'Empty seats challenge cricket authorities' - BBC Sport

[Ollie_H]

For the first time since 1986, the first day of a Test match at The Oval is not sold out.

With England already 2-0 up in the four-match series, there are 5,000 seats available for Wednesday and 2,000 for Thursday.

Many will say it is a local issue and blame a one-sided series at the end of a sporting summer dominated by football's World Cup.

They will also point to ticket prices, which, critics claim, are now too high. That is undoubtedly part of the problem and might explain why the second Test at Edgbaston was not a sell-out, even though half the ground was closed for redevelopment.

But prices are set high because the grounds which stage Test matches have to recoup the millions of pounds they now pay the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the privilege of staging Tests.

BBC - David Bond: Empty seats challenge cricket authorities

This is something I have written about in my article 'If It's Not Broken, Don't Fix It' but instead of shameless advertising for anyone to read it, it's more about what I said in the article that has come out here. I don't like the point that David Bond makes, and whilst he doesn't seem to sway to one side of the arguement and just states the facts. It is again that we hear about this '2 Tier Test Tournament.'

Now my theory behind this '2 Teir Test Structure' is that it will only work in one way, and the way I feel that it could work, means not shifting away from where we are already at. It will only work IF, the test nations in Tier 1, ALSO play the test nations in Tier 2 otherwise what do the second tier nations have to look forward to? The only tests that New Zealand will play will be against Bangladesh, Pakistan, West Indies and Zimbabwe if they get their Test status back. But that doesn't make financial sense for them as unless the ICC grant them subisidy's for playing in that 2nd Tier, they are gonna go under. So to balance the books, they need to play the bigger test nations as well to draw in the crowds, and then we're back to square 1.

So being back at square one means just one thing, PLAY LESS CRICKET. Take Cricket Australia as a fine example, just a handful of teams playing a handful of cricket that makes it action packed and high quality. There was all of what? 16 Games in their domestic T20? I don't think I have ever heard one complaint out of Australia about cricket dying and the only burnout fears they have is from the International players. So why not let the players play less International Cricket? Stick to say two series a year and let the players get back to their counties and let the grass routes get a bit more revenue.

 

[wildcore]

May be due to lack of interest.

 

[Covvy]

Definately the price IMO. Wasn't it like 30 pounds for a day's play? That's far too much. In Aus, you'd only be paying $10-15 and around $30-40 for reserved seating.

 

[Ollie_H]

The article suggests that the prices are so high because the ECB make the grounds pay so much, apparently to host a test match the test match ground must pay around ?17.5 million.

 

[Themer]

Now my theory behind this '2 Teir Test Structure'

grass routes

Sorry to be overtly pedantic but Tier* and roots*. Although your proposals on paper look good financially I don't think it would be viable for the teams to only 2 series a year. And I want to be watching England play more than twice a year.

I also doubt that people would start going to watch more domestic cricket even if international players were with their counties significantly more than they are at the moment.

 

[SciD]

Maybe I understood wrong but should Pakistan be in Tier 2?

 

[War]

Ticket prices in England have been ridiculously high for years now. I have always found a bit odd as the article suggest:

According to a report by Deloitte, commissoned by the nine grounds which stage international matches in England and Wales, the combined cost to those grounds of bidding and staging games will have risen from ?5.4m in 2006 to ?17.5m next year

I guess the ECB have to raise money from somewhere. By why do grounds have to bid & pay so much???


Also i'm not fan of 2 tier system in tests. We only have 8 regular nations, so splitting them into two groups isn't gonna help matters IMO. We are betting off (The ICC) trying to invest in the development of the weaker nations so we can get to a stage where the top 8 nations are all competitive in tets. But given the ICC is lame-duck, this wont happen in the near future if ever..

 

[pcfan123]

Can you blame people? Its not as if this was a summer of thrilling cricket with the worlds best teams on show. It was Bangladesh and Pakistan, probably the two least marketable teams in world sport.

 

[darthlewis1]

Well today it was pretty much full despite having to get there at 9 in the morning to get tickets after a chaotic week trying to get the tickets in the first place. Maybe if they made it easier to get tickets without stupid rules more people would go.

 

[Themer]

It was Bangladesh and Pakistan, probably the two least marketable teams in world sport.

Pakistan are pretty marketable in England, especially in Yorkshire and the East Midlands. Rather larger communities of expats, they just didn't turn up to any of the matches. Unlike the Indian contingent who came out in force during the Indian series 2008.

Just high prices that have done it for me. It was a hell of alot cheaper when I went during the aforementioned Indian series when at Trent Bridge. Was around ?20 for adult tickets and ?15 for children.

 

[Fatal Shot]

I think its safe to say Lord's will probably be a sell out.