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Digg This The Premier League is in danger of losing a generation of
fans unless teams reduce ticket prices, supporters groups warned
on Wednesday after a poll of 1,200 under-17s showed a quarter
had never attended a match because of the expense.
"Ticket prices are simply too high for youngsters to pay,"
Steve Powell, director of policy and campaigns at the Football
Supporters' Federation said in a news release.
"The Premier League's own research suggests less than 10
percent of supporters regularly attending Premiership games are
under the age of 23.
"Unless prices are reduced radically, football will find it
has lost a whole generation of fans. After all, if people don't
get a taste for attending live football in their youth, they're
hardly likely to do so in their 30s."
The study by teen swapping and trading Web site
www.swapitshop.com found that 43 percent of under-17s had never
seen their favourite team in action. Of those, half blamed the
price of tickets.
Four out of five children said ticket prices should be
reduced due to the amount of money Premier League clubs receive
from selling the TV rights to their games.
A spokesman for the Premier League said clubs were working
together to keep prices down.
"Although the pricing of tickets is down to each club, we
work very hard with all clubs to make sure they remain
affordable. It is particularly important that young people can
get to see matches live," the spokesman said.
"Premier League rules ensure that all clubs offer tickets at
concessionary rates and hugely reduced season and match day
tickets are available for young fans at every club."
