iFollow Split | Page 2 | Vital Football

iFollow Split

Next one should be the away game at Port Vale.

So, for an away fan living in London, like me, there are these options:

iFollow
Money: beer (£5-£8), iFollow pass £10.
Total cost: £18.
Travel: Five seconds from fridge to sofa for beer.

Live match
Money: £22 on a ticket, £6 on the tube, a return on the train for £35 (cheapest there is a 2hr 15min trip), taxis to and from station last season were £22 in total.
Total cost: £85
Travel: About six hours.

And yet, I'm going to the match. There is no comparison on experience and entertainment. If I can afford it and can get to a game, I will go. Anyone else? It'd be great to share the taxi costs! Last season I loitered around the station looking for the red and white...
 
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So, for an away fan living in London, like me, there are these options:

iFollow
Money: beer (£5-£8), iFollow pass £10.
Total cost: £18.
Travel: Five seconds from fridge to sofa for beer.

Live match
Money: £22 on a ticket, £6 on the tube, a return on the train for £35 (cheapest there is a 2hr 15min trip), taxis to and from station last season were £22 in total.
Total cost: £85
Travel: About six hours.

And yet, I'm going to the match. There is no comparison on experience and entertainment. If I can afford it and can get to a game, I will go. Anyone else? It'd be great to share the taxi costs! Last season I loitered around the station looking for the red and white...

Are you travelling to Longton station? It's a twenty minute walk from there.
 
I will also be travelling up from London to Port Vale, with three of my children. I will meet the fourth at at Stoke station as she is getting the train from Birmingham. This will be our third visit to Vale park in six months , but the first time by car. I'll save ifollow for the long midweek games.
 
Wouldn't it be fairer if the EPL and/or IFollow just pay each club a contracted rate at the beginning of the season. I assume this is what Sky do and any extra match by match proceeds just go to the company.

I don't like funding companies such as Sky who do far more harm to the great game than help but at least each club will get the same amount irrespective of expected attendances
 
Wouldn't it be fairer if the EPL and/or IFollow just pay each club a contracted rate at the beginning of the season. I assume this is what Sky do and any extra match by match proceeds just go to the company.

I don't like funding companies such as Sky who do far more harm to the great game than help but at least each club will get the same amount irrespective of expected attendances

That would work if the amount they paid was greater than the amount lost through reduced attendances, but that is the whole argument.

The TV revenues paid in the premier league far exceeds what clubs lose through reduced attendances. There was an article a while back stating that premier league clubs could play with empty stadiums and it would have a negligible affect on income. The proportion of revenue through attendances at clubs below the premier league generally increases the lower down the leagues you go, so the impact felt would be greater.
 
I think domestic streaming should be allowed in the following curcumstances only...

1) a mid week away match more than 100 miles away.
2) a match that has sold out (away allocation for away fans, home allocation for home fans)
 
I think domestic streaming should be allowed in the following curcumstances only...

1) a mid week away match more than 100 miles away.
2) a match that has sold out (away allocation for away fans, home allocation for home fans)
I think for the away side it should only be for a beam back to the home ground (like we had for Grimsby Away last season), the away side purchases a licence from the club hosting the match and then they can charge what they wish for admission; but the rules should be that the beam back is only allowed if the away end is either sold out or a high percentage of it has been sold.
 
Re the posts about the Port Vale game - just to point out it's LONGPORT station that is a brisk 20 minute walk from the ground.

Don't go to Longton whatever you do!

But I'm like graemetheexile - compared to just £10 to watch the game sat in front of my computer I'll be forking out a total of around £66 on train fares and match ticket, plus the cost of something to eat at the ground and on Birmingham station on the way back, with a probable arrival home at 10.45pm or later.

I did think about the iFollow option - but no, you can't beat being there.
 
So, for an away fan living in London, like me, there are these options:

iFollow
Money: beer (£5-£8), iFollow pass £10.
Total cost: £18.
Travel: Five seconds from fridge to sofa for beer.

Live match
Money: £22 on a ticket, £6 on the tube, a return on the train for £35 (cheapest there is a 2hr 15min trip), taxis to and from station last season were £22 in total.
Total cost: £85
Travel: About six hours.

And yet, I'm going to the match. There is no comparison on experience and entertainment. If I can afford it and can get to a game, I will go. Anyone else? It'd be great to share the taxi costs! Last season I loitered around the station looking for the red and white...
For sure, I get there when I can. But sometimes I can’t due to work.
 
I think domestic streaming should be allowed in the following curcumstances only...

1) a mid week away match more than 100 miles away.
2) a match that has sold out (away allocation for away fans, home allocation for home fans)
Depends on your perspective. There's a sizeable minority of 'exiled' Imps including me for whom home streams are the only way of watching those games. I could retire, and so make the time, but the Mrs would not be impressed and the resultant legal costs would make it unaffordable instead. She now arranges our weekends in Lincoln to see her Mum after consulting the fixture list, I don't wish to rock that particular boat.

I'll go to NW games wherever possible, I prefer the live atmosphere even if it costs more financially and for time. I've been to all the ones over here so far this season and will be at Oldham, PV has logistical problems that day and I'm pleased to have the live stream option instead.

Others will make different decisions depending on their circumstances and the whole thing is very experimental - but I welcome it.
 
It's completely wrong that the home Club don't get any of the money. You'd half understand it if it were the away team, but who seriously came up with, and signed off, an idea where the Club potentially losing out financially due to iFollow would get no money, yet the Club who wouldn't lose anything financially, would then gain?!
 
ifollow is designed for fans abroad to watch. The fee for watchers in the UK is too low. It should take into account more than one person watching and should be normal admission price plus 50% say £30 at our level. The home club should get half with the rest split between ifollow, the EFL and the away club. The away fan then benefits from saving on travel costs.

Think that's a bit incorrect. IFollow is also for match commentary for UK subscribers as local BBC cannot broadcast live matches over the tinternet.