West Brom fans may have to accept ticket price rises for transfers after Shilen Patel takeover
West Brom season ticket prices may have to increase under the new regime in order for the club to compete on wages and transfer fees, says Adrian Goldberg.
Speaking on The Liquidator episode on 16 February the journalist suggested that following Shilen Patel’s takeover being completed the Baggies’ “extremely reasonable” fees may go up to help increase revenue and strengthen the squad.
But he predicted that the majority of fans who can afford to swallow higher prices wouldn’t mind if they could see where their money was going.
Goldberg said (37m 55s): “The reality is that we might have to accept that ticket prices will go up. The season ticket prices and the kids prices are extremely reasonable I’d say at the moment at the Albion.
“For some people it might be a bit of a stretch. I’m only speculating, it may not be the case, but if they do go up I hope they don’t go up to stupid amounts, that we’re not kind of in a Sheffield Wednesday situation.
“But I think if people can see that what we’re putting in is reflected by what’s going out in terms of signings, in terms of transfer fees and wages, some people will still struggle to afford it but those who can afford it will say ‘fair enough because I’m seeing something there for my money’.”
West Brom fans to accept ticket price rises after Shilen Patel takeover?
It would clearly be a delicate trade-off if this were to happen, and for those who could no longer afford tickets it would be a huge blow whatever the improvements to the playing staff which might follow.
Such is the nature of profit and sustainability regulations in modern football it doesn’t matter how rich the new regime at a club is since they aren’t permitted to simply spend their way to improving the squad like they once were.
While it remains to be seen what measures Patel and his father have in mind to improve an operation at West Brom that has been limping along with an absentee majority shareholder in Guochuan Lai while debts mounted.
The wage bill is considered unsustainable as is regardless of the changeover of power at the top and players have been tipped to leave in the summer either way.
Increased commercial income opens the door for more to be spent on attracting better players, but there is an argument to say that Carlos Corberan has proven he can get the best out of players who aren’t necessarily premium acquisitions, he just needs more of them to cover for endless injuries, with one or two key men added in.
Given the wave of relief that Patel’s arrival has been greeted by it seems almost inevitable that there will be an unpopular measure that dampens enthusiasm about the new era at some point.
But fans possibly being obliged to put more into the club themselves to potentially get more out of it on the pitch would likely be met by differing responses.
In other West Brom news, two Sky Sports pundits were aghast at a “clear as day” controversial incident at The Hawthorns.
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