Away fans price cap to remain for next three years
The Premier League clubs yesterday voted unanimously to extend the £30 cap on tickets for away fans for the next three seasons.
It was introduced for the 2016/17 season after pressure from fans’ groups as prices soared at some Premier League clubs. There had previously been an away fans initiative where a designated amount had to be used by each club. In our one season with that in place, 2014/15, we used half of it for work on the cricket field stand which benefited our supporters at the time not one iota, although we did get big reductions at Manchester City and Everton. Without those reductions we’d have paid £49 and £39 respectively at those two games.
It still left our adult supporters paying £37 at Spurs, £43 at both Liverpool and West Ham, £46 at Manchester United and a massive £50 at Chelsea. I’m not sure watching Jose Mourinho lose the plot was worth that amount. You wonder what on earth the prices might be for us at those clubs now without the cap.
In a statement yesterday, the Premier League reported: “Premier League clubs have today unanimously agreed to continue the £30 cap on away ticket prices for the next three seasons. All clubs know the crucial importance of away fans in generating the best possible atmosphere at matches and recognise the additional travel costs often involved when following a team away from home.
“The £30 away ticket cap was introduced in the 2016/17 season after the successful implementation of the Premier League Away Supporters’ Initiative, where clubs provided a range of measures for their away fans.
“For the last four consecutive seasons, Premier League crowds have reached record levels with 96 per cent of tickets sold. This is testament to the compelling football and dedication of fans, and the League is committed to maintaining these high attendances.”
The cap came about following pressure from the Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) and their Twenty’s Plenty campaign. Their chief executive Kevin Miles said yesterday: “We welcome the Premier League’s recognition of the importance of the £30 away cap and back its decision to keep the cap in place for the coming seasons.
“We have always argued that away supporter attendance needs to be encouraged if the atmosphere and spectacle of a live football match is to be sustained. There had been a rapid rise in away ticket costs for many supporters and the cap put a halt to that.”
But it doesn’t end there and Miles added: “However, we still believe more can be done and we call on the Premier League to look at ways to further reduce concessionary ticket costs and subsidise fans’ travel when games are moved for TV.”
The new agreement covers the three seasons up to the end of the 2021/22 season during the next television agreement.
I’ve attended a number of FSF meetings when this has been on the agenda and I totally agree with the FSF regarding some of the concessionary ticket costs, particularly for those in the 18-22 bracket. At some clubs the prices for young adults remain way too high.
And it is difficult to disagree with the problems incurred when games are moved for television. Certainly our plans have had to change drastically for tomorrow’s game at Brighton given the difficulties of trying to get home following a game kicking off at 5:30 p.m.
I’d also like to see some of the clubs in the Football League brought into some sort of line too with some of them still charging outrageous prices for games.
But yesterday’s news is definitely good news for supporters of Premier League clubs who, at least, know they won’t be charged more than £30 for a ticket at away games for the next three years.
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