Pat Lam blames Bath ticket prices for raining on Bristol's parade

Bristol Bears failed to sell out their 2,135 ticket allocation for Friday night’s West Country Premiership play-off showdown against league leaders Bath.

Despite appearing in the play-offs for the first time in four years and only having 14 miles to travel to The Rec, the Bears returned some of their allocation to Bath before the 4pm Tuesday deadline.

Bath didn’t disclose exactly how many tickets had been returned, but it is thought to be in the hundreds rather than tens.

Tickets ranging from £45 to £105 were made available to Bath’s near neighbours in various points of the ground, with the majority in the uncovered East Stand.

By contrast, Bath fans snapped up general admission tickets in no time, and it is hoped that the first of the semi-finals – Leicester play Sale the next day – will be a 14,500 sell-out, or as close to one as you can get.

Head-to-Head

Last 5 Meetings

Wins

2

Draws

0

Wins

3

Average Points scored

28

34

First try wins

20%

Home team wins

80%

For a club with one of the largest supporter bases in the league, it could be seen as an embarrassment to Bristol that they will be so heavily outnumbered.

But Bears Director of Rugby Pat Lam understands why there has been such a reluctance to travel, and says he even put off his wife from attending.

“I think it has more to do with the price and the facilities. Even my wife was keen to go, and when I went to buy a ticket, I said, ‘Love, I don’t think you want to get drenched in that rain. I love ya and I know you support me, but I don’t need you getting drenched and wet,” he said.

“It’s all good. The prices they are putting out there are huge, and at the end of the day, if people are going to pay it, they’re going to pay it, and it’s going to be a sell-out.

“Fair play, it’ll help Bath and their income (by over half-a-million), but ultimately, for us, it is about what happens on the field and despite a lot of Bristol people not going, it doesn’t change the fact they are right behind us as a team and are rooting for us.”

Lam added: “I think for the Bristol fans, I think the really good thing out of it is they realise what a bargain we have at Ashton Gate, with our prices and what they can get for season tickets and the stadium and the facilities and so forth.”

Meanwhile, Leicester announced today that they’ve sold 16,000 tickets for the visit of the Sharks.