Game Fee Costs

[Mark Howitt]

Quick but vital point- a large number of chess players don't want the game fee to go up at all. I think it's too high at the moment and prohibitive to chess. What is it now... something like 30p... per result? Compare that to any Yorkshire Chess Association fee!

I'd say freeze the game fee for the next few years or bring it down- ECF has easily enough money to do this.

[Sean Hewitt]

Quick but vital point- a large number of chess players don't want the game fee to go up at all. I think it's too high at the moment and prohibitive to chess. What is it now... something like 30p... per result?

Actually, its 48p per result (ie 96p per game) which I agree is far too high.

I'd say freeze the game fee for the next few years or bring it down- ECF has easily enough money to do this.

That's not true. (Carl, this probably needs a new thread). The ECF operates at a small profit or loss each year. A reduction of 1p in game fee takes approx £1000 of revenue away from the ECF. Therefore, in order to reduce game fee without bankrupting the ECF you either need to replace the lost game fee with a new revenue stream, increase an alternate revenue stream or reduce the ECF's spend by an equivalent amount (or strike a combination of these). These things are possible (personally I favour replacing game with a membership scheme, combined with a cost reduction exercise) but you cannot cut game fee unilaterally.

Compare that to any Yorkshire Chess Association fee!

That's not really a fair comparision. When did Yorkshire last send a team to the Olympiad for example?!

[Mark Howitt]

Hi Sean thanks for the figure- that really is stupidly high! What is the ACTUAL cost of grading a game?? All these grading fees must generate a lot of revenue and I hope it's not simply spent on office staff.

The YCA point wasn't exactly meant to be a 'fair' one but a lot of Yorkshire people would voice it- and indeed if the ECF becomes more incompetent there's nothing to stop regions promoting themselves more regionally and economically- might happen in the credit crunch.

Bottom line- the ECF needs to be much better value for money.

[Mick Norris]

Mark

Game fee is not to pay for the games to be graded, but the way the ECF raise revenue to finance their activities

You and Sean may well be right that the ECF should spend less money - they should certainly burget for a fall in game fee revenue, as the credit crunch may see less game fee paid

[Carl Hibbard]

Carl this thread which is actually quite important (aside from the abusive rubbish) is of interest.

Can you take the discussion re game fee else where please before this thread ends up another discussion on that subject

There you go

[Mark Howitt]

I believe this thread should have been kept in its original states, as it is obviously related to ECF affairs. Instead, on the whims of one person, it has been altered.

[Carl Hibbard]

I believe this thread should have been kept in its original states, as it is obviously related to ECF affairs. Instead, on the whims of one person, it has been altered.

Where Mark?

It was part of the Gerry Walsh thread and I moved into a seperate Game Fee topic within the ECF matters section

Can you clarify please

[Mark Howitt]

Hi Carl- I think it should have stayed in he original thread it was part of- the Gerry Walsh thead

[Carl Hibbard]

Hi Carl- I think it should have stayed in he original thread it was part of- the Gerry Walsh thead

Fair enough - but sorry it wasn't done on a whim I just agreed with a couple of the other posters that it wasn't related and so split it out into a separate thread

Still not clear to me why you feel it belonged there - oh well, there you go...