked out in brand new Chelsea kit.

I had a good chat with them. Turns out they had paid nearly a grand each for a group ticket, tour of the stadium and visit to the club shop etc. All of them holding Chelsea carrier bags, which were bursting with club tat. I can’t remember what game they told me it was but they were playing one of the minor Premier League teams.

And there you have it. The conundrum of season tickets, lack of access to tickets, lack of access for youngsters, tourist fans, and the one which if the club doesn’t get all the aforementioned right, means the lack of atmosphere at Premier League stadiums will get ever worse. And all of this we know will effect the spectacle on the pitch.

What has always made football great for me, it was the working class sport and the people’s game.

Looks like we could instead end up with aging but wealthy middle class crowds and wealthy tourists. A perfect recipe for an awful atmosphere in my opinion.

If what is served up by the Premier League lacks atmosphere and affects the product then big money will move.