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A new survey has revealed that supporters of English Premier League clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool have to pay through the nose for season tickets when compared to supporters of clubs like FC Barcelona or Bayern Munich.
As a matter of fact, the survey reveals that it is much cheaper to watch Lionel Messi live in action for an entire season than watch the Premier League stars strut their stuff.
The Football Supporters' Federation have compiled a comparative analysis of the season tickets prices of English teams vis-a-vis their European counterparts. The worst offenders are Arsenal, charging a whopping £1014 for the cheapest ticket at the Emirates for the whole season, followed by North London rivals Tottenham Hotspurs who charge an expensive £795 for a season-long seat at the White Hart Lane.
When compared to the other big clubs across the United Kingdom, Celtic FC and Rangers charge £559 and £520 respectively. This is a wide contrast to what fans in Spain, Germany and France pay to watch their team week-in-week-out.
The study reveals that the cheapest season ticket at FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou costs £103, where the world best player Messi plays week in, week out. Allianz Arena, Bayern Munich’s home ground where superstars like Robben, Ribery, Lahm and Mueller sweat it out almost every other week, charge a mere £99 for the season-long ticket.
| Teams | Price(in £) |
| Arsenal (England) | 1014 |
| Tottenham Hotspurs(England) | 795 |
| Liverpool(England) | 710 |
| West Ham United(England) | 675 |
| Southampton(England) | 648 |
| Chelsea(England) | 595 |
| Celtic FC(Scotland) | 559 |
| Manchester United(England) | 532 |
| Rangers(Scotland) | 520 |
| Hearts(Scotland) | 420 |
| Bordeaux(France) | 113 |
| FC Barcelona(Spain) | 103 |
| Bayern Munich(Germany) | 99 |
(source: Eurosport)
Fans express concern
Michael Brunskill, of the Football Supporters Federation, said: "People tell us they have given up their season ticket because it cost too much. The cost of some in Europe is really low. In Germany, ticket prices are cheap but they are also very competitive teams.The Premier League in England just signed a mammoth TV deal and we would like to see them bring ticket prices down." he said.(Daily Mirror)
On the flip side, Michael Wood, of Supporters Direct Scotland, said fans don't like paying high prices for football if they feel the team's performance doesn't match it, Daily Mirror reports. As told to Daily Mirror, Wood said ”Supporters don't mind paying if they feel what they see is worth it," he said.
"Some fans will turn up regardless but if you are a parent and want to take your kids out then what is better value?"
Neil Doncaster, chief executive of the Scottish Professional Football League, said season ticket pricing is a matter for individual clubs.
However, he added: "The SPFL recognises the increasing efforts of all 42 clubs to provide pricing options which are as attractive and value-for-money as possible, especially given the economic climate we live in,”as told to Mirror.
Swansea City cap premier league away tickets to £22
Meanwhile, Welsh side Swansea City, have pledged to cap the away ticket prices to just £22 in response to Football Supporters’ Federation nation-wide ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ campaign which urged clubs to cut away ticket prices.
