The Premiership is under increasing pressure over the rising cost of watching the top flight at a time when most fans are seeing their disposable income squeezed as wages fail to keep pace with inflation.
Last month five hundred fans marched to the Premiership’s London offices over the issues. Some gentle pressure is also being applied by sports minister Hugh Robertson who sees it as a collective issue for the Barclays Premier League.
The Premiership is under increasing pressure over the rising cost of watching the top flight at a time when most fans are seeing their disposable income squeezed as wages fail to keep pace with inflation.
Last month five hundred fans marched to the Premiership’s London offices over the issues. Some gentle pressure is also being applied by sports minister Hugh Robertson who sees it as a collective issue for the Barclays Premier League.
The Premiership’s line is that ticket pricing is a matter for individual clubs. It has limited itself to encouraging clubs to engage in ‘stretch pricing’ with tickets at a range of prices. In practice this usually means discounting of the least attractive seats for the least attractive games.
Liverpool fans were prominent in last month’s march. They are annoyed about the club’s new tiered ticketing system which has meant an inflation busting increase of up to 9 per cent in parts of the stadium. A ticket for a top game can cost up to £52, admittedly less than one could pay at Arsenal.
Liverpool argues that it is very difficult for individual clubs to find a solution, arguing that the issue needs to be tackled at a league-wide level. This stance has put the club into conflict with the Premiership’s position.