Kilmarnock FC

[Gary67]

Following their (L5) statement last night, would the Kilmarnock Board, and the SPFL, like to answer the question as to why Celtic supporters (& I assume Rangers supporters as well) are asked to pay £27 for the Chadwick & Moffat Stands when the normal adult prices are £20 for the Moffat (home support) and £22 for the Chadwick (away support)?
Maybe its time for Celtic to boycott Rugby Park if we end up going there for a 3rd time this season and the league's already won. Or boycott the first game of next season there. We'll see how they cope with 3-4k supporters through the gate rather than 11-12k.
As an aside, for a team doing really well under an excellent manager, there supporter numbers are pathetic. Both of their stands on Sunday were half empty.

 

[Spherical Planet]

Following their (L5) statement last night, would the Kilmarnock Board, and the SPFL, like to answer the question as to why Celtic supporters (& I assume Rangers supporters as well) are asked to pay £27 for the Chadwick & Moffat Stands when the normal adult prices are £20 for the Moffat (home support) and £22 for the Chadwick (away support)?
Maybe its time for Celtic to boycott Rugby Park if we end up going there for a 3rd time this season and the league's already won. Or boycott the first game of next season there. We'll see how they cope with 3-4k supporters through the gate rather than 11-12k.
As an aside, for a team doing really well under an excellent manager, there supporter numbers are pathetic. Both of their stands on Sunday were half empty.

I have a grudging admiration for what Kilmarnock have achieved on the field under Stevie Clarke, I have no admiration nor respect for the constant financial manipulation that Kilmarnock (and all other Scottish clubs) have exercised over many years.

Even the catering costs seem to soar in cost when Celtic come to town!

We don't owe other clubs a living; however - judging by the scenes on Sunday Our Team fully appreciate the efforts of the fans. I don't think we can ever understate how important a role we ALL play in Our Club's success and it would be wrong to withdraw Our support of the team and give an advantage to our opponents.

This is an issue which should be addressed by the SPFL. They are quick to enforce a minimum pricing structure which stops fans from attending games. Perhaps they should set their focus on a fair maximum pricing structure instead.

I agree with the principle of the original post, just not convinced that it benefits Our Team in all the right ways.

 

[Digger]

Sign of the times Gary,put the prices up when you know a big support is on the way,and you don't get any bigger than ours,no doubt they put the price of the pies and bovril up as well,what really stings is the fact that they chose to air thier complaints in the media rather than speak to Celtic,then we have the fat man talking up the abuse he received,the coin and the person who threw it should be banned for life as they have no place in the Celtic support,it is the anyone but Celtic rant wagon that the media love but I bet Killie won't turn down the money offered by our board nor will they refuse the money from Celtic,s efforts in Europe.

 

[Maria]

Following their (L5) statement last night, would the Kilmarnock Board, and the SPFL, like to answer the question as to why Celtic supporters (& I assume Rangers supporters as well) are asked to pay £27 for the Chadwick & Moffat Stands when the normal adult prices are £20 for the Moffat (home support) and £22 for the Chadwick (away support)?
Maybe its time for Celtic to boycott Rugby Park if we end up going there for a 3rd time this season and the league's already won. Or boycott the first game of next season there. We'll see how they cope with 3-4k supporters through the gate rather than 11-12k.
As an aside, for a team doing really well under an excellent manager, there supporter numbers are pathetic. Both of their stands on Sunday were half empty.

Ach. Ye just cannae hide cash ??

 

[Maestro]

Hardly need any encouragement to avoid killie ground, blue peter sticky back plastic ground with worn carpet pitch with no chance of watching a game of football while having yer pockets being fondled n emptied by ayrshire Huns!

Kilmarnock?... Fuck 'em!

 

[boab1916]

Hardly need any encouragement to avoid killie ground, blue peter sticky back plastic ground with worn carpet pitch with no chance of watching a game of football while having yer pockets being fondled n emptied by ayrshire Huns!

Kilmarnock?... Fuck 'em!

Don't understand them they put up prices and then when we throw money at them they complain!!

 

[50 Shades of Green]

They tell us they have to charge us more due to the number of fans, so it costs them more for Police and extra stewards, My question is this then, where the bloody hell were they when the winner went it?? Surely it is easy to stop youngsters getting over the hoardings and if they had done that successfully then the others would have stayed put.

 

[Ray]

They tell us they have to charge us more due to the number of fans, so it costs them more for Police and extra stewards, My question is this then, where the bloody hell were they when the winner went it?? Surely it is easy to stop youngsters getting over the hoardings and if they had done that successfully then the others would have stayed put.

My question too?????hh

 

[Ray]

I have a grudging admiration for what Kilmarnock have achieved on the field under Stevie Clarke, I have no admiration nor respect for the constant financial manipulation that Kilmarnock (and all other Scottish clubs) have exercised over many years.

Even the catering costs seem to soar in cost when Celtic come to town!

We don't owe other clubs a living; however - judging by the scenes on Sunday Our Team fully appreciate the efforts of the fans. I don't think we can ever understate how important a role we ALL play in Our Club's success and it would be wrong to withdraw Our support of the team and give an advantage to our opponents.

This is an issue which should be addressed by the SPFL. They are quick to enforce a minimum pricing structure which stops fans from attending games. Perhaps they should set their focus on a fair maximum pricing structure instead.

I agree with the principle of the original post, just not convinced that it benefits Our Team in all the right ways.

The stands opposite the camera,half empty!would assume stand with camera would be similar,attendance just under 12,000,majority of support from Celtic,yea,take our money and moan like fck,hh

 

[Wild Rover]

Time for this pettiness from Kilmarnock to stop.They have a vital Cup game v Sevco tomorrow night and should be making that their priority. It's getting hard to support them because of this.??

 

[BenLynch29]

Not living in Scotland and seeing how these things work on any sort of regular basis... do clubs hike the prices up for their own fans too for single match tickets whenever Celtic or Rangers come to town? Or only for visiting fans?

Over here in America, ‘Premium’ games are regularly priced higher just due to supply & demand. And the definition of ‘Premium’ can factor in opponent, promotional giveaway (that’s a thing in America for each game), or other factors. I served as the Financial Controller for a minor league baseball team last summer, and they had fireworks nights after Friday night games. Tickets cost an extra 20% for those games, and it was always sold out. So the source of the complaint here seems kinda odd here from my perspective, although perhaps this isn’t the case in other cultures.

By way of reference, here’s some screen shots of various ticket prices for North American sports teams (and not the crazy ones like Toronto Maple Leafs, NY Yankees, or Dallas Cowboys - those are all 2-3x more than what’s presented here).



Also note that this last one... there are very few tickets available as the game is nearly sold out and all the ‘good’ seats are already taken. Most of these $130+ tickets are outfield seats 400+ feet away from all the action. It would be like sitting in one end of Hampden and all the action for the entire game is on the far side of the pitch. So that’s what $130 gets you.

Also, beers are $10+, burger or hot dog would also be $10-15.

So again, just different perspective here.

All I know is that the next time I come to Glasgow I’ll be doing everything I can to get Hospitality tickets just for the experience (also recognizing that I get to attend approximately one match every 4-5 years). Even the most expensive package costs less than it does to simply walk in the door at most North American venues...

Also, by way of reference, £20 = $25 or thereabouts.

 

[Spherical Planet]

Not living in Scotland and seeing how these things work on any sort of regular basis... do clubs hike the prices up for their own fans too for single match tickets whenever Celtic or Rangers come to town? Or only for visiting fans?

Over here in America, ‘Premium’ games are regularly priced higher just due to supply & demand. And the definition of ‘Premium’ can factor in opponent, promotional giveaway (that’s a thing in America for each game), or other factors. I served as the Financial Controller for a minor league baseball team last summer, and they had fireworks nights after Friday night games. Tickets cost an extra 20% for those games, and it was always sold out. So the source of the complaint here seems kinda odd here from my perspective, although perhaps this isn’t the case in other cultures.

By way of reference, here’s some screen shots of various ticket prices for North American sports teams (and not the crazy ones like Toronto Maple Leafs, NY Yankees, or Dallas Cowboys - those are all 2-3x more than what’s presented here).

View attachment 1493View attachment 1494View attachment 1495

Also note that this last one... there are very few tickets available as the game is nearly sold out and all the ‘good’ seats are already taken. Most of these $130+ tickets are outfield seats 400+ feet away from all the action. It would be like sitting in one end of Hampden and all the action for the entire game is on the far side of the pitch. So that’s what $130 gets you.

Also, beers are $10+, burger or hot dog would also be $10-15.

So again, just different perspective here.

All I know is that the next time I come to Glasgow I’ll be doing everything I can to get Hospitality tickets just for the experience (also recognizing that I get to attend approximately one match every 4-5 years). Even the most expensive package costs less than it does to simply walk in the door at most North American venues...

Also, by way of reference, £20 = $25 or thereabouts.

 

[BenLynch29]

The stands opposite the camera,half empty!would assume stand with camera would be similar,attendance just under 12,000,majority of support from Celtic,yea,take our money and moan like fck,hh

Ray, at most stadiums worldwide, the cameras are placed behind the sections / stands with the ‘best’ seats where all the corporate sponsors, season ticket holders, board members, and other financial backers sit.

Not suggesting that Killie is a well supported club with respect to attendance, but their ‘Main’ stand which would have been the most full of their own supporters wasn’t really seen on television except by secondary cameras. So we really can’t use TV as a good guide here (and that’s true of most stadiums as well).

 

[Spherical Planet]

I think the major differences are population, demand, and the cost of living vs. net income.

Take home pay in the UK is not as pronounced as the states based on our tax system and national insurance contributions.

There is also the "experience" factor to consider and the American sports have managed to make each fixture an "event".

One other factor, is that due to the sheer expanse of The USA, there is not a big culture of the home team receiving a huge amount of visiting fans.

The cost of following Celtic regularly, would conservatively cost the average person at least a quarter of their annual salary (particularly our Brothers and Sisters coming over from Ireland)

 

[BenLynch29]

I think the major differences are population, demand, and the cost of living vs. net income.

Take home pay in the UK is not as pronounced as the states based on our tax system and national insurance contributions.

There is also the "experience" factor to consider and the American sports have managed to make each fixture an "event".

One other factor, is that due to the sheer expanse of The USA, there is not a big culture of the home team receiving a huge amount of visiting fans.

The cost of following Celtic regularly, would conservatively cost the average person at least a quarter of their annual salary (particularly our Brothers and Sisters coming over from Ireland)

Actually the distance factor doesn’t really play much of a role in not having significant visiting fans, at least in most cases. Unlike the rest of the world, there are no dedicated ‘Away’ sections for fans (and those that do get tickets aren’t segregated). A lot of teams simply sell out their games to their own fans, and there are waiting lists for several clubs. Even in cases where there are multiple teams in the same city - like in L.A., NY, Chicago, etc - or in very close proximity (Baltimore & Washington DC, Oakland & San Francisco, etc), there are usually only minimal away team fans unless the home team happens to not be selling a lot of tickets for one reason or another. But those are always ‘Premium’ games with premium pricing.

The only time I’ve ever experienced a significant number of away fans is for college or high school athletics where tickets are widely available, distances are short, and a fan base that travels much like European football supporters do.

Also, culturally, there’s a difference in what is perceived to be a large distance. I grew up In Minneapolis/St Paul, and I distinctly remember making near annual trips to Green Bay or Milwaukee WI, or Chicago to follow my local team(s). There were usually a couple hundred other locals who made the trip, but that was it. And this sounds a bit crazy, but it was a 6-7 hour drive at highway speeds - 60-70MPH back then. And it was no big deal. That’s the same driving distance from Glasgow to London. These days fans usually fly if they’re going that distance as the price of air travel has come down significantly since airline industry deregulation some 30 years ago (I’m an old fart).

 

[BenLynch29]

Take home pay in the UK is not as pronounced as the states based on our tax system and national insurance contributions.

This is getting off topic, but I don’t think this is as true as you think it is. All-in tax withholding for most people in the USA is something in the 25-40% depending on income level and where one lives. We’ve got federal taxes, state taxes, sometimes municipal taxes, as well as Social Security and Medicare taxes. And on top of that we also have insurance premiums deducted as well, although that usually goes to employers rather than the government.

I suspect the take home pay disparity is more due to overall GDP per capita differences than anything (specifically a very different mix of professions, and in some cases a big difference in wages for skilled occupations). But in terms of cost of living... OMG I can’t even imagine what kind of lifestyle I would have over there with the astronomical differences in transportation and housing costs.

But to your underlying point, and bringing this back on topic, all those things do play a part in the prices Americans are willing to pay to support their clubs. I don’t think there’s any question that, on average, those of us in the USA/Canada have way more resources than people residing anywhere in Europe and the U.K. That’s also why I’m frustrated that Celtic hasn’t made more of an effort to monetize the American fan base. The only way we can really support the club is via CelticTV subscription and some merchandise. But the merchandise side kind of has a limit — how many shirts do I need in my closet (or how many will my wife allow me to have?!) if I can’t even attend the matches? American fans have the ability and willlingness to spend far more supporting Celtic than they’re providing opportunities to do so.

It would be nice if I could utilize a sponsor to book my next trip to Scotland. Or support the club by patronizing sponsors and buying their products & services in a way that the sponsor can see that it’s because I’m supporting Celtic that I’m giving them my business. Alas, Celtic has few sponsors that I can patronize and no specific offers have ever been sent to me as a Celtic supporter.

 

[Spherical Planet]

This is getting off topic, but I don’t think this is as true as you think it is. All-in tax withholding for most people in the USA is something in the 25-40% depending on income level and where one lives. We’ve got federal taxes, state taxes, sometimes municipal taxes, as well as Social Security and Medicare taxes. And on top of that we also have insurance premiums deducted as well, although that usually goes to employers rather than the government.

I suspect the take home pay disparity is more due to overall GDP per capita differences than anything (specifically a very different mix of professions, and in some cases a big difference in wages for skilled occupations). But in terms of cost of living... OMG I can’t even imagine what kind of lifestyle I would have over there with the astronomical differences in transportation and housing costs.

But to your underlying point, and bringing this back on topic, all those things do play a part in the prices Americans are willing to pay to support their clubs. I don’t think there’s any question that, on average, those of us in the USA/Canada have way more resources than people residing anywhere in Europe and the U.K. That’s also why I’m frustrated that Celtic hasn’t made more of an effort to monetize the American fan base. The only way we can really support the club is via CelticTV subscription and some merchandise. But the merchandise side kind of has a limit — how many shirts do I need in my closet (or how many will my wife allow me to have?!) if I can’t even attend the matches? American fans have the ability and willlingness to spend far more supporting Celtic than they’re providing opportunities to do so.

It would be nice if I could utilize a sponsor to book my next trip to Scotland. Or support the club by patronizing sponsors and buying their products & services in a way that the sponsor can see that it’s because I’m supporting Celtic that I’m giving them my business. Alas, Celtic has few sponsors that I can patronize and no specific offers have ever been sent to me as a Celtic supporter.

We have the same regional taxes (council tax) and also VAT on most major domestic purchases. Drivers have road tax and insurance and the cost of housing travel and transport is exhorbitive and prohibitive.

You're right though, we have went off-topic, but the main point remains that Celtic fans are being used as financial fodder for all other Scottish teams.

Effectively - any game Celtic play away from Parkhead is a category A game for the home side which means that our fans are expected to pay significantly more money per season to watch football than the majority of other fans.

Bear in mind that our economy is in the shitter and that our GDP is the sum total of whiskey sales, teacakes and irn-bru.

The USA are 52 nations under one banner, we are a tiny skidmark in comparison. The point is, that even by capitalising on the North American Diaspora, it still won't stop greedy bastard provincial clubs from doing the greenback boogie for the green pound and exploiting thousands of Celtic fans on any given away trip!

 

[Benignus]

I have a grudging admiration for what Kilmarnock have achieved on the field under Stevie Clarke, I have no admiration nor respect for the constant financial manipulation that Kilmarnock (and all other Scottish clubs) have exercised over many years.

Even the catering costs seem to soar in cost when Celtic come to town!

We don't owe other clubs a living; however - judging by the scenes on Sunday Our Team fully appreciate the efforts of the fans. I don't think we can ever understate how important a role we ALL play in Our Club's success and it would be wrong to withdraw Our support of the team and give an advantage to our opponents.

This is an issue which should be addressed by the SPFL. They are quick to enforce a minimum pricing structure which stops fans from attending games. Perhaps they should set their focus on a fair maximum pricing structure instead.

I agree with the principle of the original post, just not convinced that it benefits Our Team in all the right ways.

I know it's an impossible ask, I wouldn't boycott the ground, but I wouldn't spend a penny once I was in the ground, no tea, no pies and no programme. As I've said, impossible ask due to cold weather and programme collectors, but we would still be making a point.

 

[lcafiero]

That’s also why I’m frustrated that Celtic hasn’t made more of an effort to monetize the American fan base. The only way we can really support the club is via CelticTV subscription and some merchandise. But the merchandise side kind of has a limit — how many shirts do I need in my closet (or how many will my wife allow me to have?!) if I can’t even attend the matches? American fans have the ability and willlingness to spend far more supporting Celtic than they’re providing opportunities to do so.

Very good point, Ben (I'm in Santa Cruz on the Central California coast -- where are you?). Because it's a bit far to drive for me to watch a Celtic game with the closest Celtic Supporters Club (for me it in the San Francisco suburb of Millbrae, about 80 miles north of here), I am forming a CSC in Santa Cruz. I would urge all Yanks to look into their nearest CSC or form their own if they are not near one.

Off-forum, Spherical Planet and I have talked about the lack of Celtic visits to North America, and that's unfortunate. I think the club should think about an exhibition here, as it would help their exposure dramatically.

Meanwhile, back on the original topic . . .

know it's an impossible ask, I wouldn't boycott the ground, but I wouldn't spend a penny once I was in the ground, no tea, no pies and no programme. As I've said, impossible ask due to cold weather and programme collectors, but we would still be making a point.

Another very good point, Benignus. Go to the game, but don't spend any more than you have to, if they're going to treat visiting fans like this.

 

[Frank53]

This is a message to Kilmarnock FC...When can we expect a statement from you regarding the abuse of your manager and the fact that you were cheated last night by a masonic Lanarkshire referee.You were very quick to release a statement 're Celtic on Sunday even tho you received an apology from some directors.I remember the abuse you gave Celtic when The Late Great Tommy Burns left to become the Celtic manager.I also remember a supporters bus shared by your supporters and the old Rangers fc fans passing by and stopping outside Saint John's Parish in Barrhead and abuse being levelled by both sets of fans at the parishioners including a wedding party. I do not believe you will support your manager and I do not believe you will release a statement...Why?....because YOU are part of Scotland's Shame.