By Matt Barlow
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An angry group of Arsenal fans have written to chief executive Ivan Gazidis to stress concerns about the club's ticket prices.
The debate has gathered pace with the Gunners in the firing line after Manchester City sent back more than 900 tickets for Sunday's game at the Emirates because many supporters refused to pay 62.
Hefty: Arsenal fans are expected to pay premium rate to watch their team
This has been the price for visiting fans to watch a top game at Arsenal since prices were restructured in the summer, with the fixtures split into three price brackets depending upon the opposition.
What it costs in Europe...
GERMANY
Borussia Dortmund v Nurnberg, Jan 25
(12.50-57)
Bayern Munich v Stuttgart, January 27
(25-50)
ITALY
Juventus v Udinese, Jan 19 (12.50-74)
Sampdoria v Milan, Jan 13 (16.50-82)
SPAIN
Valencia v Sevilla, Jan 12 (16.50-82)
Malaga v Barcelona, Jan 13 (38-86)
INTERNATIONAL
England v Brazil 10-65
SAM CUNNINGHAM
The change has met with stiff opposition, with Arsenal fans who created the Black Scarf Movement in protest at price increases in 2010, particularly unhappy. They protested before a game in November and this week wrote to Gazidis.
'It appears that the full implications of last year's ticketing review are starting to hit home,' read the letter. 'From the season's start, the new ticket pricing structure was viewed with great cynicism. For many, it was a perceived case of giving with one hand, taking back (and then some) with the other.
'Of course reduced ticket prices for the lesser games are welcome, yet the flip side is the ever more extortionate pricing for our more glamorous fixtures. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find any football fan who considers the club's Category A prices (62 to 126) reasonable.
'Was the overall plan of the ticketing review merely to address the increasing number of empty seats for our bread-and-butter games in the belief that Category A fixtures would sell out no matter what the price?
Under pressure: Chief executive Ivan Gazidis (left)
'The extremely slow ticket sales for Manchester City (indeed Manchester City fans even boycotting the fixture due to cost) and more empty seats at every game seem to indicate a misjudgement. We call for, at the very least, a freeze on all ticket prices for the 2013-14 season.'
Fans are suspicious of price 'restructuring', assuming that hikes are obscured by the complicated process.
Other questions were raised in the BSM letter, including why tickets for Arsenal's FA Cup third-round replay against Swansea next week are Category B (starting at 35.50) when a Premier League game against the same opponents is Category C (starting at 25.50). The Gunners claim many of their tickets are cheaper than last season and that Chelsea and Tottenham sold out their full allocation of 62 tickets at the Emirates.
Arsenal also point out that their fans will pay more for away tickets at 13 Premier League games this season than fans of their opponents will pay to watch their side at the Emirates in the return fixture.
Arsenal communications director Mark Gonnella said: 'We understand the concerns of supporters in the current economic environment.
No deal: Manchester City returned over 900 unsold tickets for the clash against Arsenal
'This was behind our creation of new categories of games which has created 90,000 tickets at cheaper prices than last season. In addition we continue to provide supporters tickets at prices as low as 10 for Capital One Cup matches. We will continue to work to find ways for supporters to have more affordable ticket prices.'
Liverpool are expected to sell their allocation when they visit this month but the reaction of City fans prompted others to enter the debate.
Fans' groups around the country have been in contact promising solidarity on the issue and Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation, said football risked turning fans away from live action if Premier League clubs do not use the proceeds from the five-year, 3billion TV deal which comes into force next season to help fans.
Clarke claimed that the imminent cash bonanza from TV could be used to slash ticket prices by 30 each. 'If it is far cheaper to spend the afternoon in the pub, where is the incentive to attend matches?' he said, but it is rarely straightforward.
Conference club Luton were unhappy to find their income will be hit because Premier League Norwich reduced their FA Cup fourth round tickets to 10 to ensure a healthy crowd at Carrow Road.
The Premier League got involved yesterday, ruling out the idea of a price-cap and defended the rights of its members to charge what they wanted.
A Premier League spokesman said: 'Ticket pricing is a matter for individual clubs, many of which work hard to fill their stadiums with offers at different points during a season that make top-flight football accessible to large numbers of fans.'
Arsenal always discussing problems, the other time crisis of trying to win games, then Walcott saga came, now ticket prices being too high, all these issues require Arsene Wenger, lots of games parked coming in, we have to atleast bring in a midfield enforcer to cut off those useless goals we are conceeding, and it looks we have no priority, may be now Wenger's focus is on the return of Diaby, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa everything at the moment at Arsenal looks just rubbish lets see what happens
- Dhama Charles Wilson , Kampala, Uganda, 11/1/2013 06:29
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