The Premier League’s 20 clubs will "consider a cashback loyalty scheme for travelling fans" as an alternative to the £30 ($43) ticket price cap, in an attempt to "break the embarrassing deadlock over away ticket prices," according to Ian Herbert of the London INDEPENDENT. The failure of club chairmen last week to reach the two-thirds majority required to impose a cap is understood "to stem from a philosophical division" over whether EPL CEO Richard Scudamore’s organization "should have any form of central control over the prices clubs charge." A number of clubs feel there "should be no central control," but the Premier League does believe there "is a big enough consensus on the issue to ensure that away ticket price reductions will be announced" ahead of the new £5.1B ($7.4B) TV deal kicking in next season. One of a number of options before club chairmen meet again next month will be a cashback scheme, "allowing supporters to accumulate credit up to a substantial sum" -- possibly £200 ($289) -- by following their club away. The attraction of this option is that it would not involve the Premier League -- "which admits that a breakthrough in away ticket reductions should have been achieved by now" -- imposing a price from the center. There is reportedly frustration within the Premier League organization that a solution which suits at least 14 clubs -- the mandate required for action -- "cannot be reached despite most clubs agreeing that the problem should have been resolved by now" (INDEPENDENT, 2/10). The London GUARDIAN reported West Bromwich Albion Manager Tony Pulis has called for Premier League clubs to cap away ticket prices at £10 ($14.50), and urged the industry to stop "milking" supporters. Pulis said that English football "must act to restore the atmosphere in grounds, and to avoid pricing out young fans." Pulis: "With all the money coming in, I'd love to see that atmosphere come back. I'd love away supporters to only pay £10 a ticket: whatever ground you go to, make it £10. You can give 5-6,000 tickets to the away support, they'd sell them and we'd get back to the atmosphere we used to have" (GUARDIAN, 2/11).
