The rise in football ticket prices is yet to slow down as supporters of Premier League sides, are being priced out by their beloved clubs. Long gone are the days where fans could make a day of watching their teams live for £30 with some clubs now charging almost double that for a standard adult ticket!
Tottenham Hotspur, a club seen as one of the ‘big six’, who recorded an 8th place finish in 2023 and missed out on European football, were taking in an average revenue per matchday fan of around £80 despite not pulling results on the pitch. That played no role in the Spurs board whacking a 6% increase on the average season ticket price which left fans enraged. “We are dismayed by the club’s decision”, said the Tottenham Hotspur’s Supporters trust on ‘X’. However, the controversy doesn’t just apply for those ‘bigger clubs,’. Fulham FC were recently recognised for having the most lucrative non-corporate season ticket in the premier league, standing at a whopping three grand. This was to accommodate its reputation as a top location for global fan’s seeking to watch a Premier League fixture in the English capital. This season, Nottingham Forest fans were similarly priced out as an ordinary adult season ticket saw an increase of 28%. Subsequently, the average junior season ticket ascended by 111%. A huge rise. Their most expensive season ticket now sits at £850 as of this current Premier League campaign.
Tottenham Fans Protesting Outside the stadium towards offices of Daniel Levy
As a result of the UK experiencing inflation at a rate of 3.9%, according to the BBC, a rise in the cost of live events Such as football matches was expected.
Clubs across all domestic leagues were predicted to follow suit in raising fees, but the current circumstances have reached extraordinary levels. Many loyal fan bases have been left feeling priced out from seeing their teams play on a regular basis. The current trajectory would have fans struggling to keep up with future season ticket renewals.
To soften the blow of increased ticketing fees, I feel that clubs should ensure that they keep hold of certain concession prices for groups of fans. For example, sticking to a reduced fee for those over the age of 65, or creating a discount for younger adults or students. In turn this will support those who cannot generate enough funding to watch some of their favourite teams and players. In some cases, such as Tottenham and West Ham already follow similar ticketing schemes and are yet planning to remove them. However, some clubs are becoming increasingly unattached to the idea of keeping their loyal veterans attending whilst also trying to encourage their younger supporters to take the day out and experience a live football. This was another area where Tottenham Hotspur failed to keep their fans impressed by their changes to the club’s ticketing schemes. During the 23/24 Premier League campaign, the club announced that from the 2025/2026 season, all senior concession prices will be reduced from 50% down to 45%. That might not sound like a significant increase during the current financial climate, however the club continued to announce that the price will be reduced by a further 5% every season. By 2030, the senior season ticket concession will cost 25% more than it does today. A standard adult season ticket is currently priced at £856 so by 2030 could be just over Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Trust (THST) described the changes in concession fees as “unacceptable,” after the trust had made attempts to meet with the spurs board to make their feelings known to those in charge of the decisions.
Ultimately, I do firmly believe that fans across the premier league, have every right to feel hard done by their clubs and their executives. It seems to me that the most loyal fanbases, are constantly being punished and left behind as a result of the increase in the demand for tickets and the ever-increasing season ticket fees. I believe the dramatic increase in fees is a ploy from the Premier League, trying to become more attractive to fans from overseas. and making some of the most influential clubs more tourist attractions. Our clubs are not tourist attractions. As protested in the terraces: “Save our seniors!”, “Please don’t price us out.”
