Liverpool chiefs ‘in ticket price review’
THE owners of Liverpool Football Club are reported to be considering a review of their controversial new ticket prices after a mass walkout by fans at Anfield on Saturday.
Around 10,000 supporters protested by walking out of the club’s home match on the 77th minute – a time chosen as £77 is the new top priced-ticket for some games next season.
Boston-based Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owner, instigated the discussions in the aftermath of the unprecedented demonstration, which fans groups say is just the start of a sustained campaign.
The next phase appears to be to target Liverpool’s commercial partners. One key group, Spirit of Shankly, has published email addresses of key executives at Subway – the food brand – and urged its members to write to them voicing concern at the club’s plans.
Their message is to: “tell FSG we are supporters not customers”.
Although Liverpool has said there would be only 1,200 tickets priced at £77 over the course of the season, the response to the proposals unveiled last week has unquestionably been negative, leaving FSG, which is understood to be “surprised and disappointed” by the reaction, to consider its options.
According to The Times, talks involving Tom Werner, the Liverpool chairman, Mike Gordon, the president of FSG, and other leading members of the club’s hierarchy, most notably Ian Ayre, the chief executive, are expected to continue this week.
The uproar has been triggered after prices were announced for next season in the redeveloped Main Stand at the historic ground. Fenway has funded the £120m project via an interest-free loan.
A planned question and answer session on the new pricing structure with chief executive Ian Ayre, scheduled to take place on Monday evening was cancelled due to “ongoing ticketing discussions”, the club’s Twitter account said.
