Cost of a Mascot Package

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PhilM

Player Valuation: £80m
I reading an article on the BBC this morning about the 'outrageous' £478 cost to be a mascot at Swansea - a Championship team - and thought it was very high.

While reading through the article, I was eve more incredibly surprised to see that we are in fact have the highest price for any such package at £718 in the PL.

What's everyone's opinion on this? Is the club correct to charge a price for a child to be a mascot? Is the price too high or is it a reasonable amount?

Should it be a free privilege, like it previous was? When you consider all the great things the club does, for me this was very peculiar especially the very high price.

By the way, the prices in the Premier League are:
  • Everton £718
  • West Ham United £700
  • Leicester City £600
  • Tottenham Hotspur £405
  • Wolves £395
  • Crystal Palace £375
  • Brighton £350
  • Burnley £300
  • Fulham £270
  • Cardiff City £255
  • Watford £250
  • Bournemouth £185
  • Free: Arsenal, Chelsea, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Newcastle United and Southampton.
 
I reading an article on the BBC this morning about the 'outrageous' £478 cost to be a mascot at Swansea - a Championship team - and thought it was very high.

While reading through the article, I was eve more incredibly surprised to see that we are in fact have the highest price for any such package at £718 in the PL.

What's everyone's opinion on this? Is the club correct to charge a price for a child to be a mascot? Is the price too high or is it a reasonable amount?

Should it be a free privilege, like it previous was? When you consider all the great things the club does, for me this was very peculiar especially the very high price.

By the way, the prices in the Premier League are:
  • Everton £718
  • West Ham United £700
  • Leicester City £600
  • Tottenham Hotspur £405
  • Wolves £395
  • Crystal Palace £375
  • Brighton £350
  • Burnley £300
  • Fulham £270
  • Cardiff City £255
  • Watford £250
  • Bournemouth £185
  • Free: Arsenal, Chelsea, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Newcastle United and Southampton.
Aren't you a bit old to be applying Phil?
 

Should be free regardless if it for charity.
Everton have two different mascot packages - mascot and Toffee Lady - which are entirely free of charge and for which two places per game are selected at random from season ticket members and members aged between 5-13-years-old. However, in addition Everton have designated two fixtures this season - the home games against Bournemouth and Wolves - as Everton in the Community mascot packages.

Climb down off that high horse Tonto
 
It goes to charity not the club
Ah, apologies. The article is then slightly (well incredibly) misleading as it didn't state that the priced packagers were in fact biannual, while most are in fact free.

If they were always priced, regardless of whether it went to charity, then I'd still be slightly concerned as it would be out of the reach of many of our fans.

Yet , in reality every match has a free mascot and toffee lady whereas two fixtures have additional paid alternatives. That won't come across in the original article.
 
Here's the original article by the way:

Swansea City may play in football's second tier but they are charging parents Premier League prices for children to be mascots.

It costs up to £478 for a match-day mascot "package" at the Championship club, research by BBC Wales found.

Only three teams in the Premier League charge more, while the experience is free at most of the top clubs. Cardiff City charge £255.

Swansea City said prices were reduced this year following relegation.

Consumer groups have branded the higher prices as "outrageous".

For many youngsters, the chance to walk out onto the pitch with their football heroes is a dream come true.

Indeed many clubs tell parents the package is the "ultimate gift your child will never forget".

Many clubs sell the experience as "once in a lifetime"

Yet while many of the biggest clubs in the country, including Premier League champions Manchester City, do not charge for the opportunity, others are cashing in more than £700 per child.

Most packages include full kit, match tickets, photographs and autographs as well as walking onto the pitch before kick-off.

But a £270 deal at Fulham does not include kit while a £185 package at Bournemouth does not come with a ticket to the game.

Martyn James, of consumer website Resolver, said: "It's absolutely outrageous that some richer kids can effectively buy their way to the top of the mascot list.

"When I was younger, being a mascot was a reward for super loyalty or for having been through a great deal.

"Charging any money for these packages is unacceptable - and it's pretty unknown too.

"It makes a mockery of all the things that our national game is supposed to represent."

Supporters on fan forums have slammed the prices as "unfair" and "scandalous".

Swansea City said the "truly once in a lifetime experience" includes four hospitality places, a meal and half-time penalty competition on the pitch.

A spokesman added: "We've reduced prices this year following relegation, from £450 plus VAT to £399 plus VAT for weekend, and £349 plus VAT for weekday matches.

"We also give one space free to charity every match and this was brought in this season."

Mascots at the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United are picked at random from their junior fan club and are free.

Cardiff City offer the chance for children aged between four and 10 to turn "dream into reality" for £255 and have sold out for many of their most popular home fixtures.

Claire Blake, of Penarth, arranged for her eight-year-old son Cian to be a mascot before the Bluebirds' game against champions Manchester City as a birthday gift in September.

"We were lucky to get such a big game but I'm not sure we would be happy paying the same amount for games against other teams," she said.

"Cian got a kit, signed photos and met Neil Warnock and had a great time, but the seats were poor and it was a bit rushed meeting the players."

Season-ticket holder Tracy Morgan paid for her eight-year-old son Leo to be a mascot.

She said: "It was very expensive but it was worth every penny to see my son's face - and my husband's."

Ryan Moore bought a mascot package as a Christmas gift for his six-year-old son Niall.

He said: "It's free for some big clubs like Liverpool but a money-making scheme at others and there are so many mascots that it dilutes the experience.

"But we were pretty happy with the whole day. Niall loved it - apart from the team being hammered 4-1."

Premier League mascot prices
Everton £718

West Ham United £700

Leicester City £600

Tottenham Hotspur £405

Wolves £395

Crystal Palace £375

Brighton £350

Burnley £300

Fulham £270

Cardiff City £255

Watford £250

Bournemouth £185

Free: Arsenal, Chelsea, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, Newcastle United and Southampton.

Clubs have been urged to find a "good deal" for fans.

The Football Supporters' Federation said: "Clubs should speak to their supporters about what they think represents a good deal for parents and if fans have specific concerns, we'd be happy to look into it.

"Our campaign focus will primarily remain on affordable ticket prices - particularly fair concessionary and fair young adult prices."
 
My daughter was Toffee Lady twice and it didn't cost a penny, in fact if you factor in the comps & free shirt that it cost the club. This keeps getting wheeled out though cos sometimes we have paid for mascots, if only they'd state that it goes to charity, it wouldn't surprise me if the club pay the amount to the charity for all of the mascots that get drawn out from season ticket holders/members either but of course nobody would want to show us in a positive light would they.
 

Ah, apologies. The article is then slightly (well incredibly) misleading as it didn't state that the priced packagers were in fact biannual, while most are in fact free.

If they were always priced, regardless of whether it went to charity, then I'd still be slightly concerned as it would be out of the reach of many of our fans.

Yet , in reality every match has a free mascot and toffee lady whereas two fixtures have additional paid alternatives. That won't come across in the original article.

Stand down.
At ease.
As you were Phil. :D
 
I'm of two minds.

I can see the thrill a kid gets, and therefore free market will justify a high price (to itself), like it does.

On the other hand, one has the choice not to pay and not to do it. Personally i'd like to see this choice exercised more.

Get all of the jarg razmataz and staged handshaking off the pitch and go back to the days where players tear out if the changing rooms, line up, the ref counts the players and blows his whistle.
 
My kid was chosen a few years ago as a Season Ticket holder for Man City away. It was free and he got a free full kit but I had to pay for any match tickets I wanted. They also let his brother do it too, I just had to pay for his kit. Everton were great and so were Man City. We were treated fantastically by Man City and got to go in the EFC changing room and meet the players. Game was on Sky too so they were on the TV. It really was an amazing day, they loved it and obviously me too!

My mates lad also got picked the same season.
 

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