Manchester United, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City fans will hold joint protests against rising ticket prices on Sunday as part of the Football Supporters’ Association’s Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign.
The action will take place before United host Everton at 1.30pm and Liverpool face City at 4.30pm. At Old Trafford’s trinity statue the United fan group FC58, Everton supporters and Fans Supporting Foodbanks representatives will display a Stop Exploiting Loyalty banner. This will be mirrored at Anfield, where from 3pm the Spirit of Shankly group and Liverpool fans will gather by the Fans Supporting Foodbanks collection point with the City 1894 group and MCFC Fans Foodbank Support.
A statement from the groups said: “Banners inside and outside the grounds will highlight a shared message: enough is enough – stop exploiting loyalty. Fan groups from all four clubs are joining to support the Football Supporters’ Association’s #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign, which highlights soaring ticket prices, the erosion of concessionary rates, and above-inflation increases that are pricing out the very people who form the backbone of English football culture.
“It comes in the same week the Premier League’s new broadcast rights deal rose by 17% to a staggering £12.25bn, further diminishing the significance of general admission ticket income to clubs’ finances. Yet, despite this, all but one Premier League club raised ticket prices last season, and this week Manchester United announced that all new tickets for children and older fans at Old Trafford will increase to £66.
“There is also growing concern that some clubs are now targeting the £30 cap on away tickets in the Premier League, threatening to dismantle one of the last safeguards for fans, many of whom make multiple financial sacrifices to continue supporting their club. Football does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem – and loyal supporters should not bear the cost.”
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On Wednesday the Guardian reported United’s raising of ticket prices was part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s drive to make the club more financially sustainable.