Mascots

[Mike Oxlong]

From the BBC 

 

 

 

Swansea City may play in football's second tier but they are charging parents Premier League prices for children to be mascots.
It costs up to £478 for a match-day mascot "package" at the Championship club, research by BBC Wales found. 
Only three teams in the Premier League charge more, while the experience is free at most of the top clubs. Cardiff City charge £255.
Swansea City said prices were reduced this year following relegation.
Consumer groups have branded the higher prices as "outrageous".
For many youngsters, the chance to walk out onto the pitch with their football heroes is a dream come true.
Indeed many clubs tell parents the package is the "ultimate gift your child will never forget".
Yet while many of the biggest clubs in the country, including Premier League champions Manchester City, do not charge for the opportunity, others are cashing in more than £700 per child.
Most packages include full kit, match tickets, photographs and autographs as well as walking onto the pitch before kick-off.
But a £270 deal at Fulham does not include kit while a £185 package at Bournemouth does not come with a ticket to the game. 
Martyn James, of consumer website Resolver, said: "It's absolutely outrageous that some richer kids can effectively buy their way to the top of the mascot list. 
"When I was younger, being a mascot was a reward for super loyalty or for having been through a great deal. 
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"Charging any money for these packages is unacceptable - and it's pretty unknown too. 
"It makes a mockery of all the things that our national game is supposed to represent."
Supporters on fan forums have slammed the prices as "unfair" and "scandalous".
Swansea City said the "truly once in a lifetime experience" includes four hospitality places, a meal and half-time penalty competition on the pitch.
A spokesman added: "We've reduced prices this year following relegation, from £450 plus VAT to £399 plus VAT for weekend, and £349 plus VAT for weekday matches.
"We also give one space free to charity every match and this was brought in this season."
Mascots at the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are picked at random from their junior fan club and are free.
Cardiff City offer the chance for children aged between four and 10 to turn "dream into reality" for £255 and have sold out for many of their most popular home fixtures.
Claire Blake, of Penarth, arranged for her eight-year-old son Cian to be a mascot before the Bluebirds' game against champions Manchester City as a birthday gift in September.
"We were lucky to get such a big game but I'm not sure we would be happy paying the same amount for games against other teams," she said.
"Cian got a kit, signed photos and met Neil Warnock and had a great time, but the seats were poor and it was a bit rushed meeting the players."
Season-ticket holder Tracy Morgan paid for her eight-year-old son Leo to be a mascot.
She said: "It was very expensive but it was worth every penny to see my son's face - and my husband's."
Ryan Moore bought a mascot package as a Christmas gift for his six-year-old son Niall.
He said: "It's free for some big clubs like Liverpool but a money-making scheme at others and there are so many mascots that it dilutes the experience.
"But we were pretty happy with the whole day. Niall loved it - apart from the team being hammered 4-1."
Premier League mascot prices
Everton £718
West Ham United £700
Leicester City £600
Tottenham Hotspur £405
Wolves £395
Crystal Palace £375
Brighton £350
Burnley £300
Fulham £270
Cardiff City £255
Watford £250
Bournemouth £185
Free: Arsenal, Chelsea, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Newcastle United and Southampton. 
Clubs have been urged to find a "good deal" for fans.
The Football Supporters' Federation said: "Clubs should speak to their supporters about what they think represents a good deal for parents and if fans have specific concerns, we'd be happy to look into it.
"Our campaign focus will primarily remain on affordable ticket prices - particularly fair concessionary and fair young adult prices."

 

 

 

£600 cost for one of our junior fans to be a match day mascot is pretty outrageous in my opinion 

 

I’d happily forego my free beer and hats to open up this opportunity to children whose parents can’t afford the cost 

 

Surely this is an area where the club can forego the purely commercial aspect to give the opportunity of providing a lifelong memory to all our junior fans

Edited 1 January 2019 by Mike Oxlong

[Spudulike]

£600 that is shameful.

 

Susan Whelan, sort it out please.

[rachhere]

That's obscene. 

[Collymore]

Is there not a prize draw as well for members? The £600 is just if you want to force the issue. 

[fleckneymike]

3 minutes ago, Collymore said:

Is there not a prize draw as well for members? The £600 is just if you want to force the issue. 

You shouldn’t be able to force the issue. 

 

Utterly wrong and inexcusable. The club will make just £11,400 from the 19 league games. Who on earth though it was a good idea to make being a question of obscene wealth rather than support?

[Jaspa]

1 minute ago, Collymore said:

Is there not a prize draw as well for members? The £600 is just if you want to force the issue. 

 

But, but we need our sensationalist headline of the week about the morality of modern football. Standards of the BBC website has gone right down the loo in the last few years

 

It is abit messed up to be honest. Hand half of the places off to local disadvantaged schools & child services places at least. If someone's rich enough £600 is easily affordable as a present to their kid, they'll never forget it

[Farrington fox]

Really don’t think there should be a charge.

So, there is 1 kid per player when they leave the changing room area, as evidenced by tunnel cam! Are we saying all these kids have paid £600, or just the one that gets the kick around on the pitch?

[Crinklyfox]

I know football is a business but this is shameful.  The club doesn't need money that badly.

[norwichfox]

I think we all had a good moan about this previously, yup, it's shameful, selective and greedy.

[Bert]

1 minute ago, Farrington fox said:

Really don’t think there should be a charge.

So, there is 1 kid per player when they leave the changing room area, as evidenced by tunnel cam! Are we saying all these kids have paid £600, or just the one that gets the kick around on the pitch?

They are just player escorts, which is generally a local team. The ones that get a kick about are them that have paid. It’s obscene and disgusting. Always used to be free. 

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, Jaspa said:

 

But, but we need our sensationalist headline of the week about the morality of modern football. Standards of the BBC website has gone right down the loo in the last few years

 

It is abit messed up to be honest. Hand half of the places off to local disadvantaged schools & child services places at least. If someone's rich enough £600 is easily affordable as a present to their kid, they'll never forget it

Blaming the BBC is pretty lame.

 

Kids who have season tickets or just who live in the catchment area ought to be able to go as mascots for free. No-one should have to pay. Sure if they want free tickets for extended family and football kits that's another question and should be paid for but being a mascot should be free.

[mozartfox]

Blimey ripping into the Club early this year.  FT is setting the bar high in 2019.

[Farrington fox]

This has come as a surprise, considering how generous and community spirited the owners are, and have been. 

[Cincinnati Fox]

Gotta fund the clappers somehow!

[lgfualol]

Bet Puel made them up the price

[LcFc_Smiv]

Cardiff was my first home game since our champs league game against Madrid, there was elements of the club that were unrecognisable to me the other day. The entrance to the hospitality suite looks more like an entrance to a up market nightclub, shirt guns at half time, and now we're charging £600 for a kid to have the honour of walking out with their team. I get it footballs a business and has to keep moving forward,  I appreciate everything the owners have done but it's becoming too much like a show and moving away from what football for me is all about.

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, Farrington fox said:

This has come as a surprise, considering how generous and community spirited the owners are, and have been. 

This is a bit of a myth. The club is more generous than many PL clubs but it is fundamentally a profit making business. Don't believe the hype.

[Bayfox]

You can pay. There's a waiting list tho so there's obviously enough people with stacks of cash out there.

 

Also all junior members and now season ticket holders are entered into a draw as well.

I believe we have upto 3 mascots for each game. They walk out with Wes.

 

As mentioned above the player escorts are normally local football clubs same as the flag bearers etc.

[SemperEadem]

So grim.

[UniFox21]

5 minutes ago, Bayfox said:

You can pay. There's a waiting list tho so there's obviously enough people with stacks of cash out there.

 

Also all junior members and now season ticket holders are entered into a draw as well.

I believe we have upto 3 mascots for each game. They walk out with Wes.

 

As mentioned above the player escorts are normally local football clubs same as the flag bearers etc.

This is what I thought it was, didn't realise you had to pay to have the time

[peterborofox]

Frightening figure really.

[davieG]

I guess you're paying for the extras

 

Ahead of the 2018/19 Premier League season, VIP mascot packages are once again open to junior Leicester City supporters.

- Highlights include pre-match tunnel walk, player photos and mascot PA/big-screen announcements 
- Each experience also includes four tickets for the game and a three-course meal in the Fosse Club 
- VIP mascot experiences, for children aged 7 to 11, start from £600

Parents can make their kids’ dreams come true while enjoying their own special matchday with VIP mascot packages on Filbert Way.

Starting at £600, each package gives smaller supporters the chance to meet their heroes in a memorable Premier League experience.

As well as leading the Leicester City side from the tunnel, mascots get the opportunity to have their photo taken with their favourite player.

Furthermore, each VIP mascot will be part of the official line-up photo, feature in the pre-match PA and screen announcements - and take away their own adidas replica kit at the end of the experience!

VIP experiences are an upgrade on the Club’s traditional mascot packages.

Each includes a three-course chef’s table meal and complimentary half-time refreshments for the whole party!

For convenience, matchday parking on the Filbert Street car park is included in every package.

[Dr The Singh]

I wish I was a mascot

[ThingsCouldGetMessi]

Makes bad reading seeing us charging the 3rd highest price in the division and almost 50% more than Spurs who sit 4th in the list. Hopefully, this will be brought to the club's attention and they will reconsider the price as £600 is scandalous. 

[LinekersApples]

Bournemouth package doesn't come with a ticket

 

Premier League should step in.  Use the money in the community fund and pay for the mascots at their club.

 

The fund does some good stuff already, but could easily stretch further with the support of players and a donation from wages: https://www.premierleague.com/communities/programmes/schools/pl-players-kit-scheme