What would you pay for that event you missed?

[Tal]

After today's epic match at Wimbledon and the prospect of Murray looking to join Djokovic in the final, there can hardly be a person in the crowd at Centre Court today who is thinking they haven't got value for money for their ticket purchase.

This has got me thinking.

A few years ago, I was offered a ticket to the Carling Cup final between Spurs and Chelsea at Wembley for £350. It was a Club Wembley jobbie. I didn't want to spend that amount on the ticket, plus probably £100+ on travel and expenses. Especially if we lost.

We didn't and I missed a brilliant day. I still think, on reflection, I got better value watching it at home but there are spots where I know if have paid over the ticket price to watch an event:

- The day England won the Ashes in 2005 would have been £300 of anyone's money.
- Ronnie's 147 v Mick Price would have been pennies to watch so I'd happily time machine back and offer £147 for a decent seat.
- I never got to see Frankel run. Again, that'd be something special to have seen, even though so many people did have that experience.

I'm sure plenty of scousers would give their fortune to have been at Istanbul that night.

I'm thinking particularly about things you could theoretically have seen (ie, you were alive for), so what would you see and where do you put the "value" line?

[superwomble]

I've always been gutted that I missed being at Wembley for Wimbledon's win over Liverpool in 1988. My aunt tried to get us both tickets but could only get one so I had to watch it on TV. At least we saw it at the house of a Liverpool-supporting friend!

That is almost certainly going to be a once in a lifetime event, especially given Liverpool's dominance at the time. I'd probably go to £200 for a chance to go.

[kinboshi]

My brother was there for the CL final in 2005.  I could have gone, but instead bought a car that I'd wanted for a long time and then couldn't justify the additional cost on top of what I'd spent on the car. 

Obviously wish I'd been out there, but the car gave me a good few years of enjoyment as well. My only regret is that I didn't have a bit more cash at the time so I could have done both

Other than that, there are some fights I wish I'd gone to.  Ward v Gatti, Barrera v Morales, and the like - and some I was a bit too young to go to unfortunately.  I'd pay a fair bit to see one of them now. 

I also bid £500 for 'Super Saturday' at the Olympics last year.  Knew it'd be a good night, but didn't quite know how good it would prove to be.  I'd have quite happily paid that and if I'd got the seats, they'd have felt like a bargain!

[Tal]

Yeah plenty of fights I wish I'd been old enough and had resources enough to see (Tyson-Spinks, Eubank-Benn, Hamed-Barrera for example - all three for different reasons!).

[kinboshi]

I wish I'd been at Hamed v Robinson. I was at Sheffield Uni at the time, and me and a bloke on my course talked a fair bit about boxing. Steve Robinson was his man, Naseem was mine.  We'd had a little wager on the outcome, and I'd been told Hamed would be out-boxed and out-punched.  The other bloke was lucky enough to get tickets, and I wish I'd been at that one.

[Tal]

I wish I'd been at Hamed v Robinson. I was at Sheffield Uni at the time, and me and a bloke on my course talked a fair bit about boxing. Steve Robinson was his man, Naseem was mine.  We'd had a little wager on the outcome, and I'd been told Hamed would be out-boxed and out-punched.  The other bloke was lucky enough to get tickets, and I wish I'd been at that one.

I was a big Barrera fan and really disliked Hamed.

Anyway this is off-topic!

Euro 96. Wembley. England 4-1 Netherlands. Decent seats. I'm going...£200. Slightly lower than you might expect because of how good the atmosphere was in every pub and living room in England that day.

[kinboshi]

I wish I'd been at Hamed v Robinson. I was at Sheffield Uni at the time, and me and a bloke on my course talked a fair bit about boxing. Steve Robinson was his man, Naseem was mine.  We'd had a little wager on the outcome, and I'd been told Hamed would be out-boxed and out-punched.  The other bloke was lucky enough to get tickets, and I wish I'd been at that one.

I was a big Barrera fan and really disliked Hamed.

Anyway this is off-topic!

Euro 96. Wembley. England 4-1 Netherlands. Decent seats. I'm going...£200. Slightly lower than you might expect because of how good the atmosphere was in every pub and living room in England that day.

I was a fan of both Hamed and Barrera. 

Barrera v Morales I.  What a fight that was.  What a terrible decision by the judges.

[pokerfan]

I wish I'd been at Hamed v Robinson. I was at Sheffield Uni at the time, and me and a bloke on my course talked a fair bit about boxing. Steve Robinson was his man, Naseem was mine.  We'd had a little wager on the outcome, and I'd been told Hamed would be out-boxed and out-punched.  The other bloke was lucky enough to get tickets, and I wish I'd been at that one.

I was a big Barrera fan and really disliked Hamed.

Anyway this is off-topic!

Euro 96. Wembley. England 4-1 Netherlands. Decent seats. I'm going...£200. Slightly lower than you might expect because of how good the atmosphere was in every pub and living room in England that day.

I watched the England-Scotland group match in an Amsterdam bar, wouldn't pay a pound to have been at Wembley.
Place was electric, all the Dutch fans gave Gazza a standing applause when he mugged Hendry.

Magic.

[paulhouk03]

man utd vs Bayern

500£ maybe

England vs Greece
man city vs qpr

I think just being there will be incred during those times

[Tal]

Great shout on the Beckham free kick. Have to be right behind the goal, tho.

[kinboshi]

Great shout on the Beckham free kick. Have to be right behind the goal, tho.

... and watch him miss the previous half a dozen first.

[Somerled]

Any of Andy Murray's big finals - Olympics & US Open last year especially of course. Would definitely have paid over £500 for either of them.

Would pay a lot more to be able to go on Sunday. 

[Tal]

Great shout on the Beckham free kick. Have to be right behind the goal, tho.

... and watch him miss the previous half a dozen first.

Surely even you loved him at that moment?

[Woodsey]

Wilko drop goal! I'd pay 1k probably.

[Tal]

£200 for that seat in the South Stand for sure.


Paid £65 for a restricted view seat when spurs beat @r$enal 5-1 in the Carling Cup and would happily have trebled that. Never been in an atmosphere like it, before or since. The Real.Madrid CL game was close...until Gomes dropped the ball again.