Supporters stand in solidarity over concessions and ticket prices

Posted on 26th September 2024

Liverpool and West Ham United supporters last night demonstrated together in opposition to rising ticket prices and clampdowns on concessions, in a protest backed by the Football Supporters’ Association.

Supporters of both clubs met outside Anfield’s Kop before their teams clashed in last night’s League Cup match, which the home side won 5-1.

Members of fan groups Hammers United, Old School Hammers and Spirit of Shankly stood together behind a banner with the simple message “Stop Exploiting Loyalty.”

Watch:

Spirit of Shankly, @SpionKop1906 & @SFoodbanks joined forces with @HammersUnited2 outside the Kop last night in an act of solidarity – they are protesting about ticket price increases & loss of concessions at the London stadium @WeAreTheFSA #stopexploitingloyalty #unityisstrength pic.twitter.com/vHywc08VU9

— Spirit of Shankly (@spiritofshankly) September 26, 2024

The Hammers shocked their fans in the close season when they withdrew junior and OAP concessionary seats for new season ticket holders in most of the ground – meaning the cost of becoming a season ticket holder for the a large number of the youngest and oldest fans sky-rocketed.

The clubs opening home games of the season were against Aston Villa and Manchester City and there were no individual concessionary match tickets on general sale at all, while disabled supporters were charged full cost.

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.

Price rises a troubling trend

Spirit of Shankly chair Paul Khan highlighted a “troubling trend” at Premier League clubs as executives dismantle concessions and forget about the loyalty of supporters who stood by clubs in good times and bad with young supporters, seniors and disabled fans facing price hikes.

“It’s vital that fans from all clubs come together and ensure loyalty is not further exploited,” Khan said. “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, said: “We’re really grateful to Liverpool fans. As supporters, we’ve always been the heartbeat of the game, yet our loyalty is being disregarded in favour of profit.”

“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,” added Colborne.

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.