Quote: latchfordbob "I read recently that all clubs were given £200,000 to spend on away fans. Perhaps it's that. I think Liverpool were knocking some money off ticket prices for an upcoming away game. Dropkick might know more about that.'"
That's true. I've been told the money has come from BT but I'm not 100% certain on that. A few clubs are using it in different ways - Stoke are running free coaches to all their away games for example - and we are using it to subsidise a £2 per ticket reduction on all our league away tickets.
It's a start but it barely scratches the surface. We're still classed as a "Category A" opponent by all home clubs (despite not having had a category A team for over four years), so it's the top whack charge everywhere and none of the deals clubs like Norwich enjoy. Even with the £2 reduction it will still cost £60 to get into our end at Arsenal for example. I don't go to every game because I can't afford to, but I'll be paying around £46 to get into Old Trafford for a third round League Cup tie in two weeks. Hardly a "big game" but high cost because of the two clubs involved.
The price of football at the top level does put the price of RL at the top level into perspective, but the good thing about RL from a fans' viewpoint is that clubs don't have "supply and demand" to keep prices high. The Arsenal V Liverpool fixture I mentioned above will have 60,000 people there regardless of the scandalous prices, and there will be thousands more who would buy a ticket if they could get one but they can't. I would actually struggle to get an away end ticket for that match if I wanted one, but I don't.
If RL prices reach a "tipping point" people will simply vote with their feet and crowds will drop, forcing the prices to drop back. I'm not sure what that tipping point is, but I'm not fearing it reaching Premier League levels anytime soon.