Football in Brighton is too expensive

The season does not last three games


The price of football debate has flared up again. Liverpool fans staged a walk out and United supporters watched their side lose to a club younger than Jaden Smith for £71. But the issue isn’t restricted to the Premier League. For students, it’s alive and kicking in Brighton.

Why not every game?!

The current SU campaign of three Brighton home games for £15 each is outstanding. They’re delighted about it. But three is not the magic number. It is no more than a temporary stunt which helped revamp refreshers week.Why isn’t it a regular scheme?

The AMEX is one of the highlights of coming to this university. It’s an outstanding stadium and attending a match should be on every student’s bucket list. But there’s a problem with pricing. Let’s take Brighton’s recent home match against Leeds United for example: £30 for an U21 ticket. Equivalent to 30 jaegerbombs at Haunt on a Thursday night.

Without the £15 deal, students are expected to pay £22 for the worst matches, and much more for the best. That doesn’t include food, with Brighton’s £4.10 pie the most expensive in English football. Frankly, it’s disgraceful.

Magnificent from the outside. Even better inside?

The Student’s Union don’t set the prices. But if they exist to support our interests surely this is an area of debate that needs some more serious discussion. Having worked at the Amex on match days for the past three seasons, there have been very few occasions when every seat has been taken. Even in the play-off semi-final last season over 3,500 tickets weren’t sold.

It’s more infuriating than an English World Cup campaign. The Union would create a better experience for students and the club would make more profit from selling reduced tickets than no tickets. It’s a successfully proven idea. In Nottingham, Forest offer 300 tickets to students at every home game to sit in a designated area. This also improves atmosphere at their games, something Brighton would equally appreciate.

Only the Rugby World Cup sold out the Amex in recent times

Are we forgetting that the university lent the football club our facilities while their new training ground was being built?

I lived on cheese and crackers for weeks to afford this

There is no reason why the Union shouldn’t be doing more to regularly ask the club to offer students tickets at affordable prices. Even more so given the high chance that the university could well have Premier League football on their doorstep next season. Surely there is more attraction in advertising cheap top-flight football tickets than East Slope accommodation.

Help us watch the big games!

The Student’s Union has faffed around with its priorities in improving student experience for too long, especially in regards to sport. It will willingly splash out on hiring the stadium suite for the glitz and glamour of the awards ceremony, but it would seem that bartering for unsold football tickets doesn’t display enough sporting potential to improve student experience at Sussex.

It is an issue that the new elected officers should seriously consider next year. The SU have been played through on goal but they’re missing a sitter.

The Tab reached out to the Student’s Union for comment. Lyndsay Burtonshaw, Activities Officer, said: “Hundreds of Sussex students and staff have been able to enjoy a discount on Brighton matches following our partnership with the club. To test demand, the club agreed to sell discounted tickets for three matches and offer a bundle ticket for all three matches and a shirt. As the response has been really positive we’ll be working with the club on longer-term deals for students and are hoping to add discounted tickets for an extra match this season.”