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[Misc] How Does The Club Benefit From Hosting The Euros?



el punal

el punal

Well-known member
Aug 29, 2012
11,787
Bitterne,Southampton. In the land of wrong stripes
PR wise the images of the Amex must be a big plus. The stadium looked and sounded magnificent for the England v Norway game, hopefully to be repeated in tonight’s match against Spain. Financially though, what does the club gain from hosting these fixtures?
 








Notters

Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,869
Guiseley
There are a number of articles online (won't link to them as they're in the Mail etc.) criticising the FA for paying clubs to host it.
So I imagine there was some payment involved, but no idea how much.
 








S

SAC

Well-known member
May 21, 2014
2,549
There will obviously be a financial aspect, probably not huge. The exposure is important as a lot of those attending wont have been to a football match before and may want to attend again, either at the Amex (although tickets are way more expensive and much harder to obtain) or at the Pension Stadium, Crawley (if they don't mind the journey).

Attendance at women's football matches needs to improve dramatically if the women's club is to ever to get remotely close to being financially sustainable.
 


T

The Optimist

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 6, 2008
2,611
Lewisham
To a certain extent should it not be more about the club supporting the growth of the women’s game rather than what the club can gain from it?
 






B

Brovion

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 6, 2003
19,374
The Optimist said:
To a certain extent should it not be more about the club supporting the growth of the women’s game rather than what the club can gain from it?
Click to expand...

You are, of course, correct. However, as a Brighton fan, I would like to think that we're at least not out of pocket. (Do we get the catering income as for an Albion match?). After all, one of the reasons they've picked us is because we've got a good ground, unlike say, Palace for argument's sake. So to an extent it wouldn't be fair if we have an additional drain on our finances and Palace don't just because their ground is shit.
 






Bry Nylon

Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
19,857
Playing snooker
SAC said:
Attendance at women's football matches needs to improve dramatically if the women's club is to ever to get remotely close to being financially sustainable.
Click to expand...

Since when did financial sustainability have anything to do with running a professional football club? The men's teams must cost the club tens of millions of pounds more than they generate through ticket sales. I'm sure attendances for women's football will grow over time plus the value of sponsorship deals will increase; but it seems a bit unfair to hold the women' game accountable to a financial sustainability metric that doesn't apply to any other part of football operations.
 


Simster

Simster

"the man's an arse"
Jul 7, 2003
54,207
Surrey
SAC said:
There will obviously be a financial aspect, probably not huge. The exposure is important as a lot of those attending wont have been to a football match before and may want to attend again, either at the Amex (although tickets are way more expensive and much harder to obtain) or at the Pension Stadium, Crawley (if they don't mind the journey).

Attendance at women's football matches needs to improve dramatically if the women's club is to ever to get remotely close to being financially sustainable.
Click to expand...
Not sure that's true but even if you're right, they are targetting significant attendance increase anyway. I thought this article was interesting and perfectly attainable:

https://www.skysports.com/football/...erage-attendance-and-wembley-sell-out-by-2024

Being fair, women's football attendance and interest has grown in line with the additional exposure it has received, and so has the quality of play. As recently as five years ago, I personally felt top level women's football was almost unwatchable, but that is far from the case now. The standard has improved enormously.

I'm not sure the Albion women's team can sustain being played in Crawley though. It's often mooted on here, but I wonder if there is any appetite for the club to increase capacity at Lancing to 5-6,000. Either that, or apply for the restriction on game numbers at the Amex to be lifted so that women's games can be played there, possibly with tarped off upper tiers.
 


Bry Nylon

Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
19,857
Playing snooker
Simster said:
Not sure that's true but even if you're right, they are targetting significant attendance increase anyway. I thought this article was interesting and perfectly attainable:

https://www.skysports.com/football/...erage-attendance-and-wembley-sell-out-by-2024

Being fair, women's football attendance and interest has grown in line with the additional exposure it has received, and so has the quality of play. As recently as five years ago, I personally felt top level women's football was almost unwatchable, but that is far from the case now. The standard has improved enormously.

I'm not sure the Albion women's team can sustain being played in Crawley though. It's often mooted on here, but I wonder if there is any appetite for the club to increase capacity at Lancing to 5-6,000. Either that, or apply for the restriction on game numbers at the Amex to be lifted so that women's games can be played there, possibly with tarped off upper tiers.
Click to expand...

All of this. I'm sure those investing heavily in women's football right now are doing so because (i) they can afford to do so, and (ii) are taking a long-term view, which is the true test of sustainability.

Women's football is currently the fastest growing sport in the world (including in the UK), so for those that have done their forecasts and believe this growth will continue - along with the future revenue streams that presents - it makes sense to get in at the beginning. To implement a short-term financial sustainability metric on the game will strangle it at birth so I'm sure club owners running a women's side are looking 10, 15, 20 years down the line at what it could become, given the right conditions for growth.

The local club my son plays for also runs girls teams across every age group from u7s to u17s and interest and participation from girls has rocketed over the past couple of years. After these Euros I'm fully expecting we will have a waiting list of girls wanting to join squads when we all get together again after the summer. As a club overall we are far stronger with the additional revenues the girls teams bring in thro' subs, plus we have another pool of parents to help run the club, prepare pitches, support fund raising activities etc. Everyone benefits - and best of all, local girls who want to play competitive football have a decent, well-run club they can join, be an equal part of and be proud to pull on the shirt for.
 




T

timbha

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
9,903
Sussex
I’m sure it’s hassle the club could do without when for a few weeks leading up to the start of the season the stadium has to change its identity, close it main merchandising outlet and effectively have another organisation operating its premises.

However, refusing to stage matches would put a big cross against being asked again.

So, what do we gain?
Prestige in proving we can stage international events (for 30k attendances)
TV exposure around Europe for the city and club
Usage of the stadium in an otherwise quiet time (eg security and catering staff being trained, aware and are more ready for the start of EPL)
Some cash/covering of expenses
 




Tom Hark Preston Park

Tom Hark Preston Park

Will Post For Cash
Jul 6, 2003
70,204
Garry Nelson's Left Foot said:
Maybe TB just thinks it's cool to host major sporting events in Brighton regardless of any other benefits?
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I think that's a large part of it. And why not? On a more business-case-driven level, it gives the Albion's main sponsor a boost (everybody in the media is now calling it 'the Amex' even if they're not really supposed to), it gives the town and surrounding area a major tourist boost and it raises the profile of the womens game locally which may well in turn provide a boost to the Albion womens team, Crawley or no Crawley. Hard to think of a single downside really
 


S

Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
23,837
GOSBTS
Brovion said:
You are, of course, correct. However, as a Brighton fan, I would like to think that we're at least not out of pocket. (Do we get the catering income as for an Albion match?). After all, one of the reasons they've picked us is because we've got a good ground, unlike say, Palace for argument's sake. So to an extent it wouldn't be fair if we have an additional drain on our finances and Palace don't just because their ground is shit.
Click to expand...

Catering , merchandise etc all goes to UEFA. We simply rent them the stadium but they do the rest
 




Nobby Cybergoat

Nobby Cybergoat

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2021
6,990
The FA had trouble finding stadia for this event. This can only be because hosting is loss making, or at least very tough to break even.

So what's in it for us? The same what's in it for us, that we have a women's team. It's playing the long game, building a brand, being on the right side of history, accumulating soft power, whatever you want to call it.

But knowing what I do of Tony, also because also it's the right thing to do.
 




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