* Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Inflation Index falls 5.2% in a year
* Clubs cut ticket prices and replica shirt costs
The cost of following football has fallen to a two-year low as clubs across all divisions cut ticket prices and replica shirt costs in a bid to keep fans onside, according to Virgin Money’s authoritative Football Fans’ Index.
In sharp contrast to rising prices in the wider economy where the Consumer Price Index has hit a 17-month high of 3.7%, inflation for football fans has fallen 5.2% in the past year, Virgin Money’s research shows.
And that means the cost of attending a game is now at its lowest level since April 2008 with the price fall mainly attributable to football clubs across the Premiership, Championship and Divisions 1 and 2 cutting back in order to ensure stadiums are still packed.
Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Inflation Index, which measures the real matchday costs, shows the average price of going to a live game is still a hefty £84.89 – but that is a genuine bargain compared with the highpoint of October 2008 when it hit £106.21. The real matchday costs include a pint of lager, a match ticket, a replica shirt, and a match programme as well as some travel expenses.
The index shows average ticket prices across all divisions are now £22.56 and replica shirt costs have fallen to £23.75. However other parts of the basket of goods used to calculate the inflation index have risen including petrol prices and pay-per-view costs.
Research in February showed up to one-in-four season ticket holders were considering not renewing for next season in a bid to cut costs with 4% planning on giving up the game entirely and 21% looking to buy tickets when it suits. Many clubs have however frozen season tickets or only introduced small increases with Manchester United, one of the few to raise prices for this season, announcing a freeze.
Grant Bather, spokesman for Virgin Money, said: “Football is often accused of being divorced from reality and for once that is something to celebrate. Inflation in the economy as a whole is heading up but costs are going down in football.
“It appears that clubs have got the message that fans cannot keep on paying more and more for football and are giving something back. That said the cost of going to a game is still a major chunk out of anyone’s disposable income.
Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters’ Federation, commented: “This reduction in the very high cost of watching football in this country is very welcome, particularly at a time when unemployment is rising. But we have to remember that these costs are still very high compared with many of our European counterparts and with other forms of entertainment. Football still has a very long way to go before it once again becomes accessible to all sections of the community - particularly at the top end of the game.”
DATE COST
January 2006 £77.95
May 2006 £84.80
September 2006 £90.29
January 2007 £90.46
May 2007 £90.87
September 2007 £95.08
February 2008 £85.19
July 2008 £87.75
October 2008 £106.21
January 2009 £95.60
May 2009 £89.53
August 2009 £101.02
November 2009 £102.53
February 2010 £89.09
May 2010 £84.89
Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Index has tracked the cost of football since January 2006 and is aimed at helping supporters keep track of the rises and falls in the costs of supporting their team. The company identified the match day essentials fans buy and keeps tabs on increases and decreases.
At the launch of the index in January 2006, the match day basket of goods cost £77.95. However the most recent analysis puts the cost at £84.89 – a rise of £6.94 per match day. Virgin Money’s Football Fans’ Index runs every three months and the firm’s research team examines the cost of items such as a gallon of petrol, match tickets, food, alcohol, train tickets and replica shirts.
