Fans Ready to Give Up Season Tickets Amid Recession Fears

Fears of recession allied to the soaring cost of watching live football has led to nearly one in four supporters considering canceling their season-ticket, with one in 10 planning to share the cost with friends, a new survey has found.

The findings have been gathered by the Virgin Money group which has discovered that the average cost of a matchday across the Premier League and Football League currently stands at £95.60 — 22.6% higher than three years ago.

It is little surprise then that 24% of the 3,887 fans questioned by Virgin said they are thinking about canceling their season ticket, with 3% contemplating giving up going to matches altogether. A further 9% of season-ticket holders plan to share the cost with others.

"Over the last 15 years, football inflation has consistently exceeded ordinary inflation and the industry may well now pay the price for its short-sightedness in allowing that to happen," said Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation. "At the end of the day, watching football is a leisure activity and it would be very surprising if it was immune from the sharp effects of the recession, particularly at the top end of the game where prices are so high."

According to the survey, the Premier League clubs most at risk of losing regular support are West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United where as many as 37% of season-ticket holders are having second thoughts about renewing. Even fans of Manchester United are feeling the pinch, with 36% considering giving up their season tickets at Old Trafford.

In contrast, Wigan Athletic supporters appear to be the most committed to keeping hold of theirs — just 14% said they might giving up watching their team play live.

"Premier League fans know that these days they can watch almost any game in the pub for the price of a couple of pints, and this is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative for many," added Clarke.