Supporters of English Premier League clubs Liverpool FC and West Ham United are set to unite ahead of their EFL Cup game at Anfield on Wednesday night in protest against rising ticket prices
Liverpool supportersā union Spirit of Shankly and West Ham supportersā groups Hammers United and Old School Hammers will come together before the game at Flagpole Corner, where the Kop meets the Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand, at 7 p.m. An hour before kick-off.
The planned demonstration is a response to rising ticket prices across the game, and particularly West Hamās decision to reduce the discount given to concession pricing in many sections of the London Stadium, or remove it altogether.
At the beginning of the season West Ham withdrew concession pricing from its ticket offering which meant supporters under the age of 21 and 18, and over the age of 66, would now have to pay the same standard price as everyone else.
Concession pricing is designed to ensure those with less disposable income can still attend games, and that family traditions of supporting a club extend to children and older family members alike.
The new measures also affect disabled fans, many of whom are now on the standard ticket pricing band, and has accompanied a rise in ticket prices across the board.
It continues a growing trend across the entertainment industry of full-price, flat rate ticketing with no discount for certain groups, coupled with a general rise in ticket costs and the use of dynamic pricing to push prices up further.
Unlike other products and services, sports teams have groups of loyal fans who are not wont to take their money elsewhere if they find the costs of supporting their club are too high.
Fans are often viewed as customers by those in the sports business, but supporting a sports club is a communal activity and not the kind of consumer transaction many sports executives would like it to be
This fan loyalty is something sports teams then take advantage of as they plan to make extra money through ticket sales, often coldly assessing optimum price points and raising the prices to levels fans find difficult to afford, especially when the cost of living has also risen sharply in the past decade, andĀ continues to rise.
āAs supporters, weāve always been the heartbeat of the game, yet our loyalty is being disregarded in favour of profit,ā Paul Colborne, chair of Hammers UnitedĀ told the Football Supportersā Association.
āFansāespecially seniors, youths, and those with disabilitiesāare being priced out of the stadiums theyāve called home for years.
āThis is more than a fight for fair ticket prices; itās about preserving the soul of football.ā
The majority of a Premier League clubās revenue comes via commercial income and domestic and international TV deals. The leagueās global popularity leads to huge sums being paid by TV companies for the rights to broadcast these games each week.
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