The Football Supporters Federation (FSF) will be marching on the Premier League and Football League headquarters in London on Thursday to demand affordable ticket prices.

Soccer fans are protesting the rising ticket prices, particularly in the Premier League, that they claim are excluding many soccer fans from attending games.

Ticket prices have risen much above the rate of inflation in recent years, with more and more lucrative broadcasting and sponsorship deals being signed along the way. The FSF is campaigning on the grounds that in an ever more lucrative environment, clubs could sacrifice gate money to provide a more accessible Premier League, to those of all income brackets.

It’s important to recognize that there have been steps taken. Clubs are now required to provide certain assistance to away day travelers, in the form of subsidizing costs or providing free travel to away games further away. The FSF would say that these types of regulations are a small measure that doesn’t solve the issue.

Of course, if clubs are continually selling out their stadiums, there may be little financial incentive to cut ticket prices. Though there is an ever increasing amount of money in top flight soccer, gate money still provides an important source of income for all clubs.

Whilst there has been a lot of media attention in recent years on rising ticket prices, drawing comparisons towards what is seen as the more affordable German Bundesliga, a recent report concluded that much of the data presented can be misleading, and once one accounts for promoted clubs adjusting their prices, the rise in ticket prices is minimal.

The debate is certainly one that will rage onward. Though one has sympathy for fans who have been excluded from following their Premier League clubs, the hyperbole and misleading statements from all sides make it difficult to get a clear view of the situation for many onlookers. This march will be part of a continuing, wider protest from soccer fans to make soccer more accessible, and the debate is unlikely to end any time soon.

Read more details regarding the march on the Premier League and Football League headquarters.

H/T SportingIntelligence for the ticket prices data.

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