Labour MPs Demand £30 Cap On Away Ticket Prices Across Football Pyramid
3 min read
Labour MPs are calling for ticket prices to be capped at £30 for away fans across English football.
Luke Charters, MP for York Outer, and Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, are leading a campaign for away tickets across the game to be capped as part of wider reforms to “give back to the grafters” in Britain.
The Premier League, the country's highest division, introduced a £30 cap on away ticket prices in the 2016/17 season, a policy which has been extended for the 2025/26 season.
No cap exists for away fans in the English Football League and National League, with some second-tier clubs charging well more than £30 for travelling supporters. There have been renewed calls for action after fans of Championship club Birmingham City learned that they would be charged £45 for adult tickets and £35 for under-18s to watch their away fixture at Coventry City later this month.
Charters told PoliticsHome: “No club from the Premier League to the National League should be charging more than £30 for an away ticket. Fans work hard all week, saving their money to follow their teams, often spending significantly on travel, food, and drink.
“Clubs higher up the pyramid don’t need the extra revenue. But it’s also important that those lower down consider the financial burden on local supporters.”
The York Outer MP rejected the idea that a cap would be tantamount to interfering with clubs’ commercial models, saying it was “about supporting the fans who keep clubs alive and make football in this country so special.”
“We saw during COVID how empty stadiums and the absence of away fans changed the game. We must ensure fans aren’t priced out of the sport they love.
“I’m proud that my constituency is home to York City, who, like many National League sides, charge well below these inflated prices. But this campaign is also for my constituents who support other clubs, where ticket prices are creeping up."
Labour MP Martin said fans were “rightly frustrated” and as MPs it is important "to show a bit of leadership to bring clubs to the table for a solution".
“Portsmouth supporters are incredibly loyal. They've stuck with the club through administration, relegation, and countless challenges. The last thing they should face is being priced out of supporting their team.
"Premier League fans already enjoy a £30 cap, and there's no reason supporters in the Championship, League One, or League Two should pay more. Football belongs to the communities that support it, and we need to make sure it stays accessible to working families who've been the backbone of this sport for generations.”
Earlier this year, Charters told PoliticsHome that a long-standing ban should be lifted on alcohol consumption in view of the pitch, which has been in place since 1985.
The Football Governance Act, which sets out the Labour government's reforms of the English game, requires clubs to engage with fans on issues relevant to them, like ticket pricing.
