Football fans stand up to ‘ridiculous’ ticket-price hikes that border on antipathy | Football ticket prices
Wellor West Ham supporters, it was a sense of values betrayed. “The club should be ashamed that it has come to this,” said Michael, a supporter of 80 years, as he became the 20,000th signatory to a petition calling on the club to keep all concession tickets. For Spurs fans, such shock has boiled down to a crystallized slogan – “Save our seniors” – and a push back against plans for reduced ticket prices. This month Manchester United supporters went out into the street to protest against reducing concessions and raising prices. As one banner says: ‘Local boy Sir Jim charges £66 for OAPs and juniors. Stop taking advantage of loyalty.
At a time when the Premier League is consolidating its dominance as the world’s biggest domestic football league, securing a 17% increase in TV rights over the next three-year cycle while their rivals stand still, a wave of seemingly pointless stinginess has erupted in dissent. The mood, involving fans from all over the country, is one not seen since the Super League blew up.
“I’ve said it casually to friends that it’s the most significant thing to happen to football fans since rave culture,” says Andy Payne, referring to the late 1980s when “all the hooliganism disappeared overnight and instead everyone started hugging each other and hitting each other.” Payne is chairman of Hammers United and sits on the West Ham Fans’ Advisory Board. He was instrumental in uniting supporters to oppose the cut in preferential fares, not just his club’s fans. “Both us and Spurs had this problem with discounts and that’s why we started a campaign,” he says. “For West Ham and Tottenham to do something together is remarkable to me.”
Paine’s sentiments were echoed by Chris Rumfitt of the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust, who formed a protest union with Manchester City, Liverpool and Everton fans last weekend.
“Although fierce rivalries are the lifeblood of English football, there are some issues where all supporters need to come together and this is one of them,” he says. “We all face the same challenge with owners failing to recognize the value of fans to the overall ‘product’ and seeking to exploit that loyalty. It was great that the Everton fans stood with us to do it.”
What is the reason for such strange displays of inter-club solidarity? A sense that this latest round of price hikes is going beyond the usual squeeze on the loyalist and turning into something of an antipathy. Premier League season ticket prices rose by an average of 6.7% last summer, with Crystal Palace the only non-promotional club not to raise their prices. This was painful, but not unusual for most supporters who protested the price hikes last and previous years. This year, however, the problem has widened significantly to concessionary tickets, which have traditionally been priced lower to help older, younger and disabled fans attend games.
“The campaign started from our end when, in short, they decided that the old, the young and the disabled would be retired,” Payne says. “It just looked ridiculous. This was the lifeblood of the club, rewarding the loyalty of the old, encouraging the loyalty of the young and showing courtesy and understanding to the disabled who also demanded loyalty.’
Why would any club do this? According to United, which last month abruptly announced an end to mid-season discounts alongside ticket price hikes, it is simply a matter of balancing the books.
“As a club, we have focused on cost savings to put us on a stronger financial footing,” the club said in a statement this week. “This means we have to make some very difficult decisions, including a significant reduction in our staff numbers.” It also means looking at opportunities to increase our revenue so we can continue to invest in football and infrastructure.”
Although United posted a £113.2m annual loss in its latest financial results and must comply with profitability and sustainability rules, it was the last sentence of United’s remarks that some found telling. “Many clubs have indicated that ticket prices have not changed for years despite high inflation,” said Dr Christina Filippou, associate professor of accounting and sports finance at the University of Portsmouth.
“Financial regulations are also biting and many clubs are trying to bring in more revenue rather than regulate their spending, at least in the short term. But it is clear that we are seeing changes in match day revenue strategy with a new focus on, for example, traveling fans. It is believed that these supporters generate more money per visit because they go to one game every few years or even once in a lifetime and spend on merchandise, food, drink and other match day experiences while there.’
It’s a model more in line with American sports, where match days are more of an experience, the stadium is a source of revenue throughout the week and, crucially, supporters don’t travel the country providing vocal support for their team. “They are breaking tradition. Tampering for what?” Payne says. “The amount they will save will cover Danny Ings’ wages for a month.”
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It is also notable that not all Premier League clubs believe that the only way is to raise prices. Brentford this week announced a policy to subsidize tickets for under-18s so that they pay no more than £10. Away fans will also benefit from reduced prices for children at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Gen10 scheme was described by manager Thomas Frank as “a great initiative that is for the future of football”. Togetherness, he said, “with our fans, both at home and away, is critical to what we’re building here. We know that seeing us win away from home creates memories that last forever.”
Brentford may not be the number 1 destination for football tourists, but they are making a play for the supporters who attend the game with a long-term view in mind.
Other teams, such as Brighton or Wolves, who pulled out of the end of child concessions following fan protests, may take a similar view. The fact that other clubs continue to underestimate the vociferous loyal support and what it brings to Premier League performance and success may be something they regret. And for now, one of the consequences is a fan culture that’s more activist and united than it’s been in a long time.
“I don’t imagine these challenges are going to go away,” Payne says. “Encouragingly, the age group of people involved is now getting younger. People in their 20s and 30s trying to take their kids to the game, or going with their uncle or their grandma, and all of a sudden they get hit and they’re like, “What’s this all about?” I see the age group changing and I see the construction of a network for inter-club cooperation. Both should be welcome. This isn’t just a bunch of men in black getting all worked up about it. It’s all in society.
