After a long period of yearly incremental rises in cost, prices in English football have gone down in 2013-14.
The study, prepared by the BBC Sport Price of Football, includes the prices of 164 clubs in the top 10 divisions.
Last year’s study revealed the average price of the cheapest ticket in English football had gone up by 11% – four times the rate of inflation. This year, however, average prices for the cheapest and most expensive match-day and season tickets both decreased.
Across the four divisions of English football, the cheapest adult season ticket category went down 2.4% (from $544.45 in 2012 to $531.18 in 2013) while the average for the most expensive adult season ticket fell 1.6% (from $863.04 in 2012 to $849.30 in 2013). The average for the cheapest adult match-day ticket decreased 1.9% (from $33.55 to $32.94) while the average for the most expensive adult match-day ticket dropped around 1% (from $53.89 to $53.41).
But while these numbers reflected improvements across English football, prices still increased in the Premier League where there was a 4.3% rise in the average price of the cheapest season tickets (from $739.27 to $772.70). At $1,558.76, Arsenal charge the highest price in the league for the most affordable adult season ticket. Given Arsenal’s state of the art stadium and the club’s adherence to being run as a business, their place atop the ticket price table comes at little shock.
What may surprise, however, is the club with the cheapest season ticket. That honor goes to Manchester City, who charge only $473.17 for a season of action in their most affordable seats.
Although the average price of the cheapest season tickets in the Premier League have gone up, league average for affordable adult match-day tickets is $32.94, down 1.9% from last year. And nobody does it cheaper than Newcastle, where $23.70 will get you into 90 minutes of bliss at St. James’ Park.
But what would a British football study be without numbers on two of the more important things in life – pies and tea. The study reveals that at $6.32, Crystal Palace and Kidderminster charge the most for pies while at $3.95, Manchester United has put a premium on its tea.
Food for thought.
