Portsmouth News 24/7Writer: Site Staff 
Date:Monday January 19 2009
Time: 11:29AM
UK time is: 07:05:45
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One In Four Consider Giving Up Season Tickets
Nearly one in four season ticket holders are considering cancelling their tickets and one in 10 are planning to share the cost with friends as recession fears bite football, according to new research from Virgin Money.
The Football Fans' Inflation Index, which has tracked match day costs since January 2006, shows excessive Premier League ticket prices may be putting fans off going to games as the credit crunch bites.
The survey found 24 per cent of season ticket holders are considering cancelling while almost one in 10 fans are considering sharing the cost of a season ticket with family and friends to save cash - a sure-fire way of causing arguments when that crucial game comes round!
Clubs most at risk include West Ham United, Blackburn and Newcastle United where as many as 37 per cent of season ticket holders are having second thoughts about renewing. Even fans of Premier League and European champions Manchester United are feeling the pinch with 36 per cent considering giving up season tickets.
However fans of Wigan are most likely to stay loyal - just 14 per cent are considering giving up their season tickets while 18 per cent of Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom fans are thinking of giving up season tickets.
Malcolm Clarke, chair of the Football Supporters' Federation, said: "Over the last 15 years ticket prices have consistently risen way above ordinary inflation and the industry may well now pay the price for its short-sightedness in allowing that to happen.
"The new TV deal means clubs receive an extra £900m between them, that's £30 for everyone attending a game. They could have afforded to let everybody in for free and still have the same income.
"Clubs will have to cut prices if they don't want to see banks of empty seats."
While this survey covers the English Premier League supporters in Scotland are experiencing similar issues and will be interested to read that MSP Frank McAveety is calling for SPL clubs to allocate free tickets for school kids. With 30,000 empty seats in the SPL every week the clubs certainly need to do something to draw in the next generation of supporter.
PERCENTAGE OF FANS CONSIDERING CANCELLING SEASON TICKETS:
West Ham - 37%
Blackburn - 37%
Newcastle - 37%
Man Utd - 36%
Tottenham - 34%
Portsmouth - 31%
Bolton - 31%
Man City - 31%
Everton - 27%
Aston Villa - 26%
Chelsea - 26%
Liverpool - 26%
Arsenal - 24%
Middlesbrough - 24%
Fulham - 22%
Hull - 20%
Stoke City - 18%
Sunderland - 18%
West Brom - 18%
Wigan - 14%
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Your Comments
I never saw this poll but when money is tight, some things have to give. £30-40 for a ticket is a bit of a luxury, let alone travel etc. As for taking the whole family!!!
storagematt
Have to say they didn't ask me...I put my hand up here - although I had a season ticket up to the year I left Pompey for uni, I haven't had one till this season; I lapsed as a regular attender and remained mostly a TV and the odd London based away games fan. However, like a lot of people, the FA Cup year made me realise what I was missing and I got myself a season ticket. The cost is increased by the rail or petrol costs to get to Fratton but the point is that it has felt like coming home for me, something that was a regular part of my life before I was 18 and it just feels right. I am not considering dropping the season ticket even if we dropped a division BUT it does make me really hacked off with lazy and unpassionate players. I pay a lot, I travel a lot, I suffer quite a bit too but for me supporting Pompey is not a logical choice, it's in the blood. It would be a lot cheaper and a lot more convenient for me to walk the five minutes to Loftus road or the half hour to Craven Cottage from where I live but I am Pompey till I die and making up for the missing years. Hang on....why are 36% of Man U fans giving up their season tickets....? Too far to travel from Surrey?
hammersmithblue
Due to money matters, I have all but had to give up on going to fiitball at the moment. My attempts at making 10 league games plus all the cup games has gone to pot and I will be lucky if I make 10 games all season. It is time that the clubs take a look at the empty seats they are creating by pricing out the average fan.
sneakay
I meant football. Not sure what fiitball is? maybe a new European game which you can watch for free?
sneakay
I'm afraid I'm one of the 1 in 4. Although, I did say that last year too. Think of the million + people who have a vested interest in live football throughout Europe each week. Now consider how many have benefited from the 'player power, high wages, wriggling out of contracts' nonsense of recent years. A few hundred. The players and agents. That's who. How can all this be justified for them. It should be what WE want not them. It's a case of 'the lunatics taking over the asylum', I think. Give me the old days any time.
Et_tu_Pompeii
Philosophically, if we all stop going and watching, the game/industry is dead as a dodo. If the professional players stop playing, then amateurs will fill the void and the 'thing' will grow like in the late 20th century. I know it'll be rubbish but THE POINT is we give the game momentum, it's us who 'construct' the game, it's culture and aura - not them. Ah, when the revolution comes, eh?
Et_tu_Pompeii
Doh! should be 'late 19th century, of course!
Et_tu_Pompeii
Isn't fiitball what they play north of the border?
hammersmithblue
Never would i cancel my season ticket !!! If i sold a ticket it would be purley because i had work or important family comitments.
tommo3146
i might need to buy two if i come back to the uk this year
robertpog
I'd never give up my seat, unless really really desperate financially Pompey is the one thing I do for me ! and living with my misses and my two daughters its the only time I can get away from the colour PINK... Also I reckon that on an annual basis they must spent the £600 my season ticket costs on Barbie's, High School Musical and other pink girly things ! Football is my sanctuary !
Chix
Im withh you Chix, its the one thing i do with money earnt thats for me to have an outlet, I appreciate money is hard for all, and if/when the time came, i may be forced to give mine up, but all the time i'm earning, i cant justify watching my Season ticket go into a supermarket or a gas company, i have to find that money each may, for me, as paying for tickets weekly/monlthy as the games go on sale, would not happen, so the season ticket is for me lol.
Midge
I've only just gone back to my season ticket, had one many years ago when they were a little booklet - now we have brand new half season tickets, which thanks to the Man City postponement are still 'virginal' - I am really hoping to persuade the other 'arf to renew next season even if we do go down - and have been putting a bit of money aside each month for it. But I can understand that a lot of people are feeling the financial pinch, and if they boys aren't doing so well either, something has to go - hopefully it won't be too many people in the end.
tracyc
will i be given my season ticket up? hell no, never again... well unless it reaches an even more criminal level than it is and i seriously cannot justify it anymore - hopefully this will not come!
pompeyrug
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