Foster reveals inflated cost of a footie pint
Written by Stephen Tall on 2nd December 2008 – 5:20 pmDon Foster, the Lib Dems’ shadow secretary for culture, media and sport, has revealed the extent of over-charging of football fans by premiership clubs for enjoying a pint of lager. The Daily Mail has the full story:
The figures, announced by culture, media and sport spokesman for the Liberal Democrat party Don Foster, reveal that top flight clubs are charging their fans £1.7million-a-year too much for a pint of lager.
‘When will Premier League football clubs learn to stop taking their loyalty for granted?’ asked Foster, after uncovering the figures. ‘As if extortionate ticket prices weren’t bad enough, top flight football clubs are charging over the odds for a pint,’ he said. Of the 20 Premier League clubs, a staggering 19 are demanding more than the average price of ale in Britain - £2.76.
‘This blatant profiteering should not continue to go unnoticed,’ Foster added. ‘It’s outrageous that football fans should be charged so much more than rugby fans.’
You can read the full story, and the league table of what each premiership club charges for a pint, here.
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2nd December 2008 at 5:38 pm
If the price was so outrageous then people wouldn’t buy it.
We do need some consistency in our policy on alcohol prices.
Supermarkets - should be forced to charge more
Pubs & Clubs - should be regulated when they charge too little
Football grounds - should be forced to charge less.
I’m far from the Orange Book, ultra-market tendency but either we believe in a some sort of free market or we don’t.
2nd December 2008 at 6:25 pm
I go to football,
2nd December 2008 at 6:28 pm
Oops, I’ll continue…
I go to football, where beer is crap and expensive - but this has absolutely nothing to do with the government, nor Don Foster. Clubs can charge what they like, and if it becomes unreasonable then we just stop buying it - and besides, they seem incapable of stopping
uscertain people from sneaking alcohol in.Foster, if you want to play the populist football card, try opposing the excessive regualtion in the game - like the way all-seater stadia have been forced on clubs in the top two divisions.
2nd December 2008 at 6:31 pm
So let me see. We have licenced premises at Football grounds that are open for say 4 hours once a fortnight on average throughout the year. Now their costs must be higher than average, and they only charge a max of £4.00 in Chelsea, and as little as £2.70 in Wigan. I really fail to see any problem here at all.
2nd December 2008 at 6:50 pm
try looking at prices in hotels and resturants if you want to see realy high prices and I dont just mean for alcohol I mean soft drinks as well
2nd December 2008 at 7:42 pm
What next:
-shock news that chilled white wine is expensive at the opera?
-Popcorn is more expensive at the cinema?
-Ryanair sandwiches are a bit dearer than on the High St?
-Motorway service stations charge £1 more than my local chippie for cod and chips?
-A Mars Bar is dearer at Waterloo station?
If only this were the worst problem facing Britain!
2nd December 2008 at 7:56 pm
Force the reduction in price and we’ll be hearing about how people are drinking too much at games and causing disruption.
I bet some LibDem MP will then be calling for prices to be raised.
It is none of the government’s business what prices are charged inside the ground (or outside for that matter).
2nd December 2008 at 10:22 pm
To be fair, Don Foster signed EDM 71 a year ago, calling for more talks about standing room at football stadia. So did 106 other MPs, including plenty of Lib Dems led by Mike Hancock (who presumably wants to stand up at Pompey).
I agree that arguing he should be charged less for a pint while he’s there is remarkably inconsistent on a policy front, though.