Assignment 2- Article 2

Are Ticket Prices Forcing Ordinary Fans Out?

Football was once a game for the working class who would go and watch their team play on a Saturday afternoon.

They would work all week and when Saturday afternoon came they would spend their hard earned money going to the match with friends.

However, in recent years as the commercial aspects of the game have increased, football has become just as much a business as it is a game.

With the amount of money Premiership clubs need to generate in order to make a profit, ticketing prices have been a way for clubs to do so.

Because of this ordinary fans can no longer afford to go and watch the team they love, so they are creating new clubs such as AFC Liverpool.

So are clubs charging too much?

Here is a video displaying the highest and lowest cost to watch a Premiership game

Although the Premiership is one of the best leagues in the world, with the best players in the world, many fans believe they are paying too much to watch their team.

Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe is one who believes clubs are pricing fans out the game. He believes they should be reduced otherwise ordinary fans will be forced out of the game.

Terry Spicer, 34, from London also agrees: “I think the ticket prices have become a problem. It is true we do have the best players in the world in the league but paying £50 to go and watch my team Chelsea is stopping the true supporters like myself going to support my team”

Andy McEwan, 21, from Liverpool said: “I follow Liverpool but the price it costs to go and watch a game means I can no longer go. Hopefully, AFC Liverpool will be a success because it will mean I can go to the match without spending in the region of £100”

However, there is an argument that the clubs are charging market prices. For example, to go and watch a match costs the same as going to the theatre or the concert.

Kevin Marsh, 27, from Preston said: “I think if you want to watch the best players in the world you have to be prepared to pay the money these clubs are charging.”

“For me personally players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are world class players who entertain us with their ability so we do get value for money.”

So why is Football accused of charging too much?

The reason why ticket prices are too expensive is because of the number of games a club plays a season.

The cost to go and watch a Premiership match ranges between £90 and £27. With this in mind ordinary fans with low paid jobs can no longer go and support their teams throughout the season.

The problem which football is facing is the so called “hardcore fans” will no longer be present at games.

It was just the other year when Roy Keane, then captain of Manchester United openly criticised his own supporters: “Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch."

“I don't think some of the people who come to Old Trafford can spell 'football', never mind understand it."

If the prices continue to increase football will suffer.

With most games now on television, the atmosphere which makes the Premiership one of the best leagues in the world will disappear.

This will force fans from other clubs to follow the footsteps of AFC Liverpool and FC United.

They will set up their own teams run by the fans for the fans and this will have a detrimental effect on professional game we all love to watch.

So if the clubs want to keep the true supporters, clubs surely have to review their ticketing prices otherwise as we have seen fans from the big clubs in the country are prepared to go elsewhere to see their team play.