The Price of Football: how exactly do Stoke City fit in?
By Garry Welsh
![Stoke City's young guns set their sights on the bet365 Stadium (Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images) Stoke City's young guns set their sights on the bet365 Stadium (Photo by Nigel French/PA Images via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/0e15036b23802ed2c2c402e99c256c886800c810541d9faec6e81c30260425af.jpg)
The ‘BBC Price of Football’ survey results are out. We all know that you can get a season ticket at the Alliance Arena for an empty milk bottle and a yoghurt pot, but where do Stoke City fit in?
What Is The Price of Football Survey?
The survey is a relatively new initiative ran by BBC Sport.
In essence, they contact 224 clubs asking the price of a variety of things. They range from a match day ticket to a cup of tea. Of the 224 clubs contacted, 201 are in Britain. All Stoked Up comes back from a hiatus…
Of all those from the EFL who participated this season, only Plymouth Argyle declined. For everything not Stoke City related, you can have a look at the ‘Price of Football’ here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37988939.
Match Day Tickets
Match day tickets are at a level that I would consider average, however the survey insists that the cheapest match day ticket at the Bet365 is 14% cheaper than average at £25.
The dearest match day ticket is £50 which is 7% less than the PL average. Bearing in mind, this average is taken from the Premier League and not the whole survey.
Meanwhile, at Hull City, you can grab a ticket at only £9 on a certain day.
Arsenal have the most expensive match day ticket in professional football – a whopping £97.
A potential flaw with this survey though, is that they do not stipulate how many of the cheaper/expensive seats each club has available.
If Hull City only has one £9 ticket available each match day it is not really a true indication. It is similar with Arsenal, as the survey does not say if anything extra comes with the £97 ticket (for example – a free programme and a pre match pint). On the whole, the Bet365 Stadium seems to be pretty fairly priced for a match day ticket.
Season Tickets
Season tickets are the way ahead if you wish to watch your club. Not only are the games pre-paid, but you get first chance at cup game tickets before they go on general sale.
The cheapest of Stoke City season tickets is £294, which is 38% below the average. It is only £42 more than the cheapest season ticket in the league, which, naturally, belongs to Hull.
The most expensive season ticket in the league belongs to Arsenal at a massive £2013. That’s £1404 cheaper than a Stoke City most expensive season ticket. At £609, it is 30% cheaper than the league average.
Using the cheapest priced season ticket, the survey has calculated how much a goal costs for each club.
The Bet365 sits in 7th place. It costs £13.36 per home team goal. Some may say this is steep, but when you look at Arsenal and their £32.71 per goal, you cant help but be a little smug.
Not nearly as half as smug as a Manchester City fan though, who have paid £6.36 per goal.
More from Stoke City FC News
- Stoke City Key Injuries to Watch Before Millwall
- Josh Laurent Helps Steer Stoke City to Victory
- Stoke City vs. Luton Town: Recap
- Stoke City Wrap Up Transfer Deadline Day with Two Moves
- Leicester City Set to Complete Move for Stoke’s Harry Souttar
Match Day Costs at Stoke City
The average cost of a match day programme is £3.35, the cost of a Stoke City programme is £3.50.
A pie at The Bet365 is £3.20 which is less than the league average of £3.49.
And lastly, a cup of tea costs £2.30 – compared to the league average of £2.07.
The match day costs are pretty average. Personally I believe any one who charges over a quid for a tea bag and hot water should be wearing a mask and a striped jumper – but that’s just my opinion.
One thing we don’t mind, as humans, is being charged less. On the whole I’d say that if you’re a season ticket holder, you are most definitely getting a good deal for your money. Stoke City provide value – simple. If I learnt one thing from ‘The Price of Football’, it’s that it sucks to be a Gooner.