Premier League clubs agreed to a £30 ($42) cap on tickets "for away fans for the next three seasons in an unprecedented move by the top-flight sides," according to Martyn Ziegler of the LONDON TIMES.
The announcement "comes after a campaign from fans’ groups" who had called for a £20 ($28) limit on tickets for away supporters. The decision "was taken at a secret meeting" of Premier League chairs on Wednesday where it was the sole topic on the agenda.
Some clubs such as Arsenal "charged away supporters from the bigger sides" £62 ($88) for a seat at the Emirates. The Football Supporters’ Federation "had been planning a weekend of action before a scheduled Premier League meeting on March 23."
The Premier League statement said, "After consideration of a range of options, Premier League clubs have today undertaken that away fans will be able to attend Premier League matches for the next three seasons and pay no more than a maximum of £30 for their tickets."
The cap "will replace the Away Supporters’ Initiative introduced in 2013 which helped fans with the cost of travel" (LONDON TIMES, 3/9). In London, Tom Sheen wrote all 20 clubs "unanimously agreed to the cap, although there had been some dissent among certain clubs." Support from 14 teams "would have been enough to push the measure through." Arsenal has already announced that it will provide a further £4 ($5.70) discount on its ticket prices for traveling supporters, a saving that would equal £370 "if fans went to every away game next season" (INDEPENDENT, 3/9).
END TO CATEGORIZATION: Also in London, Wallace & Rumsby wrote it "also heads off" the prospect of ticket price protests ahead of the EPL's next shareholders meeting on March 23, which was "likely to be a major source of embarrassment to the league and the clubs." The "away supporters' initiative" was worth £200,000 ($284,000) annually to every club and allowed them to subsidize the cost of travel to games, subsidize tickets or improve facilities. Clubs "will have to abandon their categorization rules where tickets are priced at higher prices for away fans for the visits of the bigger clubs," such as ManU, Liverpool and Arsenal. The agreement coincides with the beginning of the new TV deal which will earn the Premier League clubs £8.3B ($11.8B) over the next three-year cycle (TELEGRAPH, 3/9).
APPLYING PRESSURE: In London, Brown & Noble wrote the cap "will run for three seasons." Many supporters complain that clubs "are putting financial pressure on average punters at a time when income from television rights and commercial deals is increasing sharply."
Chelsea "currently charges away fans the most," with tickets starting at £47 ($66). But prices at West Ham range from £25 ($35) up to £85 ($120).
Based on the numbers, "there appears to be ample scope to charge more for tickets." Premier League stadiums are typically 94% full, according to KPMG, compared to just 67% in La Liga and 60% in Serie A. Football Supporters’ Federation CEO Kevin Miles said his group was "delighted."
He added, "A maximum price of £30 for away tickets will save a lot of fans a lot of money and for many will make the difference between attending away games or not."
Ticket reselling websites, such as StubHub, suggest that "clubs might be able to charge considerably more." For a recent Tottenham match against Swansea City, the most expensive ticket in the lower west stand carried a face value of £44 ($62). In the secondary market, "the same seat was being offered" for £125 ($177) (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/9). Also in London, Martin Samuel wrote despite the three-year term, a salary cap for away fans "is likely to be enshrined in Premier League policy from here, after travelling supporters were afforded special status in the explanation for the decision."
The Premier League statement said that "away fans have a 'unique status' and are 'essential for match atmosphere'" (DAILY MAIL, 3/9). The BBC reported eight of 18 Premier League clubs which took part in the BBC's latest Price of Football study "already offer away tickets for less" than £30 for some matches. The FSF "has long campaigned for cheaper tickets."
FSF Dir of Communications Michael Brunskill "welcomed Wednesday's announcement," calling it "good news for fan groups around the country."
He added, "This shows that clubs will listen to reasonable, well articulated mass movements."
Labour's shadow Minister for Sport Clive Efford "gave the announcement a cautious welcome." He said,
"This is a welcome step in the right direction, but it is still £10 above the level that fans have called for" (BBC, 3/9).
