Posted on 24th September 2024
Stop Exploiting Loyalty: Hammers and Reds join forces ahead of match
West Ham United and Liverpool fans are joining forces at tomorrow’s Carabao Cup match in a show of solidarity over rising ticket prices and attacks on concessions. The protest has been organised by FSA-member groups Hammers United, Old School Hammers and Spirit of Shankly.
Supporters of both clubs will meet outside the Kop (7pm) before their teams clash to spell out a simple message to clubs – Stop Exploiting Loyalty.
West Ham United shocked their fans in the close season by withdrawing junior and OAP concessionary seats for new season ticket holders in most parts of the ground. The club placed elderly fans at the back of the stadium up 120 steps before backtracking following supporter uproar.
This meant there were no general admission tickets at concessionary prices for the Hammers season openers against Aston Villa and Manchester City, while disabled supporters were also charged full cost. Fans fear this is the first step towards a complete abolition of concessionary tickets at the London Stadium.
Standard season tickets were also pushed up by 6-11% – at a time when inflation is running at 2.2% – as the Hammers joined 19 out of the other 20 Premier League clubs in squeezing supporters hard. It has sparked anger across the league’s supporter groups.
Supporter solidarity
Paul Khan, chair of Spirit of Shankly, said: “There’s a troubling trend in Premier League clubs – an apparent dismantling of concessions and rising ticket prices, disregarding the loyalty of fans, particularly senior, youth and disabled supporters.
“It’s vital that fans from all clubs come together to resist this direction and ensure loyalty is not further exploited. Football belongs to the people and supporters deserve fairness and respect. We stand in solidarity with Hammers United and Old School Hammers in the fight for fair ticket prices.”
Paul Colborne, chair of Hammers United, thanked Spirit of Shankly for their support and said his group stand united with football supporters from across the country when it came to pricing.
Hammers United backed Spirit of Shankly’s motion at the FSA AGM calling for co-ordinated action on the cost of football tickets.
“As supporters, we’ve always been the heartbeat of the game, yet our loyalty is being disregarded in favour of profit,” said Colborne. “Fans—especially seniors, youths, and those with disabilities—are being priced out of the stadiums they’ve called home for years. This is more than a fight for fair ticket prices; it’s about preserving the soul of football.”
Save Our Concessions
Hammers United’s Save Our Concessions campaign has now had close to 20,000 signatories and received the backing of MPs from across the political spectrum. West Ham fans have been releasing masses of black balloons around the stands at home and away games as the players emerge from the tunnel in a “Black Bubble Protest.” Sign their petition here.
It isn’t just Hammers who’ve been hit on the concession front though. At Spurs the Save Our Seniors campaign has fought against the club’s slashing of concessions while an 18-year-old sat in certain areas of the City Ground at Forest could see their ticket jump from around £190 to £850. Many other examples of ticket price rises are available across the league.
Thank you to Hammers United’s Terry Messenger for his help with this article.
