LONDON – Fans of England’s Premier League clubs will be digging deeply into their pockets again this weekend, as a new season kicks off with ticket prices continuing to spiral upwards.
According to figures published last month, 11 of the 20 top-flight clubs have increased the cost of their lowest-priced season tickets for the 2014/2015 season.
Promoted Burnley’s cheapest season ticket has jumped 47 per cent, although at 499 pounds ($830) it is still a relative bargain compared to the eye-popping 1,014 pounds for the equivalent at Arsenal.
The Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF), which represents fans throughout the country, organised a march on the Premier League and Football League headquarters in London on Thursday to demand ‘Affordable Football for All”.
“Basically, football has eye-watering amounts of money coming in at the top. [eap_ad_2] “Mainly through Premier League media rights but still we see very high prices and prices going up ahead of the rate of inflation,” FSF chairman Malcolm Clarke told Reuters by telephone on Thursday.
“It’s about time that the match-day fans, without whom there wouldn’t be these big media incomes because that’s part of the attraction, got some benefit from this, rather than players and agents.”
The Premier League is booming with the latest TV deal, which kicked in last season, worth 5.5 billion pounds over three years.
An increase that, according to the FSF, means clubs could have let fans in free last term without suffering a drop in revenue. (Reuters/NAN)[eap_ad_3]
