Fewer Season Tickets to be Purchased

Up to one in four season ticket holders is considering not renewing for next season in a bid to cut costs, according to Virgin Money’s authoritative Football Fans’ Inflation Index.

Research for Virgin Money shows 25% of season ticket holders are thinking of giving up at the end of the season with 4% planning on no longer going to any games while 21% intend to buy tickets when it suits them.

The backlash against season tickets comes despite Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Inflation Index showing that the cost of attending games has fallen by 6.8% in the past year. Lower ticket prices and reduced costs for replica kit means the match-day cost has fallen to £89.09 compared with £95.60 in January 2009.

That is still 14.29% higher than the matchday cost when the index was launched in January 2006 but is substantially lower than the all-time high of £106.21 in October 2008. Average match tickets across all leagues peaked at £27.38 in July 2009 but have now fallen to an average of £22.59.

The research among more than 3,896 fans representing all 92 clubs in the Football League shows fans of Liverpool and Stoke City are the least likely to give up season tickets next year with just 9% of supporters considering cut backs.

Grant Bather, spokesman for Virgin Money, said: “It appears that clubs have got the message that fans cannot keep on paying more and more for football just in time. The prospect of one in four season ticket holders giving up next season is a serious warning to clubs that fans need some support.

“When inflation across the economy as a whole is rising it is encouraging to see that football is going in the opposite direction with Football Fans Inflation down 6.8% in a year. That said the matchday cost is still nearly £90 which is a major chunk out of anyone’s disposable income."

Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters’ Federation, commented: “The drop in costs is welcome but season tickets are still priced astronomically compared with other major European leagues such as Spain, Italy and Germany. At many clubs there’s little or no recognition of loyalty in the prices charged compared with buying match by match. Prices for essentials like food, rents, transport and petrol are going up and football fans like everybody else are struggling with frozen or declining pay and unemployment. Clubs need to bear this in mind when setting next season’s prices."

Currently there are just under 1000 season ticket holders at Hereford United. How many there will be next season could partly depend on how well the team performs until the end of this season now that Graham Turner is back in charge and who he appoints as the new manager.

In any case, as Clarke says, the effects of the recession are still hurting many supporters. That will not help season ticket sales either.

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