03 June 2011

PFF charging too much for World Cup qualifier

I wonder why the Philippine Football Federation is charging P200 for a bleacher seat for the coming Philippines-Sri Lanka World Cup qualifier on July 3 at the renovated Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Given that more than 11 million Filipinos are jobless, with many more going hungry, isn’t the PFF making it too hard on the ordinary Pinoy to appreciate the sport? The price for a bleacher seat, to my mind, is not within the reach of the common tao?
Instead of gaining more followers, the PFF might drive away new football adherents and alienate the few remaining believers in the game.
Composed of young and fiercely determined (and not bad-looking) shin-busters, the Azkals started to make an unexpected impact on the Philippine sporting scene last year by posting a string of stirring triumphs here and abroad.
“I’m happy with the way the team is making progress,” said the Azkals’ German coach Hans Michael Weiss.
Making up the team are skipper Aly Borromeo, brothers James and Phil Younghusband, goalie Neil Etheridge, Ian Araneta, Simon Greatwich, Rob Gier, Angel Guirado, Jerry Lucena, Ray Jonsson, Anton del Rosario and Chieffy Caligdong.
PSA awardee and team manager Dan Palami said additions to the squad could include Leigh Gunn, Filipino-Americans Nate Burkey and James Rochlitz and Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran.
Bonnie Librado, PFF treasurer and chair of the PH-Sri Lanka match, said the stiff ticket prices would help augment the cost of refurbishing the Rizal Memorial Stadium, noting that the association needs at least P6 million for the renovation.
He said 8,000 tickets will be sold at P200 each, 4,950 tickets will be pegged at P300, the P2,000 tickets will be for the upper level grandstand seats, while the P3,000 tickets will be for the lower level main grandstand seats. Tickets will go on sale beginning June 3.
I think the PFF can help alleviate the ordinary people’s dilemma by distributing a portion of the tickets (at least for the bleacher section) for free through a lottery. Even though this is an unsolicited advice, it is something worth trying.

Inquirer sports

8 comments:

  1. What an idiot this Manolo Inigo is! PFF charging too much? If you can't afford it, don't fucking go, simple really!!

    That's another problem, too many Filipinos are used to having things cheap or even free. And then when something like this comes up where you are expected to pay up if you wanna attend, they expect it to be cheap or even free. Ridiculous!

    In fact, those prices are cheap. Bleacher seats for 200 and 300?? That's CHEAP! This is not some random event at a random venue. It's a international football match at the national stadium (yes, people forget or don't know that the Rizal Memorial Stadium is our national stadium). Again, either pay up or don't go. If you don't go, don't complain as well!!!!

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  2. It is not Bonnie Librado, it is Bonnie Ladrido. Poor research and editing!

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  3. The only Filipinos 'used to having things cheap and free' are VIP's. Nearly 3000 got free seats
    in little Bacolod; how many do you think will be
    handed out in big Manila?

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  4. Reklamo kayo nang reklamo.international game eto.hindi local manood nga kayo nang PBA magkano ang ticket?local game lang yan.

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  5. Stupid article..... Think about this, we watched foreign artist performing @ the price of 1k at least... 200 pesos to support our country? Stereotype pinoy...

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  6. I support the ticket price.

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  7. i feel for the common tao, but this is a nonsense article. basura!

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  8. Azkals Fanatic5 June 2011 at 02:08

    What a dumb article...exactly why non-football fans shouldn't comment on football matters.

    This Manolo person does not know what he is talking about, how many things in life are still free today? He forgot to research that the tickets may have been much cheaper if the San Miguel Corporation had not backed out of their sponsorship deal.

    If the PFF does not charge as much, where will they get the funds to renovate the stadium? If he says the grant that FIFA gives then he is a bloody idiot since those funds are intended for the national team's fares and different sports programs ran by the PFF.

    Manolo Inigo, sir, it is SOP for journalists to research first before publishing anything. I hope you learnt that in college.

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