Football fans angry at prices

At a pre-season football fans’ protest in London, Liverpool FC supporters held a banner saying ‘Football is nothing without supporters’.

Groups supporting Chelsea, Arsenal, QPR, Stoke City, Sunderland, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Aston Villa, West Ham, Bradford City, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Southampton and others came along to march to the FA HQ.

Big money passes hands to owners of clubs promoted to the Premier League, some players argue for £25,000 a week in the bottom half of the Premier League. Some owners seem to use the money as a slush fund for their other businesses.

But these supporters saw themselves as getting a raw deal. A banner at the protest displayed costs of ticket prices. Online Arsenal tickets cost £65 while TV reports say West Ham are more expensive than Manchester City or Chelsea.

Yet in top European football, in the Bundesliga in Germany, tickets were on average £22. English fans could have a weekend holiday there and spend little more than they pay for a match in England.

Many loyal supporters are excluded from the game as wages in Britain don’t even keep up with inflation.

TV deals are huge. One football supporter said: “Football clubs could pay supporters to watch the game while still having money to invest”. Fans will have a lot to ponder this season in the less exciting periods of play.

Gooners supporter