As clubs continue to raise the cost of ticket prices, our business of football writer Dave Powell analyses the situation

A detailed view of the Premier League trophy(Image: Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

For generations, football belonged to working-class folk.

For context, for some time Premier League season ticket prices had largely remained frozen.

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In an era of low inflation and Premier League broadcast revenues rising sharply both domestically and internationally, there was less pressure on clubs as businesses, and at a time when they were enjoying more money than ever arriving in the coffers, hiking ticket prices for fans would have been a poor look.

Brentford, Burnley, Everton, Manchester City, Sheffield United, and West Ham United have also increased prices for next season.

For Nottingham Forest fans, however, this season’s ticket rise was a brutal one, with the club having increased its season ticket prices by an average of 24% for the 2024/25 season, even if they fall through the Premier League trapdoor and back into the Championship next season.

Aston Villa also incurred the wrath of fans earlier this year when they were seen to be cashing in on the long-awaited return of Champions League football and a seat at the European game’s very top table by hiking prices for the games at Villa Park.

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The decision was lamented by the Aston Villa Supporters Trust and the wider football family, with the club labelled "out of touch" after revealing they were charging up to £97 a ticket for home Champions League matches this season.

Market-driven factors and rising inflation have impacted significant cost lines including wage costs, labour-based contracts, utilities, and rates at clubs, the majority of which are loss-making businesses.

To use some inspiration from the wonderful 2011 financial drama, ‘Margin Call’, the view of many clubs is that now the music has started to slow down for the Premier League in terms of broadcast revenue, at a time of macroeconomic pressures forcing day-to-day costs to rise, as well as the fact that despite all of these external factors the wages of players continue to head north, as do transfer fees, there has to be a cost to bear, and that means pulling levers such as raising ticket prices and on merchandise.

The passion is of value as it is what makes the Premier League stand out, it is a major part of what broadcasters pay so much money to screen games around the world.

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The value of fans and what they bring to the table should never be diminished, and that starts with addressing the attitude of many clubs, not all, to hiking ticket prices.


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