• Premier League

Arsenal defend most expensive ticket prices in Europe

ESPN staff
October 16, 2014
Arsenal fans pay the most in the Premier League to watch their team © Getty Images
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Arsenal have defended their ticket prices after a study revealed they are the most expensive team to watch in Europe.

The BBC's Price of Football report showed that the club's most expensive season ticket costs £2,013, with a single matchday ticket setting back fans up to £97 - more than double the most expensive one-off ticket at seven other Premier League clubs.

The £2,013 season ticket is more than twice as expensive as Manchester United's top price and more than four times as expensive as West Brom's.

While fans groups have warned they are struggling to keep up with the costs, Arsenal claim that work is "continually undertaken" to offer tickets at more affordable levels, with their most expensive match-day ticket down £29 on last season.

"Work is continually undertaken to offer tickets at various prices, with the highest match ticket only applicable for five Premier League fixtures in a season," an Arsenal statement read. "Across the course of a campaign, we offer up to 300,000 reduced price tickets to adult and junior supporters, from £5 and £10."

The cost of football has also raised eyebrows in government, with Sports Minister Helen Grant warning that clubs must not take fans for granted with their ticket prices, which have risen at twice the rate of inflation since 2011.

The BBC survey shows the average price of the cheapest match-day ticket across all four divisions is £21.49, up 13% since 2011, compared to a 6.8% increase in the cost of living.

"I can see why fans are cross," Grant told BBC News. "I'm cross, and I feel that clubs really must not take their fans for granted.

"To take a family of four to a Premier League match now, you're talking about £130. That is just not affordable for most families, so clubs really do need to look at this.''

Fans are set to warn Arsenal they are struggling to meet the "ever increasing costs" of following their side in the Premier League.

Majority owner Stan Kroenke and the board will face questions from shareholders at Thursday's annual general meeting, with the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST) seeking assurances there will be no increases next season.

The AST however, claims the pricing issue is causing unrest among supporters, while calling on the club to put their hands in their pockets to help reduce costs.

"The ticket price increase this season has created on-going bad feeling amongst the fanbase, made worse when we see the club sitting on such a large unused cash pile," the group said.

"Will the board consider the difficulty fans have with keeping up with ever increasing costs of attending football and confirm there will be no increase next year?"

The AST also claims "tens of millions of spare cash" has not been spent on the squad and plans to ask: "Does the board withhold these cash reserves from the manager?"

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