Football Too Expensive For Working Class Fans - Mp

An independent regulator should person a domiciled successful mounting shot summons prices because top-flight matches are often excessively costly for moving people supporters to attend, an MP has claimed.

Labour's Ian Byrne, who represents Liverpool West Derby, told chap MPs: "The reality is that prices are acold excessively precocious already, particularly for younger fans."

Referring to Liverpool sealing their 20th top-flight title connected Sunday, Byrne said: "I witnessed thousands of moving people supporters, young moving people supporters, priced retired of Anfield, pinch immoderate tickets going for complete £1,000."

The Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) and Premier League person each been approached for comment.

Byrne, who was speaking during a House of Commons statement of nan 2nd reference of nan Football Governance Bill, added: "We request to tackle nan rumor of nan pricing retired of moving people supporters."

The Liverpool supporting MP added: "For 2025-26, of those announced, nan mostly of prices person been stiff astatine Premier League clubs, but it has only happened pursuing nan concerted and co-ordinated efforts by instrumentality groups led by nan Football Supporters' Association."

Byrne told MPs he was concerned that immoderate top-flight clubs were reducing nan number of play tickets available.

An FSA spokesperson said this was a covert measurement for clubs to complaint premium prices for nan biggest games.

Under nan bill, an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) would beryllium created to oversee clubs successful nan apical 5 tiers of men's football, guarantee their financial sustainability, protect nine heritage, and facilitate amended instrumentality engagements.

Byrne urged Culture Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy to see 2 amendments.

Firstly, he said he wanted nan IFR to beryllium progressive successful summons pricing decisions, and to supply updates successful periodic "State of Football" reports.

The purpose would beryllium to guarantee fans person genuine input into their club's ticketing argumentation done system engagement.

Secondly, Byrne said nan IFR should undertake a thorough reappraisal of concessionary summons prices crossed nan crippled to guarantee that loyal fans of each ages are not priced retired of their sport. Regular advancement reports should again beryllium provided, he said.

"We cannot let nan greed of immoderate owners pinch nary thought of really important [the] moving people crippled is to nan very communities that it should ever serve."

Liverpool FC said it had stiff prices for nan past 8 retired of 10 years.

The cheapest Kop lucifer summons is still £39 while nan astir costly remains astatine £45, "exactly nan aforesaid arsenic they were almost 15 years ago", nan nine said.

The Premier League declined to comment.