I know plenty of locals who are mates of mine who can't be arsed going to the games and they can afford it too. This great football club on their doorstep and it's too much hassle to queue at the ticket office, online or on the phone. They then complain they can't get a ticket when Real Madrid come to town. It doesn't matter where you're from, some will make the effort and some won't. Those who do (and can afford it) get the tickets. I don't think some locals understand the sacrifices people from outside make to go to Anfield, and on a regular basis. It's basically similar to the fans who go to the aways all the time, in terms of time, effort and cost.
Should getting a match ticket be so much hassle, for anyone?
The credits, the loyalty, the waiting list, the sweet spot - it's all being used to restrict supply and maintain high prices. There was a time when a stadium was built as an amenity to enable people to see their team. Grounds were expanded as teams' support grew. Now there's an ROI orthodoxy that's being accepted as sacrosanct, a neo-liberal hedge fund driven hegemony that cannot be challenged. Well that era will end sometime, and where will we be with our St James Park of L4?
Liverpool FC could achieve its potential as a "global club with a Liverpool soul" (rather than a "soulless club with a global brand") through developing a ground befitting a team that's won the European Cup more often than all bar three teams (we're still level with one of them). People would maybe also be able to buy a ticket without fucking about with memberships, credits, restricted online sales and the like. Liverpool don't even try to sell tickets, they don't need to. But more convenient, call it "customer focussed" if you like, sales channels would enable people to walk into a ticketing outlet in town, go to the ticket office, order online or via an app and simply go to the match.
Why should it be a ball ache, other than to keep then sweet spot ticking over?
