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Magpies fans left fuming as airfares SKYROCKET ahead of the club’s prelim in Sydney next week…but the president says he will ‘drive them up myself if I have to’
- Collingwood fans are outraged over soaring airfares to Sydney for AFL prelim
- Club president Jeff Browne has urged fans to make the journey any way they can
- Browne says the support matters and he will ‘drive them up myself if I have to’
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Collingwood Magpies fans have been left furious after flights to Sydney for Saturday night’s preliminary final have spiked dramatically – but club president Jeff Browne has urged fans to get to Sydney any way they can.
Fans on social media have vented about price gouging from both Virgin and Qantas over the last 24 hours, with return flights to Sydney costing $1000 minimum with Qantas.
Browne has told the press his fans are the best in the AFL and every last one will be sorely needed in Sydney for the Swans-Magpies clash.
Collingwood fans are furious about price gouging from airlines, with many taking to social media to vent about the price hikes ahead of Saturday’s preliminary final in Sydney
Collingwood president Jeff Browne wants all Pies fans to flock to Sydney however they can get there – he’s even offered to drive some up himself
‘We are on the way to Sydney to play our way into a grand final, and I want as many Collingwood fans up there as we possibly can. Inside and outside the ground. Even if they have to stand outside the ground and listen to the roar,’ Browne told News Corp.
‘We came to the MCG and pulled a 90,000-plus crowd and we played a team from West Australia. There is one team in the competition that pulls the crowds, it’s Collingwood.’
A tweet showing the jacked up Melbourne-Sydney airline prices which fans have labelled ‘obscene’ and ‘disgusting’
Collingwood fans are furious about airline price gouging and have taken to social media to vent with some questionable spelling
On Sunday night a Qantas group spokesperson said the airline would be reviewing its schedule to see if it could add more flights in the coming days.
‘$1600 for a 90-minute flight is obscene,’ declared a Pies supporter on Twitter.
‘That will price most of the Collingwood army out of going,’ said another.
‘That’s just disgusting, is that Virgin? I’ll never fly with them again,’ said a third.
The SCG holds 48,000 fans, so only 28,0000 tickets are available for club members. The 50-50 split means Collingwood members have been allocated 14,000 tickets, but that could increase should Swans members not take up their entire portion.
Ash Johnson of the Magpies in action during the first semi-final clash against Fremantle – the exciting forward will be crucial for his side this weekend
Asked if the Pies army should use all means necessary to get to the SCG, Browne replied: ‘I will put buses on, I will put planes on, I will drive them up myself if I have to.’
The Collingwood club indeed has an incredible fanbase – with upwards of 100,000 registered members – and many fans are expected to drive north in convoys for the preliminary final.
Airlines have been facing criticism for years about jacking up their prices around footy finals time, but it’s mainly been an issue for interstate teams.