Fans right to raise voices over greedy t Icket hikes in top flight
Almost everywhere you look, supporters are furious as the simple act of following their team becomes unfeasible
A few weeks ago, a Premier League executive found himself in a position that no right-minded Premier League executive ever wants to be in: arguing with a disgruntled supporter about rising ticket prices. The supporter wanted an explanation and, as you might imagine, it soon became a heated discussion.
We can only paraphrase from here but, Telegraph Sport understands, the executive’s argument eventually boiled down to something like this: “Well, people keep buying these tickets. We keep selling out. We could therefore charge even more than we do.”
Safe to say, it is not an attitude likely to win much support with the wider public. Just because a Premier League club can charge more does not mean they should. But it is clearly a view that is held within these institutions, many of whom have announced in recent weeks that ticket prices will again be going up next season.
At which point, the obvious question is: what is new? Such is the nature of the modern game, another escalation in prices is hardly a shock. After all, 17 of the 20 top-flight clubs raised their prices ahead of this season, some of them in double-digit percentages.
What does feel different, however, is the reaction to it. Across the division, it seems increasingly clear that fans – or, at least, certain fan groups – have simply had enough. Supporters are making their voices heard, the media is taking more of an interest and suddenly the external pressure on these clubs is beginning to grow.
Battle lines are being drawn and last weekend felt like a significant moment. Before Manchester City’s draw with Arsenal on Sunday, a banner was paraded in the south stand of the Etihad Stadium. “Record profits but record prices,” it read, in response to seasonticket prices for next season rising by an average of five per cent. “Stop exploiting our loyalty!”
A day earlier, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, there were also eye-catching protests. In the 65th minute, many home supporters turned their backs on the pitch in a show of anger towards the club. Season-ticket prices for next season are going up by six per cent, and a concession for new seniors (aged 65 and above) will be removed from 2025-26.
There is more. The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust recently published an open letter in which it chastised the club for increasing the prices of coaches, shirts, tickets, programmes, food and drink. It added: “You should be under no illusions of how concerned many supporters are about the potential of significant ticket price increases.”
These issues are not restricted to members of the “Big Six”. There were, for example, protests at Fulham (where season-ticket prices rose by 18 per cent this year) this season, with supporters brandishing cards reading: “Please don’t price us out.” A few weeks later, there was effectively a boycott for Fulham’s FA Cup match against Newcastle United.
Almost everywhere you look, fans are either fearful or furious.
The situation has not been helped by the grim realities of rail travel, and the late rearranging of fixtures because of broadcast demands.
The simple act of following your team is becoming more difficult and more expensive by the year. It is no wonder many supporter groups are reporting dozens of examples of fans deciding to give it all up.
Generally speaking, the attempted justification from clubs for these increases is that operating costs are on the up (the costs of operating Stamford Bridge have risen 31 per cent since 2018, for example), and that revenues
need to be maximised to compete. And there is inflation, of course.
What they will not say is that they are all following each other, through fear of being left behind. The competition for revenue is almost as intense as it is on the pitch, in part because of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules. Now that PSR has started to bite, every penny counts. If one team are gaining an extra few quid per ticket, you can be sure their closest rival will want to do the same.
All of these excuses, though, are hard to stomach. First, because the footballing industry spent the entire pandemic telling absent fans they were the soul of the game. When fans were locked out, broadcasters and clubs bemoaned their absence and claimed they would never take them for granted again. Football, it was widely campaigns, Gundogan 39. At the end of last season, Gundogan scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Leeds, the first two in a 3-0 win at Everton and both in the FA Cup final defeat of Manchester United.
Kovacic, ostensibly Gundogan’s replacement, has zero goals and zero league assists. Doku has two league goals and five assists, but four of those came against Bournemouth in November. De Bruyne has not hit his usual numbers after missing half the season with a hamstring injury.
Bernardo Silva’s six goals and four assists is a decent return, while Phil Foden has enjoyed his best return to date with 11 goals and seven assists. Julian Alvarez has eight league goals and seven assists, accepted, was not the same without them.
Now the fans are back, they are being fleeced and marginalised during a cost of living crisis. Fans are entitled to ask whether football really missed them, or whether it simply missed their wallets.
Secondly, because match-day revenues are no longer as important as they once were. At the big clubs, especially, ticket sales now represent only a small fraction of total revenues. For the “Big Six”, Deloitte analysis shows, match-day revenues make up just 17 per cent of total revenues, on average.
Ticket price rises might bring in an extra million here or there, over a season. Executives would say it all counts in the era of PSR but, once again, it is not an argument that wins favour with fans. At a club such as City, a couple of but just two of those goals have come this year – both against Burnley. Where once City’s attack was a rotating cast, it is now defined by Haaland, the world’s foremost goalscorer. Yet for the first time since million pounds will cover one star player’s wages for about six weeks.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the anger is rising among supporters because there is a heightened sense of desperation. Really, is this situation going to get any better? Does anyone truly believe we will not be having these same conversations this time next year? Loyal supporters know that, if they do not renew their ticket, someone else is likely to take it.
In many cases, fans are running out of options and hope. It is no surprise that they are choosing to raise their voices, and the question now is whether these protests and divisions will ultimately have any impact. At this rate, they will become bigger, louder and ultimately more disruptive (and embarrassing) for teams. Perhaps that will not matter to the league and its clubs, but it should. his initial season at Borussia Dortmund in 2019-20, Haaland is underperforming. He missed a period through injury, but Haaland is just halfway to last year’s extraordinary tally of 36 league goals.
His relative cold snap in front of goal could have been the difference between home draws against Spurs, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, and victories.
Sterile possession has also been a theme. Just 5.5 per cent of City’s completed passes have ended in the opposition’s penalty area, compared to 7.2 per cent for Arsenal and 7.6 per cent for Liverpool.
City’s season could still end with open-top buses and champagne, but they will need to do it the hard way.