There has been a wave of ticket price rises at Premier League clubs with every fan base, with the exception of Crystal Palace, seeing costs spiral for 2024-25 – and supporters’ groups have kicked back strongly against these rises.

While this stance is backed by most matchgoers we have noticed a bit of social media price punditry which argues that clubs have to raise prices because of PSR (profit and sustainability rules). This is not true and a basic misunderstanding of the finances involved.

Under PSR Premier League clubs can’t lose more than £105m across three years – but ticket revenue is a relatively small portion of a top flight club’s income and marginally raising that figure will do next to nothing to help a club struggling with PSR.

No-one could seriously argue that top-flight clubs have an income problem. Their current media deal brings in about £10bn across three seasons – while clubs also generate additional revenue from sponsorship, merchandise, player trading and ticket sales.

We’re supporters, not accountants, so we relied on the outstanding Swiss Ramble (subscribe here) for figures from a range of clubs to consider in more detail:

2022-23 finances: 

• Liverpool’s income was £594m of which £79m came from matchday income (13% of their overall income).
• Manchester City’s income was £713m of which £72m came from matchdays (10% of their overall income).
• Aston Villa’s income was £218m of which £19m came from matchdays (9% of their overall income).
• Crystal Palace’s income was £180m of which £12m came from gate receipts (7% of their overall income).
• Nottingham Forest’s income was £155m of which £11m came from gate receipts (7% of their overall income).
• Brentford’s income was £167m of which £11m came from matchdays (7% of their overall income).

Whether a club is battling for the title or looking over their shoulder at the relegation spots gate receipts are still a relatively small chunk of a club’s overall revenue. A well-managed budget is what sees a club meet PSR – price hikes hit normal supporters very hard but make very little difference to the overall accounting picture.

In the case of a club such as Forest, raising prices might squeeze an extra million or so from fans, while those clubs with higher gate receipts (like Liverpool or Manchester City) might generate an additional £2m-£3m.

Spurs’ 6% price hike and reduction of senior concessions came as Daniel Levy paid himself a £3m bonus. Ker-ching!

You can make a strong case that it’s actually in the Premier League’s wider interest to LIMIT ticket price rises as they disproportionately benefit those who are already at the top of the table – parlaying their global appeal into far higher matchday incomes. Not good for domestic competition.

Looking at Forest again supporters are subject to some eye-popping rises, an average 18% for adults and seniors with kids tickets jumping up by 40%. 18-year-olds could see their tickets jump from £190 to £850 – how many could afford to pay that themselves?

Everyone will have their favourite part of the Forest season ticket price rises, but mine are:

🔴Some children (classed as 4-13) going up from £90 to £190
🔴Or because they’ve changed the age bandings again, if you’re 18 your ticket could have gone up from £190 to £850. pic.twitter.com/TsZTTWEtw9

— Nick Miller (@NickMiller79) April 16, 2024

Last season Spion Kop pulled their displays from The Kop while Fulham fans protested and OAP concessions were ditched at Spurs. Manchester City’s supporter groups have lashed out too. Hammers United launched a petition against their club’s rises. Aston Villa “cynically” raised their prices last season as well.

This is by no means an exhaustive list either – aside from Palace every single set of top-flight fans has faced a jump in the cost of going to the game.

It’s a fool’s errand for the majority of top-flight clubs to think extra ticket price revenue will help them against their competitors. It won’t. If every club generates an extra percentage point or two of ticket revenue it only cements the position of the clubs who are already at the top with the highest matchday incomes as they will generate the most.

Top-flight clubs have near record levels of income from broadcast and commercial deals and don’t need to squeeze us for every last single penny. We repeat: a well-managed budget is what gets clubs across the PSR threshold, not cynical price hikes.

Ultimately this is loose change down the back of the sofa in PSR terms for many of the richest clubs. As former Bayern Munich club president Uli Hoeness pointed out, clubs are infuriating their fanbase to generate the type of money they spend “five minutes” on in a transfer negotiation. 

Sadly it feels like they have put a similar amount of thought into the impact on normal matchgoers too.

Next steps

We’re still very proud of the £30 Premier League away cap which benefits tens of thousands of top-flight supporters every week – it came about after much pressure from the FSA and our member supporter organisations from around the country. Many clubs in the EFL also responded by implementing their own cheaper deals (and we want more of these).

Away ticket prices were a big problem but home ticketing is an even more complex beast with each club allowed to determine its own pricing structure and no appetite from Premier League executives to intervene. We want that to change and it’s a constant source of debate when we meet the Premier League.

Supporters would rather just go to the match and enjoy what’s happening in front of them – instead they’re worrying about their bank balance and the possibility of being priced out. 

Clubs and the Premier League have to listen to supporters when it comes to cost and affordability – if they don’t, expect to see protests become a far more common occurrence.

• By fans, for fans – join the FSA here…