6 days ago
The Premier League clubs waging war on season-ticket holders
They are meant to be Premier League clubs' most loyal and valued supporters. Yet, ahead of the start of the world's richest league, teams stand accused of launching an unprecedented crackdown on their season-ticket holders.
Millionaire and billionaire owners are facing a major revolt against policies opponents claim are forcing out so-called 'legacy fans' and risk them being replaced by bigger-spending 'football tourists'.
An investigation by Telegraph Sport has found these policies include:
Inflation-busting price rises, especially for pensioners
Personal attendance targets and curbs on splitting usage with family and friends
Increases in premium hospitality tickets
A refusal to issue new season tickets
Price hikes
Almost two thirds of Premier League clubs have increased the cost of their adult season tickets this term, despite a revolt against such price hikes spearheaded by the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) and its 'Stop Exploiting Loyalty' campaign.
Rises have ranged from 2.8 per cent at Fulham to 14 per cent at promoted Leeds United, with only Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley and Brentford freezing their prices.
Pensioners have been hit by even bigger hikes at some clubs, most notoriously Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Manchester United, whose five per cent adult season ticket price rise was compounded by the halving of a 50 per cent discount previously offered to senior citizens.
Fan group The 1958 said that effectively equated to a 57 per cent increase for United's 'most loyal generational fans who have supported the club for decades', loyalty that was put to the ultimate test last term amid what was the club's worst ever Premier League season.
The 1958 added in a statement: 'This is the first phase of reducing the amount of season ticket holders. We have always campaigned [that] the club are trying to marginalise match-going fans. Cutting the 50 per cent OAP concession to 25 per cent for those who had it is a total disgrace.'
