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According to moneysupermarket.com there's no doubt that watching football can be an expensive pastime, with 2011/12 Premier League ticket prices costing anything from £10 to £100. Even in League Two, England's lowest professional tier, a match day ticket can set you back as much as £21.00.
However, Virgin Money's claim that the total match day cost is now upwards of £100 could be a bit misleading as it includes the cost of a replica shirt as well as the price of pay-per-view television.
These two items alone account for over half of Virgin's estimated total match day cost but it could be argued that neither are actually a cost usually associated with attending a football match.
However, the basic point remains, that following a football team in an expensive way to spend your leisure time. Although the average cost of a match day ticket has risen by just 1% since last season, the cost of a replica shirt has gone up by over 15%, rising to £29.81 from £25.81 this time last year.
In addition, the soaring price of fuel is well documented and the rising cost of rail travel, food and alcohol is also hitting football fans' pockets.
But there are several ways that you can cut the cost of the match day experience. If you regularly attend matches then it may be worthwhile getting a season ticket as this often works out cheaper than paying one game at a time.
In addition, many football clubs offer 'early bird' schemes that offer a discount of up to 25% for anyone that buys a season ticket before a certain deadline, usually at the end of April or the beginning of May.
As far as getting to the game goes, it may be a good idea to car-share with a group of friends instead of all travelling separately and meeting up at the match. Car sharing could also prove to be less costly than getting the train if you are part of a group that travels to the game together.
If you normally buy food and drink while at the match it may be a good idea to take your own snacks with you to save paying the inflated prices inside the ground. And foregoing the odd pre-match pint may also help your waistline as well as your wallet.
