PREMIER LEAGUE clubs are “trying to shift away from season tickets” and no longer want “people like me and you” attending.
The 2023-24 campaign drew to a close nine days ago as Manchester City claimed their fourth straight title.
It’s been another memorable season - but we all know that to witness the Premier League action live will cost you a fortune.
We are used to seeing the likes of celebrities Kim Kardashian at Arsenal and Hollywood mega star Tom Hanks watching Aston Villa.
And even sporting sensations such as darts teen Luke Littler have been spotted in with the prawn sandwich brigade.
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But another thing becoming more and more common - annoyingly so for longer-term fans - is the sight of half-and-half scarves in the crowd - and don’t get us started on the shirt begging signs!
However, it seems that the tourist fan is what more and more clubs want to attract instead of the traditional season ticket holders.
That is according to finance expert Kieran Maguire, who has just completed a study into the staggering price of attending Premier League football truly is.
He worked, from the stats comparing the 2021-22 season to 2022-23, that the average price for a ticket, including VAT, was £45.
That total price figure included the cost of corporate tickets and hospitality at each club.
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There was an 11 per cent increase within the 12 month period with Chelsea being the most expensive ticket.
It worked out at a fee of £91 per fan per match at Stamford Bridge while Nottingham Forest were the lowest with an average cost of just over £21.
His study revealed that Tottenham were the second most-expensive to watch at a cost of just under £85 with Arsenal close behind at £83.49.
It cost £71.53 per fan to go to Manchester United’s Old Trafford while Liverpool made up the top five with a £70.79 total.
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Champions Man City's average was £54.02 while Leeds United, who suffered relegation last term, were the top dogs from outside of the top six.
It was £44.63 on average to go and watch them at Elland Road.
Season ticket prices are always a controversial subject, especially with Arsenal’s lowest for next season priced at £1,072 with Man City also raising theirs by 10.4 per cent.
But Maguire told BBC Five Live that season ticket holders no longer hold the same importance to clubs - and they may soon be a thing of the past.
He said: “We are also trying to see some clubs shift away from season ticket holders because as private equity organisations, they are revenue maximers.”
Then speaking directly to the person interviewing him, he said: “They do not want people like you and me at football.
“We have served our time. We did our bit in the 70s, 80s and 90s when nobody was interested in football.
“Now that football is the sexiest thing on the planet, let’s attract the middle class, the tourist fans, the fans that will go to the mega store and the matches and so on.
“I think this is a direction of travel and it’s only going to continue to travel one way.”
Maguire then explained how he had been hired by the Spirit of Shankly fan group to do an analysis of Liverpool’s prices from 1992-93 through to the present day.
And that led to another warning that will strike fear into supporters across the country.
He added: “We’ve had freezes but at the same time there’s been significant increases in the last couple of years.
“Once that becomes embedded then I think it will become part of the expectation of the owners.
“They will try to put up prices each year.”
