The guy in the ticket was pleasant enough and was almost apologetic when explaining that because there is no more Rangers that was why the price is now £129 and in anyone’s language an increase of £79 seems ridiculously steep for two games against Dundee.
Celtic are to be congratulated for the kids’ tickets initiative and even at £129 it represents tremendous value for money at £6.50 per game. But it’s galling to know that people who have purchased them earlier (before Sevco’s demise) have them for £50 and yet others have to pay an extra £79 to watch Dundee twice. That can’t be right.
My Father never paid me into a Celtic game at Parkhead until I was 15. In those days boys were given ‘lifts’ which involved being literally thrown over the turnstiles for free. And yet Celtic can’t complain because when their need was great I bought £1240 worth of shares during the Fergus McCann revolution.
The one thing the club won’t get back is goodwill, which for me has now gone in the short term. I was considering buying junior the new strip at a cost of £60 but that won’t now happen. There will be other cut backs on Celtic Views and programmes in the months ahead and that extra £70 will be recouped one way or the other. But as I said goodwill has gone and having witnessed two other guys in the ticket office having the same argument then the club may have a problem. I can’t believe there have not been numerous complaints about this already.
I bought junior’s ticket and it was difficult not to because he was standing next me giving me the ‘wounded dog look’. But what should worry the club is that there are people out there who will not bring their kids to Parkhead next season and they may not return – ever.
Maybe someone at the club could get in touch to explain as to why this increase has been passed on to the kids especially at a time of ‘austerity’ when families in particular as so strapped for cash.
I know it’s puzzling me.
