Mumsnet has welcomed the “genuinely affordable” cost of children’s tickets to watch Premier League football.
Data released by the league showed that the average cost per match for a junior season ticket in the 2019-20 season is £7, with the figure rising to £9 when individual matchday tickets are taken into account.
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said: “Parents love seeing their kids enjoying football, and it’s great to see clubs choosing to support their youngest supporters with junior tickets that are genuinely affordable.”
There are nearly 65,000 junior season tickets available across the Premier League, the study showed. More than 1.5 million junior tickets will be sold in the Premier League this season, accounting for 12 per cent of all tickets.
Young Chelsea supporters pose with club mascots before a game against Burnley (John Walton/PA)
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: “Fanbases span generations and it is particularly pleasing to see low ticket prices for young supporters, ensuring that families can enjoy attending matches together.”
Crystal Palace offer season tickets for under-10s starting at £95 and all their under-18 season tickets equate to between £13 and £21 per match, with approximately 2,000 sold during 2019-20.
Eagles boss Roy Hodgson said: “I came to Selhurst Park as a young boy with my dad, it’s where my love of the game began, so I know what it means to get your first taste of watching live football. It’s wonderful to think so many more young people will have that opportunity too.”
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Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson has welcomed the club’s work to encourage young people to attend matches (Adam Davy/PA)
At Manchester City, under-18 season cards are priced between £6 and £16 a match and have proved popular, with about 4,500 sold for the 2019-20 season.
The study found that a majority of fans – 53 per cent, pay less than £30 per ticket. The average ticket price is £32, compared with £31 in 2018-19 and £32 in 2017-18.
One in five away tickets costs less than £25, with the average cost being £29.
The Football Supporters’ Association said: “Football should be affordable to all members of society and that’s especially important when it comes to the next generation of young supporters.
“We also believe away fans deserve special protection and we’d like to see a league-wide away ticket price structure for age bands and prices of senior (over 65) £20, youth (18-22) £15, kids (18-) £10.
“While it’s clear that some clubs have generous concessions, there are still outliers. Averages can hide higher costs at specific games. Not everyone can afford a season ticket and match-specific deals are still very important.
“Top-flight clubs enjoy enormous revenues, driven largely by broadcast deals. The FSA will continue to lobby for cheaper ticket schemes at all levels – a good example being the away price cap which was implemented in the Premier League following a great campaign by our members.”
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