Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Fake tickets cause a stir

One of the tickets issued for entry into Saturday's games
The Cambodia Premier League has just begun its season and the likelihood is that attendances at matches will decrease. Why? Because the country's football federation have introduced admission charges for the first time and if fans want to sit in the main stand, shaded from the scorching sun, then it will cost then $1 each, which in Cambodia is quite a hefty sum for many. Alternatively they can sit elsewhere in the Olympic Stadium, where all the games are played, but they will be at the mercy of the elements, which at this time of year can be either the hot sun or thunderstorms. The charges were in place for the first time last Saturday without any prior notice and many fans simply turned away and went home. The guys on the door, eager to collect their new bounty, even tried to charge the national team manager a fee to enter. I watched them for a few minutes as it was initially unclear whether it was officially sanctioned or some private money-making scheme and the gatemen were taking their duties very seriously indeed. All the money went into their pockets, so how much actually made it to the desk of the football federation is unclear, but the FFC is unrepentant. "We won't back down. We want to teach them [the spectators] to understand the price of watching," said the general secretary. The tickets actually issued at the game were leftovers from earlier cup competitions including the ticket above, from the Suzuki Cup games back in October of last year, which made some fans even more angry, as they classed them as fake tickets.

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4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

First,I would like to thanks Andy for this topic.

"We won't back down. We want to teach them [the spectators] to understand the price of watching,"
I hate this sentence.what a crap sentence.The price is so high.Does Cambodian fans go to watch the football match are rich people.I must say big NO.Cambodian player need more fans to support them.To encourage them.It is not the time to show the watching price.It is a time to show that Cambodian fans starting love their football team.starting love their national team.If the federation do like this.It is like a vampire suck Cambodian people blood.I don't know why they want to suck the money.
If they do like this.Cambodian club will collapse in their hand.
Why Why Why they do like this.
it is a shame that Cambodian club starting popular from the fans.
Is the money bigger than national?

regards.

May 5, 2009 8:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To the guy above, it sucks if the money is pocketed instead of going to where it is supposed to help the team. But Cambodia football is trying to become a business just like any good football club or country. You need revenue in order to keep paying for all the expenses for upgrading and just keeping the team and what not.

Maybe Cambodia Football Federation should make it more clear the nature of the implementation of ticket sales.

Do you think the team will get better by just morale support? I think you need to visit and learn how professional football works then.

Everyone is having a tough time. If the money from ticket sales is going to help the team, then, understand it is a business decision to help the team but it is to be pocketed unbeneficially to the team, it is bad.

May 6, 2009 4:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

also, Khmer people have lived without having to pay for everything like the people in the West. Andy can be the witness to this. In Cambodia, tax rate is nothing while in the West, you pay for everything enormously if I might add. So right now, Cambodia's society wants to move into more of a capitalist market. The reward is Cambodia will be better but the price is everyone has to start paying for it.

Khmer have been living in crappy condition but we didn't pay anything. So, if you want to live in better condition, you have to pay for that because it takes money to get that better condition.

You can see this in the toll way or the bridge in Koh Kong. It's really all how capitalist market works. Khmer is new to it so that is why we don't know what is going on. Why do I have to pay? We think everything is free but it is not.

May 6, 2009 4:09 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes,I know,but it should start with low price like 500 or 1000 Riel not 1$.It is so high.You know the people go to watch football not all of them have 1$ in the pocket.like me sometime i only got 2000 Riel in my pocket and go to watch football.and spend 1000 Riel for keep my motor bike.So i cannot watch them play in the shelter.I only watch them play in the hot sun.
I think they should low the price down as I mention above if they can.

regards.

May 6, 2009 12:26 PM  

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