27 Apr The shocking cost of being a mascot for a mid-table Premier League team
Being a matchday mascot for a mid-table Premier League team does not come cheap nowadays.
In the investigation conducted it was found that West Ham not only charge the most out of all the London based Premier League teams, but they also charge the most out of the whole professional football leagues in the country.
Research has revealed that West Ham charge £700 for a category A match.
Within that package it comes with a number of perks. The most obvious being meeting your heroes and actually getting to walk out to a packed stadium.
The chance to walk out in a stadium with 60,000 fans singing ‘I’m forever blowing bubbles’, walking out with the likes of club legend Mark Noble as well as the likes of Sebastien Haller and Declan Rice is undoubtedly an unforgettable life-long memory.
However, for a steep price of £700 is it really worth it?
Life long West Ham fan Rachel Ford doesn’t believe so: “The mascot experience wasn’t worth the amount I paid, you’re looking at upwards of £500 to walk out with a player, and meet the players.
“You can meet the players for free, you SHOULD be able to come into contact with the players for free.”
How do West Ham’s mascot prices compare to other London rivals?
Both Arsenal and Chelsea, two of the biggest clubs in world football do not charge you a fee for your child to be a match day mascot.
Both clubs select mascots through a membership prize draw. Allowing their young fans to have an unforgettable experience without the parents being charged extortionate amounts.
Fellow London club Watford have a different approach, they ask for a donation of £100 minimum to the Watford Community and Education Trust.
The money gained through donations goes to a good cause rather than in the pocket of the club.
South side of the river, Crystal Palace offer two types of packages, the gold package, which includes a full new, Crystal Palace home or away kit and match tickets which comes to a total of £375.
The second package is the silver package for just £100. However, a new kit is not provided and you’re expected to provide your own match ticket.
Similar to West Ham, Tottenham price their prices based on the category of a match. For example the North London derby between Spurs and Arsenal would be a category A match.
Tottenham charge £350 for a category C match, £395 for a category B match and £485 for a category A match.
This is a considerable jump from Crystal Palace’s Prices but still far off of the Hammers.
West Ham compared to their London rivals charge an astronomical amount. They charge £700 for a category A match, charging the most in the capital and the country.
Prices compared to league finishes
Supporting one of the larger London teams such as Chelsea and Arsenal is clearly more rewarding. Both clubs have consistently finished high in the league as well as continually winning trophies.
Being a mascot for FREE, walking out into a stadium with serial winners, World Cup winners and world class players is what you’d expect to pay £700 to do.
For the price paid to be a mascot at Tottenham, it is still a steep price, but again consistently a team which finishes high up in the table.
Spurs even reached their first UEFA Champions League final last season which saw them lose to Liverpool in Madrid.
For teams like Crystal Palace and Watford, the considerably low cost is a fair one. Both teams are mid-table contenders and flirt with relegation on the odd occasion.
You’re not walking out with world class superstars, but more cult heroes. For example Watford captain, Troy Deeney. Not a world class striker but adored by the Watford faithful for his leadership and loyalty.
West Ham’s price to be a mascot is disproportionate compared to their success in the league.
In the 2015/16 season West Ham broke into the top seven for the first time since the 2001/02 season. Apart from that, the teams Premier League career has consisted of relegation battles and mid-table mediocrity.
Charging £700 is no way near worth it, especially if the team go on to lose the game.
Going against its working class routes
West Ham United, traditionally Thames Ironworks F.C was founded on the backs of the East End dock yard workers.
East London has always been regarded as one of the more ‘tough’ sides of London and still to this day has some of the highest poverty numbers in the capital.
The loyal fanbase that West Ham have is mostly made up of working class people, much like all the other football teams around the world.
Football is a game with working class routes. Club’s like West Ham with its traditional working class routes, as well as having owners who are West Ham fans, charging £700 to be a match day mascot goes against everything the clubs foundations were built upon.
Life long West Ham fan Stanley Kavanagh, who has been supporting West Ham for over 50 years told me:”I’ve been a West Ham fan for most of my life, I’ve seen the good and the bad.
“At the moment it is bad. The owners are out of touch.”
Should being a mascot be free?
The revelation of the shocking cost of being a Premier league mascot for the East London club was clearly met with backlash.
I reached out to twitter to gain a general understanding of what ordinary football fans think about paying to be a mascot.
In a poll conducted, a massive 91% voted in favour of being a mascot free of charge.
and just 9% believing you should have to pay for the experience.
Should being a child mascot at a Premier League football match be free?#WHUFC #AFC #CFC #CPFC #PremierLeague
— Joshua Webb (@JoshuawLSBU) April 13, 2020
Dave Norris responded to the poll saying:”should be a community reward in my view for good deeds.
“Money shouldn’t come into it.”
The key word is community, and that is what West Ham as a club have appeared to neglect, its working class community.
All concerns raised about the prices of being a mascot were put forward to the club to comment.
The club did not respond.
Right the wrongs
The owners, David Gold and David Sullivan need to start to build the bridges burned over their 10 year tenure at the club. The move from Upton Park to the Olympic Stadium was the main sticking point.
@SkySportsNews West Ham’s board need to sort this club out. 4 pitch invaders running riot without being challenged by security was the start of a dangerous protest. Young supporters had to be taken out early in tears pic.twitter.com/1Fg0y6cMsU
— Jay Hoyle (@JayKHoyle) March 10, 2018
The fans were moved from their home, to a rented athletics stadium. The club had fans onside but it came on the back of promises and broken words.
West Ham co-owner David Gold said before the move: “There is no way we can go to the Olympic Stadium unless our seats are in a similar distance (20 yards) than they are now (Upton Park).”
The club can build bridges on small deeds and gestures such as making the mascot experience free.
Operate a system similar to Arsenal and Chelsea and many other clubs up and down the country. Select the children through a membership prize draw.
West Ham as a club has healing to do, wounds to heal. Put the community first, get the fans back on side and move the club forward together.
Mr.Gold and Mr.Sullivan must take their business cap off and go back to thinking like real West Ham fans.
