As the global economic crisis deepens and purse strings tighten, the price of watching ‘the beautiful game’ has never been higher. With supporters up and down the country struggling to make ends meet and the Premiership’s high rollers buoyed by a lucrative television rights deal, supporters of Premier League clubs may well have expected a price freeze or perhaps a reduction on their already over inflated season-tickets. However, in the world of football, normal rules do not apply. And this summer, the vast majority of fans were hit by steep increases in ticket prices.
In the case of Premiership champions Manchester United, many fans now face ticket rises of up to 14%, nearly five times the rate of inflation. Fans sitting in the Upper tiers of the North Stand will now pay a staggering £836 to watch 19 Premier League games. Yet what is perhaps more scandalous, is the ‘automatic cup scheme’ policy implemented by owner Malcolm Glazer.
In addition to the 19 Premier League games, fans purchasing season-tickets are now obliged to purchase all tickets for cup competitions, regardless of their intention to watch the game. With United expected to reach the semi-final stage of the F.A. Cup, Carling Cup and Champions League, this could potentially add a remarkable £380 to the already extortionate price of a season-ticket.
With eight of the 20 Premier League sides now under foreign ownership, football clubs have become accessories to the businessman that now dominate English football. Of course, football clubs are far more expensive commodities to run than a fleet of Aston Martin in Monte Carlo and with the economy in meltdown, the owners are using supporter’s loyalty to supplement their already vast incomes.
Supporters of F.A. Cup winners’ Portsmouth have seen success come at a price, as the price of a season-ticket has risen by as much as 17.5%. Fans of Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan have also seen prices soar by 12.9%, 10.7% and 10% respectively. Meanwhile Sunderland have increased prices by between 8 and 12%, Aston Villa 7%, whilst West Ham, Middlesbrough and Manchester City have increased by less than 4%.
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With a £625 million television deal in place, English football has never been richer. The winners of this year’s Premiership will rake in £50million, in comparison to the £26million earned by the club finishing in 20th place. With this in mind it appears only greed can justify the disgusting hike in ticket prices. English football is famed for its ability to attract massive crowds, with capacity crowds taken for granted up and down the country.
But football is becoming an expense, a luxury, which in the current economic climate is now being dispensed of. The likes of Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Wigan and Middlesbrough have all witnessed half-empty stadiums on a regular basis this season. Yet, it’s not just the Premier League’s smaller clubs who are voting with their feet, Newcastle United’s average attendance is over 4,000 less than last season. Sunderland are also 3010 down on last season’s figure. And at Old Trafford Manchester United have failed to sell out any home Premier League fixture this season.
Dating back to the very origins of the game, football has been a working-class sport. But as more and more money is injected, like a drug into the veins of the sport loved by so many, more and more working-class men and women are being priced out of the game. So only time will tell whether football will become a sport exclusive to the upper classes or whether the supporters can claw back the game from the hands of the money men who are tainting our ‘beautiful game.’
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