Free Away Travel?

[RDU_64]

Premier League clubs are expected to consider a range of proposals, including a radical suggestion that all 20 offer free coach travel to away supporters for every match, against a backdrop of growing outrage from fans over the price of away tickets.

 

A central attendance and ticketing working group was established by the Premier League in May to consider all issues around the topic and is drawing up proposals that are likely to be discussed at the next full shareholders' meeting in February and could be voted on in the summer.

 

But the ongoing discussions are unlikely to be enough to placate increasingly angry supporters' groups who feel the issue is reaching a tipping point and plan to work together to campaign for action.

 

The talks have covered not only the vexed issue of pricing for away fans, which has snowballed in the wake of Manchester City returning almost a third of their allocation of 3,000 tickets priced at £62 for their trip to the Emirateson Sunday, but the overall matchday experience and transport.

 

At a recent meeting of all 20 Premier League clubs, Stoke City suggested offering free coach travel to all away fans in the Premier League to cut down on costs for travelling fans. The Stoke chief executive, Tony Scholes, also put forward an alternative suggestion: that away ticket prices should never be more expensive than the cheapest home ticket. While the Premier League continues to believe that pricing is essentially a matter for individual clubs and that it will be hard to come up with proposals that would satisfy the two-thirds majority required to pass new rules, there is also a recognition that the atmosphere created by away fans is central to a product that will bring in more than £5.5bn in TV revenues over the next three seasons.

 

Just as the bumper TV deal has accelerated discussions around a form of financial fair play for Premier League clubs, so it is believed to have focused minds on growing fan unrest about the complex issue of away ticket prices and the matchday experience.

 

Rival supporters' groups, including those from Liverpool and Manchester United, this week revealed they planned to work together to campaign on the issue and the Football Supporters' Federation has called for a cap of between £25 and £30 on tickets for away fans.

 

In a document drawn up last year in response to government calls for changes in the way football is governed, the Football Association said ticket pricing and strategy was a matter for the Premier League and Football League. But many fans would like to see co-ordinated action on the issue, driven from the centre, rather than it being left to individual clubs.

 

Ahead of the City match, the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, has said the situation around ticket prices is "delicate". His club charge home fans up to £162 and have been criticised for charging the away fans of some clubs almost double the amount paid by fans of other teams due to the way matches are categorised.

 

Wenger said Arsenal were more reliant on ticketing revenue than other clubs such as City and Chelsea, who are able to rely on benefactor funding, and he was more concerned about his own fans than visitors.

 

"I am really worried they are high for our supporters. For the visitors, it only happens once a year, so that is less of a concern," he said. "We sell out our games, but ideally you want ticket prices to be affordable to everybody. It is a very delicate subject."

 

Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, said it was a shame that fans were unable to follow their team to London because they felt it was too expensive: "We are disappointed for this because we need our fans away. We have fantastic fans, fantastic support. We are sorry for this."

 

Have to applaud the clubs for looking at this. We all know that the pricing of football has gone crazy and I actually applaud Man City's fans for refusing to pay £62 to watch a game of football. Absolutely insane price to charge fans. Should Scottish clubs be looking to go down this route or is this a non-starter without the ridiculous amounts of money thrown at the EPL? I doubt this would work in Scotland though as clubs need all the money they can get.

[manc_don]

I certainly think clubs should be doing this on long trips (i.e. killie or obscure places), especially if kick off times are not favourable with public transport.  If they accept the TV money which makes it harder for fans to travel, they should accept responsibility for this.

[glasgow sheep]

Away tickets in the SPL already must be priced at the same price as the equivalent home ticket.

[manc_don]

Away tickets in the SPL already must be priced at the same price as the equivalent home ticket.

 

Given that this all started with Citeh fans not buying tickets at the Emirates, I'm sure that for a Cat A game at the Emirates (United / City / Spurs / Chelsea / Liverpool) is 62 pounds (same as the away). IMO 62 quid is steep but the quality of stadium, experience and football on show makes it just about worth paying.  Certainly at the Emirates anyway.

[glasgow sheep]

Given that this all started with Citeh fans not buying tickets at the Emirates, I'm sure that for a Cat A game at the Emirates (United / City / Spurs / Chelsea / Liverpool) is 62 pounds (same as the away). IMO 62 quid is steep but the quality of stadium, experience and football on show makes it just about worth paying.  Certainly at the Emirates anyway.

 

fuck that

[TENEMENTFUNSTER]

fuck that

 

This.

[glasgow sheep]

I went to the Emirates and to watch Scotland and thought it was ok but the pitch of the lower tier is far to shallow, esp when standing, meaning you're view is obstructed by the guy in front of you

[manc_don]

So did I GS. Bar the Scotland game, I always sit on the top tier. Great view from wherever you're sat.

[tom_widdows]

I certainly think clubs should be doing this on long trips (i.e. killie or obscure places), especially if kick off times are not favourable with public transport.  If they accept the TV money which makes it harder for fans to travel, they should accept responsibility for this.

 

think that would be a disaster for scottish clubs finances if it was put in as a rule. Premier league clubs each get tens of millions from Sky and co (think £40million a season) so paying for a few coaches every second saturday could easily be put into their budget.

 

SPL clubs dont even get half that amount to share between 12 and Celtic & co swallow up about 40% of it between them. So to suddenly say 'right  you must now lay on x number of coaches for every away game will take money away from new new players budget, youth development etc

 

Also as you cannot booze on buses how popular is this really going to be? I doubt more people are going to be tempted to head to a shitehole like kilmarnock with the offer of a free, completly 'dry' 9hr bus journey.

 

 

What I would like to see is compensation for fans who shell out for buses, trains etc for which they quite often can only get a max of a 50% refund if any at all, only for the TV companies to suddenly re-arrange a game. That should be part of the TV deal.

[Tyrant]

That ticket price made me cheers for Man City.