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Tickets are advertised on the big screen at Goodison Park. PA Archive/Press Association Images
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How much? The price a football fan must pay to follow their team

Thinking of heading over for a match? You better start saving!

IT’S NOT CHEAP being a football fan and supporting a club in England will continue to burn holes in your pocket, according to the BBC’s Cost of Football study.

The average price of tickets have soared at almost twice the rate of the cost of living in the past three years.

The survey, which is in its fourth year, found that Premier League fans are paying almost four times the amount for a season ticket compared to supporters on the continent.

The average season ticket in England’s top tier will set you back £508 in comparison to just £138 in Germany’s Bundesliga. Arsenal is the most expensive club to watch with a season ticket at the Emirates Stadium ranging from £1,014 to £2,013.

Overall, the average price of the cheapest match-day ticket has risen by 13 per cent to £21.49 since 2011. In that same period, the cost of living in Britain has gone up by 6.8 %.

In Scotland, Annan charge £120 for their cheapest season ticket, the lowest price in either England or Scotland.

The extensive study also gathered data on the price of merchandise and how much you’d have to fork out for a half-time pie at any of the 92 Football League grounds. Manchester United have the most expensive replica shirts at £55 while a cup of tea will cost you £2.50 at Old Trafford, Anfield and Southampton.

Here are some of the key findings:

  • Arsenal have the most expensive match-day ticket in the Premier League at £97. 
  • The Gunners also have the most expensive season ticket in the top flight at £2,013, although it includes seven credits for cup competitions. Their cheapest season ticket is £1,014, which is more than 17 Premier League clubs charge for their most expensive one.
  • Manchester City have the league’s cheapest season ticket at £299. That’s cheaper than at 15 Championship clubs, 10 clubs in League One, four in League Two and even one in the Conference.
  • Charlton’s £150 season ticket is the cheapest in England’s top four divisions. However, Barcelona charge around £103 for their lowest-priced season ticket
  • In Scotland’s Premiership the average price for the cheapest day out at Premiership matches, including a match-day ticket, pie, cup of tea and a programme, increased by just 61p to £26.95 from last season.

The swelling ticket prices haven’t impacted on attendances, however. The average Premier League attendance last season was 36,695, representing an annual increase. It’s estimated as many as 177,000 Irish football fans make the journey across water each season with Old Trafford and Anfield the most popular destinations.

The latest set of figures has caused further anger among fans at a time when the amount of money clubs are receiving for television rights is at an all-time high. The Football Supporters’ Federation has called for clubs to use the inordinate TV deals from Sky and BT to cut ticket prices, claiming they could knock about £30 off each ticket and still generate the same revenue.

Premier League clubs now spend 71p on wages for every £1 generated while match-day revenue increased by 6% in the Premier League last season to £585m.

Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the group, said there was “no excuse at all” for the continuing rises. ”Three times the rate of inflation is completely unacceptable from an industry that’s got megabucks going in at the top,” he said.

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