Premier League extends away ticket price cap
The Fulham Supporters’ Trust welcomes the news that the Premier League clubs have voted unanimously to continue the £30 price cap on away match tickets for a further two seasons.
The Trust were proud to be part of a coalition of supporters’ groups, including the Premier League Supporters’ Trust group under the umbrella of Supporters Direct, who launched the campaign for a cap on the cost of away match tickets in 2012. A four-year campaign, in conjunction with the Football Supporters’ Federation (now the Football Supporters’ Association), culminated in the introduction of a £30 cap on away tickets at the start of the 2016-17 season.
In 2015, thirteen of the twenty Premier League clubs charged £40 or more, with the highest prices charged by Arsenal (£64) and West Ham United (£85). If away tickets had followed industry-wide inflation trends, those tickets would be now be eye-wateringly expensive if there had been no intervention. There remains no price cap in the English Football League.
As the Premier League say in their statement this afternoon:
“Away fans help create the incredible atmosphere Premier League matches are renowned for. Since the cap’s implementation in 2016, it has contributed to attendance at away games increasing from 82 per cent to 91 per cent. The Premier League and clubs also acknowledge the additional costs associated with travelling to follow their teams around the country.”
FSA chair Tom Greatrex, the founding chair of the Fulham Supporters’ Trust, added after the announcement:
“The extension of the away cap is great news for travelling top-flight fans – the cap was an FSA idea which wouldn’t have happened without our members’ campaign work.
Credit to the Premier League and clubs for listening to supporters on the importance of away supporters and keeping the cap in place for the previous 12 seasons. Long may it continue.
We all know how much away fans add to the atmosphere in our stadiums and anything which helps them is welcome. Over the past 12 years this has saved supporters millions of pounds in total.
We’d also encourage owners to listen to the voices of supporters’ groups at their clubs who are telling them that home ticket prices are often unaffordable and are pricing out loyal fans.”
