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Are Bath Cty Right or Wrong.?


 

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Bath and many more football clubs in the lower realms are struggling week in week out to get people into their grounds.

So Bath Cty this weekend have at least done something about it in my opinion.

Whether I find it discriminating or not I feel the club must be desperate to do this and go against their own fans who will possibly now not renew their season tickets next season because of it.

 

But could it be costing the club more in the long run.?

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Bath City offer discount to Polish people

 

Bath City Football Club have come up with a novel yet controversial scheme to try and boost support at their matches.

 

The Blue Square Premier club have offered the city's Polish community an 80 per cent discount to attend this weekend's clash against Grimsby Town.

 

On production of a Polish ID card, fans can watch the game for as little as £2.50, instead of the usual £13 to stand on the terraces and £14 for a seat.

 

The club have cleared the move with the Equality and Human Rights Commission but not everyone is happy with the decision.

 

Dr David Green, director of social think-tank Civitas, said: "It's going to upset people. It’s obviously discriminatory on grounds of nationality.

 

"I can't understand why this is in the interests of the football club. Imagine M&S wanting to make a pitch for the Polish market (along the lines of) if you could prove that you were Polish you would get a 10 per cent discount."

 

Meanwhile, some Bath City fans voiced their displeasure at the decision on a club fan forum.

 

"The people who have loyally supported City through the lean years, and the regulars who have come back, are the ones who should be rewarded, not one small community, the majority of whom will not return in the future," wrote one fan.

 

"This is another kick in the teeth for City's full-paying English supporters and I don't want to stand next to anybody who's bought a ticket cheaper than mine because they are Polish," wrote another.

 

However, acclaimed film director and Bath City supporter Ken Loach said he welcomed the decision.

 

"It is a good idea - I hope they will chant in Polish. There is a fantastic opportunity on the playing side and we just want to boost the attendance," he said.

 

Bath City have launched the scheme as part of 'Campaign 3,000' which the club have set up to try and attract their first 3,000-plus crowd at a regular league match since 1978.

 

The club, who lie 14th in the table, have been averaging crowds of around 1,300 so far this season.

 

Ned Vaught, the club’s communications and enterprise manager, said the move was anything but discriminatory.

 

"The EHRC said the Polish discount was allowed because it is a one-off and for a 'laudable' cause. The aim is to get Polish people to integrate," he said.

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I don't see why they can't reduce the ticket price for everyone. Why Poles specifically...?

 

I would imagine with the university down there, Bath must have a fair few students who would probably go. I know Sheff U does a number of student discounts a few times a season.

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It's a welcoming and generous offer for the Polish community but also very disrespectful to the die hard supporter who has been paying to watch his/her football team for years. Very wrong in my opinion and what about the other ethnic minorities.

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On a slightly different note I wonder how many we wil get this weekend with the cheaper tickets for U18's?

 

And I don't agree with Bath's proposal at all, you can make sound cases for many many different groups of people, all should pay the same, all prices should be lower

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Seems a bit of an odd one to me, surely if it was offered to everyone you would get more people coming in, why just polish people though, seems a bit strange. However, i bet if theyd just said it was for english people, then i bet the whole world and his dog would be kicking off about it!

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Have to agree with Andrew.If only indigenous could get the discount,the pc crowd would go balistic.OR if you offered servicemen from Iraq or Afghanistan it every burka & hook hand would be up in arms.

Anyway,they should be happy they get 1.3K thru the gate,I've seen less than that at Blue SQ.& SFL match's.

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Have to agree with Andrew.If only indigenous could get the discount,the pc crowd would go balistic.OR if you offered servicemen from Iraq or Afghanistan it every burka & hook hand would be up in arms.

Anyway,they should be happy they get 1.3K thru the gate,I've seen less than that at Blue SQ.& SFL match's.

 

I do not agree with the polish discount, for a number of reasons, true they should be discounts for all or none (preferably all) but the other fact, that they like us are members of the EU and as such part of the common market. All prices/access for europeans should be the same its how they've got free visa's in to the country in the first place...

 

The other aspect to the quote above, I know your not saying either way, but I think all Military Service personnel should be given free or substantially discounted rates to get in to ANY ground in the UK from the massive debt of grattitude we should be showing towards these hero's

 

My 2 pennies worth :)

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Well actually I think we should give servicemen a quota of free tickets.its not as if the place is throbbing is it? I recall Palace giving tickets away to patients & staff of local hospitals etc(& emergency services).I believe Sunderland do similar.

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