More than ever, football ticket pricing is under significant scrutiny, as only one Premier League club has not increased the average cost of their season ticket prices for the 2024/25 Premier League season.
The hikes are often justified as a way to increase revenue due to the constraints of the league’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
In-depth research into ticket revenue from the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and The Swiss Ramble, though, has shown the limited impact of ticket price increases on Premier League clubs’ overall income.
So, are matchgoing fans being exploited?
Contents
Football ticket pricing in the Premier League under scrutiny
As per Miguel Delaney of The Independent, ticket prices for every Premier League club have “risen by an average of 6.7 per cent” for the 2024/25 season. Nottingham Forest, promoted back to the top flight in 2022, increased their season ticket prices by over 20 per cent, which is the biggest increase.
Other clubs such as Southampton, Brentford and Chelsea have increased their prices by 15, 10 and eight per cent, respectively.
It is worth noting that, according to the FSA, gate receipts only accounted for seven percent of Brentford and Forest’s overall income in the 2022/23 season.
In fact, the FSA said: “Whether a club is battling for the title or looking over their shoulder at the relegation spots gate receipts are still a relatively small chunk of a club’s overall revenue. A well-managed budget is what sees a club meet PSR – price hikes hit normal supporters very hard but make very little difference to the overall accounting picture.”
‘Disgraceful and unacceptable’ – fans condemn changes to concessions
West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur fans were angered by significant changes to their concession rules at their home stadiums. The Hammers announced that for 2024/25, concession tickets will only be available to fans in bands five and six.
These seats are the furthest away from the action, with tickets in the other four areas of the ground costing full price for under-21s, under-18s, and disabled fans. Over 66s were also affected by concessions in bands one and two that were withdrawn.
This prompted Hammers United to launch a petition against these increases, which has been signed by nearly 20,000 people.
In March 2024, Spurs announced that they will no longer be offering concession season tickets from the 2025/26 season. As well as this, the discount for supporters that qualify for OAP concessions will be reduced by five per cent each year until the 2029/30 campaign.
In an open letter to Premier League Chief Executive, Richard Masters, the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust described the removal of concession season tickets from the beginning of next season as “disgraceful and unacceptable”.
We have today written to @premierleague Chief Executive Richard Masters asking him to support our calls in demanding @SpursOfficial reverse its decision to stop offering senior concession Season Tickets from 25/26 and to remove its planned six per cent Season Ticket increase for… pic.twitter.com/cTiFTZyKhd
— THST (@THSTOfficial) March 14, 2024
Fan protests against ticket price increases
There were protests and banners from clubs across the Premier League last season in relation to the increase in season ticket prices. One of these was by Manchester City fans, who unfurled a banner before their home game against Arsenal in March, which read: “Record profits but record prices. Stop exploiting our loyalty.”
This was in response to the club’s announcement of a five per cent increase in season ticket prices across the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool supporters’ group Spion Kop 1906 also responded to the club raising ticket prices by two per cent by removing flags from the Kop for their Europa League quarter-final first leg against Atalanta at Anfield.
We are disappointed in the Football Club’s decision towards ticket prices for 24/25. In response, there will be no flags on The Kop for Thursday night’s game. Unlike the Club’s own approach, this has been agreed in consultation with other fan groups
— Spion Kop 1906 (@SpionKop1906) April 10, 2024
Although Crystal Palace froze their season ticket prices for the 2024/25 campaign, they were heavily criticised by their own fans in April 2024 after announcing plans to get rid of discounted tickets for state workers.
Fulham also voiced their concerns about rising prices ahead of their league match against Manchester United in November 2023, with some general admission adult tickets at Craven Cottage costing £160.
Before the game, fans marched along Stevenage Road while holding yellow cards that read: “Please don’t price us out.”
In the 18th minute of the game against United, these cards were held up by supporters inside the ground.
Fulham fans protest on Stevenage Road after tickets have increased 18% in the last season. Some match tickets for #FULMUN cost £160 for home fans. Unaffordable for the vast majority. #FFC pic.twitter.com/tdHOStN995
— Dom Smith (@MrDomSmith) November 4, 2023