The Football Supporters’ Association’s #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign hit Parliament this week as supporters representatives and MPs met to combat high ticket prices on Tuesday.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Football Supporters hosted the launch of our #StopExploitingLoyalty Blueprint which outlines the ethos behind the campaign and gives FSA member groups discussion points to raise at supporter engagement meetings with their clubs. Copies will be distributed to FSA member groups.

Nineteen out of 20 top-flight clubs increased their ticket prices last season, kickstarting a wave of supporter protests across the country which put the issue in the media spotlight. This summer seven teams froze prices while 13 teams, once again, bumped them up.

#StopExploitingLoyalty is led by groups from our Premier League Network and seeks to halt price rises, defend concessionary tickets and make sure clubs properly consult supporters in relation to ticketing policies.

MPs including APPG chair Ian Lavery were in attendance alongside supporter reps including Spirit of Shankly’s Gareth Roberts (who co-authored the Blueprint) and the Independent’s chief football writer Miguel Delaney for the launch of the #StopExploitingLoyalty Blueprint.

Ian Lavery MP warned that we could lose a generation of young supporters should these types of pricing policies – an argument reiterated by Gareth Roberts.

“Rising prices. Concessions stripped back. Season-ticket increases year after year. Loyal fans being shifted for premium seating. Talk of surge pricing, overseas league games, “experience” markets, and personal seat licences,” said Gareth.

“We are building super stadiums in some of our country’s most deprived areas – meaning the kids living in their shadow can’t afford to go inside. That should worry every one of us. The communities that clubs were born from are becoming increasingly isolated from the teams that carry their name.”

Miguel Delaney echoed these arguments and pointed out that the vast income enjoyed by top-flight clubs actually gives them scope to do a lot more for matchgoers.

“The Premier League pays £2.5bn more in wages than any other league. The other leagues can’t catch up. So we have this almost demented contradiction where there’s never been more money in English football and it’s at a point where that should give fans some sort of break [from price rises].

“We used to hear 20 years ago about how once the TV audiences grow they’ll need fans to come in and create that atmosphere. But the opposite is happening and they’re milking fans more and more.”

While many clubs are squeezing individual matchgoers for an extra few hundred on a season ticket – significant amounts of money for an individual fan or someone paying for their family to attend – the reality is it’s loose change down the back of the sofa for clubs.

Parliamentary support

There was great support for these arguments by MPs in attendance and we expect to see more Parliamentary activity in the weeks and months ahead on this issue. We’re actively working with MPs to get some of those ideas across the line – watch this space.

While #StopExploitingLoyalty was launched by our network of Premier League supporter groups and has a focus on the challenges at that level of the game, that doesn’t mean things are always perfect in the EFL.

Amanda Martin MP talked about the importance of looking at EFL prices too where ticket prices above £30 are not uncommon. Amanda and fellow MP Luke Charters have called for the expansion of the away cap to the EFL and that’s something the FSA would support. 

Luke added that the cost of travel was a major issue for supporters too and that the special nature of taking your young family to the game was something which had to be protected.

MPs and supporter reps

Ian Byrne MP pointed out that success is cyclical and if you end the loyalty of working class supporters in the game, who knows where things will be in 20 years?

John McDonnell MP encouraged ongoing engagement with the regulator around football’s financial resilience but also reminded us to keep ticket prices in that picture as they do have a role. While the regulator won’t dictate ticket prices to clubs it does have a big eye on supporter engagement and consultation around ticket prices is an important part of that.

Supporter protests have been a big part of #StopExploitingLoyalty and Shockat Adam MP said supporters should keep up that activity. “Get the debate up and around the country,” added Shockat.

Following the #StopExploitingLoyalty the APPG for Football Supporters held its AGM and successfully reconstituted for another year. It’s a great vehicle for amplifying the supporter voice in Westminster and we’d like to thank all MPs and Peers who do that.

• The FSA would like to say a big thanks to Spirit of Shankly’s Gareth Roberts whose ideas and writing were hugely influential on the #StopExploitingLoyalty Blueprint. It wouldn’t exist without his input. Join the FSA for free here.