About 500 supporters from clubs throughout the country "staged a demonstration at the Premier League’s headquarters in London" Wednesday, "calling for reduced ticket prices," according to Tony Barrett of the LONDON TIMES. The protest, organized by the Spirit Of Shankly and the Football Supporters’ Federation, "attracted fans from about 40 clubs" including Liverpool, ManU and Arsenal. EPL CEO Richard Scudamore met protest representatives, including FSF CEO Kevin Miles, "for an hour and a half while the demonstration continued." Miles said, "From the Premier League we encountered some sympathy, a restatement of their commitment to price-stretching, and an acknowledgement that local support is important. But this is the start of a process, not the end. The turnout on the march... successfully brought home the strength of feeling among fans" (LONDON TIMES, 6/20). In London, Giuseppe Muro reported the demonstration against spiraling season-ticket prices and expensive away days "also called for an end to games being moved around for the benefit of television." Spirit Of Shankly member Mark Scully said, "Today is the start. This is to show that we are serious. We have to start speaking in their language, which is money. I would like to see this build into a boycott of matches" (EVENING STANDARD, 6/20).
ON THE GROUND: Also in London, Arsenal Black Scarf Movement member Matthew Bazzell was one of five fan representatives who were granted a meeting with Scudamore. He wrote about the meeting in a piece for the Independent. As you would expect, Scudamore "is impressive in a Tony Blair sort of way." We are realists and doubt if Wednesday "will achieve very much." Here are "my conclusions:"
- Home ticket pricing is unlikely to change because currently most clubs are well attended.
- Away ticket pricing however is becoming a worrying issue for the Premier League.
Scudamore told us that "the clubs we support represent the top end of ticket pricing and implied that generally things were good elsewhere." I "challenged him on this because most fans I talk to would dispute this" (
INDEPENDENT, 6/20).
