Why clubs should back Twenty’s Plenty

TWENTY’S PLENTY AIMS: Supporters call upon football clubs at all levels of the game to recognise and reward the amazing contribution of travelling fans by getting together to agree an across the board price cap on away match tickets of £20 (£15 for concessions).

Why Football Clubs Should Back Twenty’s Plenty

• Watching live football is becoming more and more expensive and, in the current financial climate, many fans are finding it harder to afford. Increases in the cost of fuel and rail fares make travelling away particularly expensive.
• Some football clubs already go to great lengths to keep ticket prices accessible through promotional deals and responsible pricing. Sadly those off ers are rarely shared with away fans.
• Reciprocal arrangements are in everyone’s interest – if all clubs adopt cheaper pricing for away fans, match attendance will increase and teams would be backed by more of their most loyal supporters away from home.
• Lower prices would help make football more affordable for those on low wages, children, students and OAPs. Football should not be a preserve of the wealthy. This would help clubs reconnect with the local communities from which they were born. Football is the people’s game.
• The more games they attend, the more fans feel engaged with their club. It is becoming increasingly easy to stay at home and watch games on the internet or catch a foreign TV feed down the pub for free. Football must act now to make sure it doesn’t lose the next generation of match-going fans.
• Gate receipts are becoming less important than TV revenue as a percentage of a club’s income. Will those TV billions keep fl owing if stands look empty and atmospheres stagnate? Football needs the colour and noise that away fans generate. More bums on seats also means more pies, pints and programmes sold.

Away fans are the beating heart of football. The hardcore. Travelling supporters bring colour and atmosphere to grounds, spend the most money watching their teams and make the most effort to support their clubs. The away fan should not be taken for granted.