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Liverpool Owners' Ticket Price U-Turn Gets Backing From Supporters' Groups

Liverpool supporters' groups have hailed the "remarkable and unprecedented" move by the club's owners to reverse their decision on price increases, according to the PA. An estimated 10,000 fans walked out of Anfield on Saturday "in protest at next season's proposed hike," which would have heralded a new £77 ($111) match ticket. That action was noticed by Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group and it has "responded by announcing a freeze on prices," decategorizing matches and making £9 ($13) tickets available for all games with "an allocation of 10,000 over the whole season." Liverpool supporters group Spirit of Shankly spokesperson Jay McKenna said, "If I am really honest I am not sure we can put it into words -- we did not expect this. It is unprecedented that they have apologized, remarkable." On the effect the walkout had in changing the owners' opinion he added, "Supporters have reminded themselves that they are important to this game and reminded the authorities just how important they are" (PA, 2/10). ESPN reported former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher has expressed his "pride" after the actions of the club's fans led to a U-turn on ticket prices. Reacting to FSG's announcement, Carragher wrote in the Daily Mail: "Pride: it's the one thing we all want as supporters. Put results and performances to one side and what truly matters is having faith in the club you follow. So when I heard that Liverpool's owners had taken the decision to freeze ticket prices for the next two seasons, as well as apologizing for the idea of wanting to sell seats for £77, I felt proud of my club once again" (ESPN, 2/11). The BBC reported fans' group Spion Kop 1906 said that the battle may have been won but the "longer war isn't over." Spion Kop 1906 member James Cooke said that he was "pleasantly surprised" by the club's decision. He said, "There's a feeling amongst football supporters that we were fighting a good fight but it was always falling on deaf ears." Cooke said that the club "needed to start taking fans more seriously." Cooke: "While we welcome the news, the next process is dialogue with the club to ensure that, for future generations, football at Liverpool and across England is affordable for everyone." Cooke also said that "all fans should unite to make football affordable." He said, "Football rivalries have to go to one side. If supporters' groups join together, that's how we can really get some results" (BBC, 2/11).

POSITIVE TALKS: In London, Tom Collomosse reported Tottenham fans have revealed they held "positive" talks with the club regarding ticket prices for next season. A Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust member said, "There was a positive discussion around pricing for next season with no decision being made as yet. We remain in ongoing dialogue on this matter" (EVENING STANDARD, 2/11).

GREAT SERVICE: In London, Tony Barrett opined for "taking heed of those who protested against the new prices, most memorably during Liverpool’s 2-2 home draw against Sunderland on Saturday when around 10,000 fans walked out of Anfield after 77 minutes of the game, FSG deserve great credit." In recent years, football supporters in the U.K. have become "increasingly accustomed to owners of their clubs being aware of their complaints, only to turn a deaf ear to them, so FSG’s willingness to perform a U-turn when others would have continued on the road ahead is hugely commendable." In their "willingness to admit their own mistakes and put them right, they have also done the Premier League as a whole a great service." An "opportunity exists for the relationship between owners and fans to be more equitable, for their at times conflicting objectives to become more aligned and for both to benefit from each other’s expertise and experience." What FSG "has done today has closed the gap a little." A "new territory has been created, one in which it is possible for supporters to have a say in the knowledge that they will not be ignored and one that allows reasonable complaints to be upheld and action, if required, to be taken." The question now "is how many will be prepared to recognise their own faults as FSG have?" The "incredibly lucrative new television deal makes ticket price increases unfair if not downright unethical." Ruling out "extracting more money from fans for the privilege of supporting their teams should be off the agenda altogether but reform should not stop there." Every Premier League club "now has the chance to ask itself if it can do more and they should do so not in a mentality of 'us and them,' but in the spirit of 'us'" (LONDON TIMES, 2/10). 

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