Football fan rip-offs

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Sarah Coles
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410391>
09.08.07 <http://www.moneywise.co.uk/>

**

Most men think about it an average of 80 times a day, the costs involved
have pushed one in five into debt and it's even been cited in divorce cases.
Yes, it's *football*.

A survey by Virgin Money has found that the spiralling cost of the national
obsession has pushed one Birmingham City fan *£25,000* into debt and caused
others to miss mortgage payments and spend house deposits.

This is much less surprising when you think about the costs involved. The
Virgin Money Football Fans' Price Index puts the cost of going to a match -
including travel, a ticket, merchandise, food and drink - at £91.87, a *
17.8% rise* in the last year.

Rip-off
The bulk of the cost comprises the ticket which, according to a survey by
The Sun, 49% of fans consider a *rip-off*. Londoner Sean Kerr, a 38-year-old
lettings agent and Tottenham fan, said when he first got his season ticket
20 years ago the cost was around £8 a match. He says: "Over the years, the
price steadily increased and now it's around £35 a game."

Season tickets can cost about the same as two months' mortgage payments.
Arsenal is the priciest, with an average season ticket price of £1,355.
Spurs isn't far behind with an average of £1,064, followed by Chelsea at
£900 and Liverpool at £675.

For the new season there have been even further hikes. Sunderland introduced
the most *shocking increase*, at 19%, while Manchester United pushed prices
up 14% and West Ham 7%. But to give credit where it's due, there have been
price freezes too - and even cuts. Arsenal, Newcastle, Birmingham and Derby
have all frozen prices for the third year running, while some clubs have cut
prices, including Wigan, Bolton, Aston Villa and Blackburn.

However, the expense doesn't end with the ticket, as there are also travel
costs. "When Spurs got into Europe, I went to see them in Germany and in the
Netherlands," says Sean. "With travel and accommodation, those trips were *
exorbitant*."

The knowledge that the opposing team's fans have a much better deal just
rubs it in further. A recent survey by consumer group Which? compared the
cheapest seated season tickets for a number of international clubs. *Arsenal
was the most expensive at £885, a shocking nine times more expensive than
Italian club Inter Milan at just £94.50.* Even season tickets for huge clubs
like Bayern Munich and Barcelona cost just £175.

Showing your colours
Then there's the question of kit - supporters want to wear the club shirt to
matches. The replica football shirt scam was exposed back in 2003 when the
Office of Fair Trading found that Manchester United had engaged in *price
fixing* with the Football Association, Umbro and a number of other retailers
between 2000 and 2001. Which? is now calling for people who believe they
were victims of this rip-off to make contact, as it plans to sue under
powers granted it by the Enterprise Act.

But it doesn't take price fixing for these nylon nasties to be *over-priced*.
There's at least one new design for die-hard fans to buy each season, as
even clubs that pledge a minimum lifespan of two seasons for each shirt will
introduce a different kit or away-kit every year. For example, in May,
Tottenham Hotspur unveiled four shirts for the 2007/08 season - a home,
away, third and 125-year anniversary shirt, the latter costing £55.

The Government looked like it was going to act in 1999, when its Football
Task Force proposed a Football Audit Commission and an Ombudsman to
adjudicate supporters' grievances. But Kate Hoey, the sports minister at the
time, said the Football Association and Premier League brought pressure to
bear on the Government to ensure these recommendations were buried.

Taking action
So, as no one else is willing to control these rip-offs, it seems it's up to
the supporters themselves. The Football Supporters Federation has published
a petition at fsf.org.uk where you can add your signature calling for
cheaper tickets.

Alternatively, you can vote with your feet. Sean eventually decided to give
up his season ticket. He's not alone: Virgin found *one-in-eight* fans said
they would not be renewing their season ticket because of the cost.

But those who *surrender *their ticket are the exceptions to the rule,
because it's not that easy to give up on a passion. And even if this trickle
becomes a flood, there will always be more fans to fill the seats, whatever
the cost. There are 40,000 people on the waiting list for Arsenal, the most
expensive club in the Premiership, and while there are so many willing fans,
the beautiful game will always come with some ugly expenses.


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