Does anyone else feel ripped off?

[Toronto_Bhoy]

Does anyone feel triple the regular ticket price was excessive for what we got last night?

I paid $120 to watch the TFC Reserves (and CSL guest players) play an exhibition game…sorry but that’s a ridiculous price. In essence, what I got was the Reserve team, the reserve coach and Murphy Wiredu, Gerard Ladiyou, Frank Jonke who aren’t even listed on the TFC website as members of club. How does MLSE justify this (I know…they don’t)?

This complaint isn’t about the players or coaches…the July schedule is brutal…this is about price vs product. Last night was the first time I left a TFC game thinking, “I just got ripped off!”

Sorry guys but I have to vent!

If anyone sees Mo or John ask them, “When was the last time you spent 50 quid to watch a reserve match?” Bet the answer is…NEVER.

Here's an additional thought…if we had been playing Barca, Juve, Bayern or Liverpool last night is that the TFC line up we would have seen?

[RealG-TFC]

yes we did get ripped off, but at least we got to see TFC.

[TicTacTabarnack]

yes we did get ripped off, but at least we got to see TFC.

I would hardly call what we witnessed last night as "seeing TFC." I hope to God the tourists didn't think that that was our team!

p.s. How much do people pay to see the Reserve games? Because that's exactly what that was last night + the 3 extra random guys that played.

On that note - I was expecting a complete Sub starting 11 last night and I'm happy that we did that because our boys need a serious break after Chicago's game and they have to rest for the SJ game on Sat and more importantly the Impact game on Tuesday!

[werewolf]

it was essentially Benfica-2008 Edition

[Jay P]

yeah if it was an epl team i still think we would of seen our reserves, im sorry but considering how important the sj and montreal games are ... i'd rather see the same squad play manchester united and get our asses kicked in a friendly, then field a tired squad vs the quake/shitpact.

[werewolf]

I am happy we didn't risk injury to a bunch of starters at a crucial point in the season, but at the same time, what is in store for next season? Raised ticket prices so we can watch the academy face-off against Joe Public and the Orlando Pirates....

[Shaughno]

I didn't pay shit for that game, nor would I.

[jaahuuu]

I was talking about that with my friend last night during the game.

[nancymiranda]

I don't get it - my face value ticket says $70.00, but when I went onto my account manager and tried to sell the first set the selling price came in at $16.00???

Someone else in Section 111 said the same thing happened to him... what gives??

[Nodoubtguy]

I can understand both side of the argument....

yes, we didn't see a full strength them or anything close to it, but we all know how important the next few games are for us....Imagine if 2 of our starters had gone down and missed the next few games??

Do i feel ripped off?? maybe a little.....but I know this was done in order to help us for the games that actually mean something

[Laurignano]

I didn't pay shit for that game, nor would I.
isn't it charged in our season ticket packages?

[Nodoubtguy]

I don't get it - my face value ticket says $70.00, but when I went onto my account manager and tried to sell the first set the selling price came in at $16.00???

Someone else in Section 111 said the same thing happened to him... what gives??


add all the face values from your ticket...I can bet that's not what you paid for your seats.

[Don Julio]

I fully expect changes to the friendly structure for next year. I expect the Canadian Championship games to be included in the STH package and no friendlies at all. With these additional games, along with several additional games possible via CONCACAF competition, I don't they'll deem it necessary to drum up even more revenue on these type of friendlies. They obviously don't need them to move the season's tickets, and it's just way too many games.

If there's a friendly next year I think it will be against a big team (i.e. Champions League quality) which will draw on it's own merit and sold separately for a premium.

[FluSH]

The Pachuca game was fantastic! One of the best games of the YEAR. How could you feel ripped off after witnessing the First EVER Penalty shootout at BMO Field? Everyone was literally standing!!!!

[jaahuuu]

I don't get it - my face value ticket says $70.00, but when I went onto my account manager and tried to sell the first set the selling price came in at $16.00???

Someone else in Section 111 said the same thing happened to him... what gives??
Account manager shows the price you paid as part of a season ticket package, not face value.


I can understand both side of the argument....

yes, we didn't see a full strength them or anything close to it, but we all know how important the next few games are for us....Imagine if 2 of our starters had gone down and missed the next few games??

Do i feel ripped off?? maybe a little.....but I know this was done in order to help us for the games that actually mean something
I'm all for not injuring the starters, I think most people would be satisfied watching that team if it didn't cost us as much.

[Super]

I wouldn't pay to see a reserve game either. In fact, I don't even get these friendlies. What's the point of those mid-season? Pre-season, yes, but not fucking in the middle of the season when we have a massively important league game on the Saturday and then quite possibly the most important game in club history against Montreal on the following Tuesday.

Next season, please, PLEASE set us up with two friendlies a couple of weeks before the season opener. That would make a whole lot more sense, and we're bound to be a lot more pumped (as will the players be) about the experience.

[Pachuco]

I definately feel like I got ripped off. My buddy paid $45 bucks for tickets and I can tell you he feels he got ripped off. All I can say is, if these tickets weren't part of the season tickets package you would've seen 5,000 people at the game based on those prices.

[ensco]

I fully expect changes to the friendly structure for next year. I expect the Canadian Championship games to be included in the STH package and no friendlies at all. With these additional games, along with several additional games possible via CONCACAF competition, I don't they'll deem it necessary to drum up even more revenue on these type of friendlies. They obviously don't need them to move the season's tickets, and it's just way too many games.

If there's a friendly next year I think it will be against a big team (i.e. Champions League quality) which will draw on it's own merit and sold separately for a premium.

Ummm, you actually expect MLSE to forego a million dollars or more from the CCL games? (The gross from those two games will be in the area of $1.5 million for ticket sales, maybe more.)

Dream on. Those games will NEVER be in the season's ticket package.

But this business of charging $120/ticket to see CSL players, as a way of recuping the Independiente appearance fee, that has to end. That is just wrong.

[AL-MO]

Last night was not a good experience. I would not have paid for that if it was not already included in my season ticket package.

[Flipityflu]

yep. that game should not have been apart of the season ticket package. i don't think i got what i paid for.

Paul, can we look into changing how this works please. i'd be happy to give up the international friendlies for next season and replace them with the Voyageur Cup competition.

[Toronto_Bhoy]

Last year's Aston Villa game was probably the best game I saw at BMO…we also lost ROB that night and any chance of making a run at the playoffs.

As for Flush's comment on the Mexican friendly…I wasn't able to go so I can't comment.

This rant is specifically about paying an outrageous price to watch reserves. If you Management had asked Mo or John do you think supporters will pay triple the price to watch our reserves what do think they's answer…once they stopped laughing.

Would MLSE expect Leaf STH's to pay 3 times the regular price to watch the Marlies play the Swedish or Russian champions? Better still, would Leaf fans pay it?

[jaahuuu]

Next season, please, PLEASE set us up with two friendlies a couple of weeks before the season opener. That would make a whole lot more sense, and we're bound to be a lot more pumped (as will the players be) about the experience.
I can almost guarantee that won't happen. Most leagues are in the late stages of their season, they'd never take that risk, or we would get a team of nobodies that makes last nights tfc lineup look like the all-star team.

The only leagues I know of that are on a similar schedule to MLS are Brazil (cuz they'd come here in February/March) and Russia (how big of a draw would that be?).

[torfchamilton]

As I said in a previous post, I enjoyed watching Pachuca. I actually was excited to see the other teams more than TFC knowing that they would be playing their reserves. I was dissapointed last night as I watched Independiente's reserves. It was a bad game with hardly any excitement. You then add the 3 CSL guys which one of them played with my club team last year to top it off.

All in all a dissapointment last night.

[Pachuco]

The Pachuca game was fantastic! One of the best games of the YEAR. How could you feel ripped off after witnessing the First EVER Penalty shootout at BMO Field? Everyone was literally standing!!!!

Yeap..I agree. I was just refering to yesterday's game personally.

[flatpicker]

I was excited about the friendlies last season, but now the interest has worn off for me.
I just don't see the point in it.
I agree with the above comments that paying big bucks to see reserve squads play is not my idea of a special event.
Now that we have the Canadian Championship, I am content with the number of games we have.

[Miko]

Last night was crap, agree with Flush that the Pachuca game was good value.

Win some, lose some I guess.

Mind you people would go apeshit about MLSE ripping them off if they didn't actually have the friendly that was included in the Season Ticket package ("there's 2 friendly tickets included in my package but only one scheduled" cue bitching.

The people to feel sorry for are the people who don't have season tickets who paid upwards of $100 to watch that. STH's paid a quarter of that maybe? (despite what the face value of the ticket says).

If TFC had beaten Vancouver in their 2 games and weren't so desperate to qualify for the next round, you would probably see the same sort of team next week against Montreal.

Anyone who's ever been to an NFL preseason game has gone through this before. And if you haven't - go nowhere near the Bills-Steelers game here in town - it's the last pre-season game and the last one is always the worst in terms of who plays.

[sully]

absolutely we got ripped-off.. But I'm not too bothered for myself, but I am bothered for those people whose first, second or even third Toronto Fc game that was...now that a real rip-off..

For instance, in my section (111) I overheard guys exchanging $70 for one ticket...ridiculous

But Carver did the right thing.

I think it comes down to very bad planning on the part of who ever does the planning...let's hope it doesn't happen again.

[Cas87]

I don't feel ripped off at all, the RESERVE team as some have dubbed them played a tight match against Independiente and with a little more finish could have easily won 4 or 5 to 1

[Kickit09]

rip-off is MLSE's middle name

[Toronto_Bhoy]

I don't feel ripped off at all, the RESERVE team as some have dubbed them played a tight match against Independiente and with a little more finish could have easily won 4 or 5 to 1

First…it was the Reserve team coached by the Number Two, as announced in the opening line up! Our first team coach didn't even make the bench?

Second…IMO, I didn't think they played particularly well, finishing and first touch were poor, kind of like a reserve team (one shot on goal)…but this thread is not about their performance. It’s about value.

You are offered to eat a "special" meal prepared by your favourite chef…the menu triples in price but you buy it anyway. You arrive to hear the chef isn’t cooking that night, it’s his assistant, you’ve already paid, so you eat. The meal is delicious but it cost you 3 times what you normally pay…are you okay with the value?

I bet going to see the reserves at the price they charge is reasonable value…at $120 I didn't think it was.

[Flipityflu]

i don't think i've been 'ripped off'. i'd just prefer that those tickets were for the Montreal/Vancouver game instead.

[Kevvv]

Rip-off or not, I don't need these extra two games in July, using guys with no names against guys I've never heard of. If they knew then what they know now, presumably MLSE wouldn't have scheduled these games this month, or maybe they would have just set up one friendly.

(But I agree that the Pachuca game was better in every respect.)

[Cambridge_Red]

There was plenty of RPB tickets for sale for this one ALOT cheaper then what ticketmaster had them for sale for. I paid $80 for a pair in 110

[Dirk Diggler]

Actually the way the Russian league is going I think it would be a good draw and they have experience playing on artificial turf.

I for one would love to see Zenit St. Petersburg or a CSKA Moscow.

But nonetheless, after the string of results lately, I expected a B squad. I mean I definitely was not expecting our starting XI. I feel had Ibrahim scored on that chance in the first, the game/atmosphere would have been a lot different.

Hell, if James had scored on that flying back heel, it would have salvaged something.

Russian hockey clubs have experience playing hockey on artificial turf?

[Valentine]

Think about it like this, you may have got the tickets for free. But then you have to pay to get to the BMO Field or pay for parking and gas. Then add in the few beverages and the small snack you just bought (both of which the MLSE profit huge revenue off)... Now think, about everyone else that just did the same as you. I am sure that those in the head office of MLSE are laughing how they just increased their yearly profit margin with really no effort. All they had to do was call up the Academy players.

[RealG-TFC]

Russian hockey clubs have experience playing hockey on artificial turf?

CSKA is an athletic club and to my knowledge Zenit st. Petersberg is solely football.

I agree btw, some of these guys are used to it.

[Dirk Diggler]

Think about it like this, you may have got the tickets for free. But then you have to pay to get to the BMO Field or pay for parking and gas. Then add in the few beverages and the small snack you just bought (both of which the MLSE profit huge revenue off)... Now think, about everyone else that just did the same as you. I am sure that those in the head office of MLSE are laughing how they just increased their yearly profit margin with really no effort. All they had to do was call up the Academy players.

And there's a little matter of paying the opposing team the appearance fee.

But yeah, I agree. These friendlies are a nice little cash cow for the MLSE and I don't expect it to go anywhere anytime soon. We already saw this season how they maximized the profits even more by calling up some lower profile teams. I shudder to think what teams they will call up next year. Joe Public and Orlando Pirates may not be too unrealistic after all.

[Boondaddy]

Last year's Aston Villa game was probably the best game I saw at BMO…we also lost ROB that night and any chance of making a run at the playoffs.

As for Flush's comment on the Mexican friendly…I wasn't able to go so I can't comment.

This rant is specifically about paying an outrageous price to watch reserves. If you Management had asked Mo or John do you think supporters will pay triple the price to watch our reserves what do think they's answer…once they stopped laughing.

Would MLSE expect Leaf STH's to pay 3 times the regular price to watch the Marlies play the Swedish or Russian champions? Better still, would Leaf fans pay it?


I hear ya brother...you can't charge that much to see that rubbish last night. If they do, they should put out the top team...after all its the fans that run the business regardless of the upcoming schedule. The point is, this friendly should never have been scheduled at this point in the season.....major brain fart on the organizers.

BTW, Leafs STH's will pay to see anything as its all corporate...there's no such thing as "fans" at a Leafs game. They're all at home watching it on the couch like you and me!

[jaahuuu]

I am happy we didn't risk injury to a bunch of starters at a crucial point in the season, but at the same time, what is in store for next season? Raised ticket prices so we can watch the academy face-off against Joe Public and the Orlando Pirates....

Honestly, since I had no say in how much the tickets were and no way to opt out of buying them I would have much rather seen the Orlando Pirates. Hopefully the weather will be cool and I can wear my pirates jacket to the all-star game.

[Fort York Redcoat]

It's all about timing. If these games were pre or post season I'd go regardless the league they're playing because it's all we'd get at that time. I'd be curious to see the difference in turnout for a post season friendly vs mid season. The away team would probably not be the selling point of the game but it could be priced accordingly for supporters that will know this is a friendly that won't be as likely to wear down the team.

[Toronto_Bhoy]

The Toronto Maple Leafs – one of the NHL's costliest ticket vendors – will host a free pre-season game Sept. 22 against the Buffalo Sabres for 20,000 people lucky enough to get ducats from the hockey club and sponsor Coca-Cola.

So let me get this right.

MLSE makes us pay 3 times the price of a regular season' ticket for a friendly and the next day announces a FREE Leaf exhibition game?

[Pachuco]

I don't feel ripped off at all, the RESERVE team as some have dubbed them played a tight match against Independiente and with a little more finish could have easily won 4 or 5 to 1

HAHA, this has to be a joke. We lost 1-0 but all we needed was a little finishing to win 5-1???? haha. too funny!