Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust & 'Stop Stubhub' Group release a joint statement on the Stubhub resale facility.
Stop StubHub – Important Update
The Stop StubHub group, in conjunction with the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, have released a new statement regarding the Stop StubHub campaign.
Thanks to the work of the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust, the club and StubHub have handed over data regarding the use of the StubHub system for the first six games of this season. The Stop StubHub group, along with the Trust, have studied the figures provided and as a result have released the following statement:
Having received headline data on StubHub sales for the first six Premier League home games of this season, it is clear that the StubHub resale platform is pushing up the price of tickets to watch Tottenham Hotspur.
The evidence provided shows that 91% of tickets are being sold above face value. At the two category A games included in the data, Chelsea and West Ham, tickets were sold at an average price of 135% and 53% above face value respectively.
These figures show that StubHub and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) are misguided to continue insisting that the high prices shown on the StubHub platform do not equate to actual sales.
The evidence is clear for all to see.
A system in which 91% of tickets are being sold at above face value, and substantially more in a significant number of cases, is not one that supporters’ organisations can back.
We also believe the Club should be concerned at the fact that 19%, almost one fifth, of season ticket holders have not been able to make one or more of the opening six league games of the season.
We note the Club intend to make changes to ticketing T&Cs to prevent abuse of the ability to relist tickets on the StubHub platform, also known as ‘flipping’. We are not confident that a fair and transparent method of identifying what is legitimate relisting and what is abusive relisting exists. The Club is, in our opinion, dealing with a symptom of the StubHub system, which it has willingly agreed to.
We believe a ticket exchange should be a service to supporters, not a means of pushing up ticket prices or generating additional revenue.
In support of the campaign against licensed ticket touts, the Football Supporters’ Federation said: “Fans already find ticket prices more than demanding enough. The introduction of an additional level of profiteering at our expense can only serve to price more fans out of the game, and must be resisted”.
We, therefore, call on THFC to end the partnership with StubHub at the earliest opportunity and, instead, to work with supporter groups, the FA and Premier League in their efforts to establish a genuine ticket exchange scheme that does not drive up prices or incentivise fans to exploit fellow fans.
Signatories:
The Board of Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust
Total Tottenham website
The Fighting Cock
Dear Mr Levy website
Alan Fisher – Tottenham on my Mind
TottenhamBlog
Mel Gomes @ The Substantive website
Spurstalk website
Martin Cloake, author and fan
[box type=”note[/linequote]Show your support for the Stop StubHub campaign by signing the petition at change.org/stopstubhub and sharing it via Twitter and Facebook.
All views and opinions expressed in this article are the views and opinions of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Fighting Cock. We offer a platform for fans to commit their views to text and voice their thoughts. Football is a passionate game and as long as the views stay within the parameters of what is acceptable, we encourage people to write, get involved and share their thoughts on the mighty Tottenham Hotspur.
23 Comments
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20/01/2014 @ 2:35 pm
Honestly speaking, what is the problem if the tickets are sold above face value? This is just the way business works, you buy for one price and sell for another. Please consider this, and lay off this negativity against StubHub.
20/01/2014 @ 2:57 pm
You just don’t get it do you?
19% of fans which i’ve worked out to approx 6840 people, did not attend one or more games for the first 6 home ties. Give or take a few 100 who I would say may have had genuine reasons that is staggering. I know of a lot of fans who hold onto their ST simply to sell every game at home for a massive whack up. They are making money out of being a ST holder, keeping other genuine fans who have been on the waiting list for years ever getting one.
20/01/2014 @ 3:18 pm
It’s 19% of season ticket holders, not the entire ground. Assuming there are 20,000 (not sure of the exact number so please do correct me if I’m wrong!) then it means 3,800 did not attend one or more of the first six games.
If you then said that across those 6 games, each of the 3,800 people only missed one game, that equates to roughly 650 people (approx.) that could not make a given game – as a percentage of the ST holders this is about 3%. I don’t find it ridiculous that 3% of season ticket holders could not make one of the first six games.
However, f you can show me that those 3,800 have each missed three, four, five of those games then it becomes a bit more interesting but I don’t see how those numbers, without further detail, are that surprising. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m no fan of StubHub, it’s legalised ticket touting to my mind – but these numbers need greater clarification if they are to be taken seriously.
20/01/2014 @ 3:04 pm
Do you agree with the touts walking along Tottenham High Road on match-day selling tickets for £100+? StubHub is nothing more than a legalised, easier version of that.
20/01/2014 @ 3:13 pm
Are you a shareholder mate??The club is for everyone, not just for those who want to prostitute it just for the benefit of their own back pockets. Let some of the true fans enjoy watching home games for a fair price of admittance.
20/01/2014 @ 2:41 pm
I actually agree with the previous comment…. It’s supply and demand and no difference to concert tickets or other similar.
Bottom line is – like anything – they are worth what someone is willing to pay. If someone wants to pay 50% more for their tickets then who am I to say otherwise?
Different if the ground was empty but it’s not.
20/01/2014 @ 5:19 pm
Anyone who uses the term “supply and demand” always goes on to either defend greed or express a crude understanding of economics. I can’t believe you’ve compared going to white hart lane with a trip to the theatre. This websites not for you mate.
20/01/2014 @ 3:02 pm
Please ignore the two knobheads above. They are from Stubhub. Any Yid who believes Stubhub is a good thing, is most definitely a category A wanker. Stop legal touting, stop fans ripping each off. COYS.
20/01/2014 @ 3:24 pm
I could actually afford the hyper inflated costs of using Stub Hub and go to every single Spurs game but most others can’t and I choose not to use Stub Hub as a matter of principle because it is nothing more than club sanctioned touting.
I choose to miss out and continue to wait patiently on season ticket waiting list, not out of some socialist ideal but because a season ticket is a not a facility for one fan to profit from another, If one can’t make a game, fine, they should be allowed to sell their ticket but one must not be allowed to sell above face value and rip off another fan.
A ticket exchange has the possibility to provide a valuable service from one fan to another, Stub Hub just legally allows one fan to rip off another
20/01/2014 @ 5:27 pm
Great comment
20/01/2014 @ 3:28 pm
I agree, but DL can do what he likes and there my friend is the problem.
Keep up the good work. Personally I think the seller should be liable for income tax on the uplift of the price. The Inland revenue is missing a little opportunity there. We all have to state “other income” on our tax returns as either yes or no so a ST holder who for example just sold his seat for every home game is likely to earn (at a guess £100 quid per match profit) which makes them at least 2K p/a profit so his/her liability should be added to their gross income and subject to their prevailing rate of tax. I’m no maths geek but if you then multiply all other ST holders in the PL who do the same with their tickets then the IR could be into some major mulla…..I’d bell the IR if I were you under points to discuss – give up on Levy, you never know might be worth doing, you know how the IR love to cane football when they can.
20/01/2014 @ 4:15 pm
Would be nice if both these groups managed to get a response to this from the club
20/01/2014 @ 4:23 pm
From the data these facts are based on, are you considering locating and reporting the season ticket holders who just keep their tickets to sell on at a profit? For this reason alone is good enough to stick with stubhub! Plus it allows me to get to games at late notice
20/01/2014 @ 4:44 pm
My concern is not just the people pushing up the prices but also the massive markup that StubHub put on the prices of the tickets e.g. a £50 ticket ends up going for around £60 after SH have added on their markup.
20/01/2014 @ 4:51 pm
Love how anyone who agrees with stub hub is a wanker. Ridiculous.
I’m a st holder and don’t care about partnership with stubhub if I did miss a game I’d throw my ticket on there – reality is for arsenal I’d make money for a game against palace, Swansea etc I’d likely lose. Swings and roundabouts.
Don’t agree with sites like this and others listed speaking on my behalf and hope club ignore
20/01/2014 @ 7:53 pm
It’s easy not to care when you’re in a position to make money off other fans who are desperate to see their team play. “Swings and roundabouts” is ok for you, but other fans shouldn’t have to pay extortionate amounts above face value because you can’t get to a game and have the chance to sell something for more than it’s worth
20/01/2014 @ 8:29 pm
Want to see their team play that badly they only want tickets to the cat a games. No sympathy – we hardly ever sell out European games where are all the stub hub crew then if I can’t make a game – I don’t see anyone releasing press releases demanding I get a refund from thfc.
For what it’s worth I think the club should enforce a cap on the price demanded
21/01/2014 @ 12:43 pm
How is it anyone else’s responsibility or concern if you can’t make a game? ST holders not being able to get to a match is outside of the control of other fans – ST holders etc selling their tickets way above face value is something that they knowingly do and could change if they wanted.
20/01/2014 @ 8:42 pm
“Love how anyone who agrees with stub hub is a wanker.”
And then he goes and proves it…
20/01/2014 @ 10:40 pm
Haha
Intelligent xx
22/01/2014 @ 10:41 am
Stub Hub, Viagogo and all these ticket exchange sites are simply legalised touting… approved by the government, as they take touts off the street and contribute some tax income. The Government don’t care about the principles involved, in much the same way they have sold their soul to the on line Gambling Devil that we are all now bombarded with day in and day out. In the music industry there is a massive problem with promoters now not even letting the public get access to certain tickets as they can both make a much bigger mark up giving them direct to these 2nd tear sellers.. how long until this starts to happen at football? I’m ashamed with this association in the same way Newcastle fans are with WONGA.
22/01/2014 @ 4:09 pm
Hi
I understand fans frustrations at paying over the odds for tickets but it does offer me as a ST holder that cant get to games sometimes through work an easy alternative to just losing money.
I just sold my Park Lane lower ticket for Man City next week for £122.00 that is good value imo for both buyer and seller :)
Ben
31/01/2014 @ 11:19 pm
The reason that genuine fans are unhappy is that we had a perfectly acceptable ticket exchange system in place prior to the stubhub arrangement.
I am on the season ticket list with 3 bronze memberships for my family and could not always get tickets due to the rubbish online ticketing system. However, I was frequently able to use the ticket exchange to buy a season ticket at face value. The season ticket holder was happy as they received money and I was happy that I could go to the match, even though these purchases did not qualify for loyalty points.
The only reason for us to move away from the ticket exchange system and in to bed with stub hub was for profit. The ticket exchange system was working for the benefit of season ticket holders and members that wanted to attend games, so there was no reason to move other than to make more money.