Friday Freebie: Non-league has it's place and price, where do you fit?

Sensible pricing will keep attendances rising

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A couple of weeks ago there was a really good debate on Twitter/X on what price levels the game should be charging right from the Premier League down to Step 6.

It was clearly interesting to see how people perceived the price points especially when it came to the lower levels of the non-league game and I’ll give you mine in just a bit. Regular readers will know I get around to all the non-league steps over the course of the season, the price you pay is for the quality of the football on the pitch, after all that’s what we’re there for.

It's not fancy mugs of tea nor the best looking toilets across the country, sadly not even padded seats either, but judging by some of the replies I looked at across the thread seemed to me a lack of understanding once you get below the National League and a common reason for saying what those prices should be.

My levels of pricing were these:

Premier League             £40

Championship               £30

League One                     £25

League Two                     £23

National League Step 1     £20

Nat League N/S Step 2      £15-18

Non League Step 3             £13

Non League Step 4             £10

Non League Step 5             £7

Non League Step 6             £6

Sensible pricing I think and to be honest the very top level could drop their prices much lower given that gate receipts are mere pocket change for these sides in today’s climate.

I’ve linked the thread in below to see for yourself but believing that you should be paying a tenner to watch Steps 4-6 was for me staggering. At Step 6 you are one relegation away from playing back on park pitches, it’s not justifiable at all.

Link to the Twitter/X price point

And for the price you pay it’s also the quality you expect to find on the pitch. Now I know some players do drop down levels, but we’re talking a few and not complete teams of them, it’s just not a price point to be equalled.

Most in response to me challenging that was ‘all clubs have bills to pay’. Well, they’re correct in that but the cost of things such as water, electric and the like are the same price for a Premier League club or a non-league club, it’s only the income levels that’s different.

And as a club official it’s your call if you decide to pay X, Y, and Z wages but don’t have income to match it then that’s not the fault of the paying fan nor should they be subsidising that because the budget plan is wrong. Plenty don’t recognise that the secondary spend is what non-league clubs rely on more than others, if you price it well enough to get people in then they will spend on programmes, merchandise, food and drink, overprice the entry and they won’t, they’ve spent their budget just to be there.

Price points are always contentious, especially if one or two push the boat out and charge a couple of quid more than the rest of their league. Keeping to a maximum point as suggested in the thread means no disparity and in my opinion a likelihood more will attend and then spend more.

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But what do you think? What price points would you have as a maximum for each level especially in non-league? Let me know in the comments below.