Twenty’s Plenty
Earlier this year, the FSF (Football Supporters Federation) launched an away fan ticket scheme plan where a price cap of £20 (£15 for concessions) would be charged by the home club for all visiting spectators. This would be in effect for matches, excluding cup finals.
It comes as no surprise to see the number of travelling supporters falling by every year due to financial conditions that many face up and down Britain, but an increase in the cost of transport to matches has also rose – and shows no sign of stopping. Go back 30/40 years ago… you’d expect every top flight English side to be taking thousands across the country, which now clearly isn’t the case. Fulham’s 67 supporters at the Etihad a few years ago (left) is an indication.
Nowadays, more people are willing to undergo 9 hour, Tuesday night trips in the snow, with no heating and a lack of hope because your side has lost each of its last 7. The only stumbling block for the overwhelming majority of these is that they simply cannot afford it by no fault of their own.
For a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) at the FA Cup final that could set you back a shocking £440. Even then the view isn’t guaranteed to be any good. Clearly a trip to Wembley should be more than £20 for adults, although surely £115 for a seat next to the corner flag needs to be addressed? You’d expect a good 2/3 full away trips for the price of that in many cases.
Manchester City, one of England’s biggest clubs sold just 900 tickets for their trip to face Arsenal last year as £62 was the figure that adults were forced to pay. Usually, you’ll get 2 or 3 thousand from somewhere, but now it appears much more difficult. This has surely got to be sending a negative message of how our game is turning for the worse. Football without fans is nothing.
Currently over 4,000 have signed the petition, make sure you add your name to that.
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