The value and demand of the Celtic season ticket as costs increase for fans

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic ensured a successful beginning to another exciting Scottish Premiership campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock last weekend.

Cheered on by a capacity home crowd, the Bhoys gave a flavour of what they have to offer this season and sent the support home with a fire burning to see more of their heroes in action this term.

The demand to watch Celtic has never been higher. Season tickets were sold out in their entirety by June 27. Meanwhile, the waiting list for the sought-after briefs is in the thousands [Celtic FC].

Travelling from far and wide, fans come together from all walks of life to cheer on the Bhoys. Personally, I only live a short walk from Parkhead. I can’t speak for the sacrifice some make following their team up and down the country as a fellow card holder.

Nevertheless, in the current societal climate, getting to games is becoming increasingly expensive. That isn’t just at Celtic; it is across the board. On the topic, there are a couple of conversational points worth airtime.

The value of the Celtic season ticket

I won’t lie; one of these points came to my attention yesterday when news broke of the pricing structure for Celtic’s Premier Sports Cup tie against Hibernian later this month.

Tickets for the cup tie are available for adult season ticket holders at £25, £17 for concessions, and £12 for Under 13’s [Celtic FC]. The Home Cup Ticket Scheme will be in operation from this Friday for this match.

Reading comments via social media, it was intriguing to see some observations regarding this development.

Over the years, there were plenty of occasions where the first Scottish League Cup tie came free of charge or the maiden Champions League qualifier/pre-season friendly, give or take, but that isn’t the case this time. This was a sentiment raised.

Ultimately, that is the prerogative of whoever is in charge there, though it did get me thinking about the wider dynamic of the situation.

Season ticket holders are entitled to 19 Scottish Premiership matches (opt-in vs Rangers), plus there are a maximum of three Scottish Cup home ties and two Premier Sports Cup clashes you can either opt to buy or be debited for as part of the HCTS. All would have to occur at home for the point to stand.

Of course, there is also the opportunity to purchase Champions League packages, which are expected to be more expensive than in previous years due to a minimum of four home games being scheduled to take place in the new format. This could increase if Celtic were to progress.

With a bulging waiting list and large sections of the support unlikely to relinquish their season ticket, where does it leave fans? Taking pre-season as an example, you’d have needed to pay £50 to watch the entirety of the Bhoys’ friendly matches unless you travelled to the United States [Celtic TV].

Other clubs across the UK have means in place to watch pre-season matches included in a season ticket, should these fixtures take place away from home; I know this for a fact, and plenty even operate this in addition via club membership schemes.

Celtic have discussed the potential for members in their recent fan survey alongside a host of other potential developments, which can be read here.

In addition to all of this, Celtic supporters will have to subscribe to three different broadcasters to watch games on TV in the league, cups and Europe.

Could the club itself be doing more to provide better value to the support?

While the transfer window rolls on, there is plenty to think about for supporters – especially those who recognise the spending power of the club is largely funded by fans and that those fans want to see the best possible team on the park.