Score Campaign kicks off in Manchester

Last night fans from clubs across the north west came together in Manchester at the first of the FSF’s Score Campaign events, to discuss ideas on how to make football more affordable for the travelling fan. More than a dozen clubs were represented in the almost 100 attendance, including representatives from FSF affiliates Spirit of Shankly, Manchester United Supporters Trust, the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association and the Leeds United Supporters Trust among others.

The idea behind the Score Campaign is simple – we want clubs throughout England and Wales to agree to charge no more than £20 for away match tickets (£15 concessions). The Manchester meeting marked the encouraging first steps in combining the various campaigns and initiatives that are already in place, and harnessing the energy and enthusiasm of fans from across the region behind a national campaign on away ticket pricing.

In more than an hour’s worth of lively debate on how best to move the campaign forward, topics included the merits (or otherwise) of match boycotts, direct action against sponsors, ways of making a striking visual impact both outside and inside stadiums, and how best to educate fans as to the facts and aims of the campaign as a whole. Fans shared stories of their previous successes and failures in campaigning activities, and plenty of constructive suggestions were made.

While individual opinions naturally differed on how best we could achieve our aims and the timescales by which we could reasonably expect to achieve them, there was a pleasingly clear attitude from those present that they would be willing to put aside their partisan club rivalries and unite in search of a common cause. There was a real sense of hope that a genuine nationwide movement was in the offing.

Where next?

• London, Thursday 31st January (7pm-9pm): The Blue Anchor, (35 Chancery Lane, City of London), WC2A 1EL – click here to see a map.

• If you’re a fan and based in the capital, we’d love to see you there – simply email your name and club you support to [email protected] and come along to share your ideas.

Having canvassed opinion at our first two regional meetings we will report back with a more structured overview, responding to the various concerns, comments and suggestions raised from our members and fans who have attended these events, on how to move ahead with the campaign. We want to engage fan groups and individuals across the country, and hope to hold other regional events in the near future.

In the meantime, we will keep you up to date on the Score Campaign on our website, as well as our social media platforms – keep an eye on our Facebook page and Twitter feed.

If you have any comments on the Score Campaign, want to get involved in campaigning at your club or hold a local event, email [email protected].