Season tickets to watch champions Manchester City this season are the cheapest in the Premier League but the eye-watering cost of attending games in England continues to soar.
Despite the money from a record television deal pouring into the top flight of English football, fans are still paying through the nose to support their clubs with ticket prices easily outstripping the rise in the cost of living.
The BBC’s Price of Football report, published yesterday, analysed 207 clubs, from season ticket prices to the cost of a half-time meat pie, with the results leading to further calls for a fairer deal for supporters.
According to the report the average cost of the cheapest match-day ticket in the Premier, Champion-ship, League One and League Two is now £21.49 – a rise of 13 per cent since 2011 compared to a 6.8 per cent rise in the cost of living.
While Manchester City fans, who can still buy a £299 season ticket, might feel relatively well off, Arsenal’s cheapest offering is a whopping £1,014, according to the BBC report.
Tottenham Hotspur’s cheapest season ticket is £765 with Chelsea third on the list at £750. The average cost of the cheapest season ticket in the top flight is £508, an 8.7 per cent rise since 2012.
Chelsea’s bargain ticket will leave a £50 dent in the bank account, although Newcastle’s cheapest match-day seat is only £15.
The cost of watching football in England’s top four divisions is in stark contrast to Spain, Germany and France.
Supporters of Barcelona can buy a season ticket for the Nou Camp for £103, compared to the cheapest on offer in England at Champion-ship side Charlton (£150).
French side Lille offer a match-day ticket for around five pounds while fans can watch German heavyweights Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund for as little as £13.
Football Supporters Federation chief Kevin Miles describes the cost of watching football in England as “ridiculous”.
“We want football to be affordable for all,” he said.
“At a time when there’s more money in football than there ever has been before with the incredible television revenues coming in, it is ridiculous that fans are still being squeezed.
“Some of that money has to be made available to subsidise tickets rather than creating a climate where prices are constantly going up.
“Working class people are being priced out. Football is losing its social inclusion,” he added.
Premier League clubs will point to last season’s average attendance of 36,695 – the highest in the top flight since 1949-50 – while attendances in the Championship also rose.
However, critics say football is in danger of losing touch with its fan base as players’ salaries swallow the majority of clubs’ income.