A growing revolt is brewing in English football as Premier League clubs roll out season ticket policies critics say are driving out long-time “legacy” fans in favor of higher-spending “football tourists.”
An investigation by Telegraph Sport found that the changes—ranging from inflation-busting price hikes to personal attendance requirements—are reshaping the match-day experience and alienating core supporters. The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has vowed to escalate its Stop Exploiting Loyalty campaign in response.
Rising Costs for Loyal Fans
Thirteen of the league’s 20 clubs raised adult season ticket prices for 2025-26, with increases ranging from 2.8% at Fulham to 14% at Leeds United. Pensioners have been hit hardest: Manchester United, under new part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, paired a 5% overall increase with cutting its 50% senior discount in half—effectively a 57% rise for some long-time fans.
Fan group The 1958 blasted the move as “a total disgrace” and part of “the first phase of reducing the amount of season ticket holders.” United CEO Omar Berrada defended the changes as necessary to offset operating cost increases.
Several clubs—including Arsenal, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Spurs, West Ham, and United—have also raised the age threshold for senior discounts from 65 to 66, and could lift it again to 67 next year in line with the UK state pension age.
Attendance Mandates and Transfer Restrictions
New “minimum usage” rules are adding further pressure. Liverpool now requires season ticket holders to attend at least 15 of 19 home league matches or transfer/list their seat through the club’s platform. Manchester City went further, mandating personal attendance at 10 matches—prompting legal threats from fan group Trade Union Blues, who claim the policy discriminates against supporters with health issues, caregiving responsibilities, or shift work.
City also limits ticket transfers to club members or three pre-registered non-members, a restriction mirrored at Chelsea. Both clubs run official resale platforms, but Chelsea has floated delaying partial refunds until season’s end—a move now under review after pushback.
Hospitality Expansion Forcing Relocations
Long-time season ticket holders have also been displaced by expanded hospitality offerings. Manchester City’s Tunnel Club (£300–£1,400 per game) and Chelsea’s Westview (£1,745–£4,000 per season) have pushed regular fans from prime seating. Similar moves have come at Fulham’s new £350m Riverside Stand, which features a rooftop swimming pool.
The exploitation of such “hospitality” programs by event operators to explode ticket prices and profit margins has taken hold in recent years as a key issue for consumers of live events. Those hoping to attend marquee events are increasingly being forced to purchase tickets with such tangental benefits tacked on – often for significant premiums over the prior “face value” price that tickets were sold at.
Football fans hoping to attend the FIFA World Cup in North America know this all too well – experiencing massive sticker shock for the first round of tickets going on sale for that marquee event next summer.
Fewer New Season Tickets Issued
Several clubs appear to be limiting season ticket availability altogether. Liverpool allocated just 1,000 of 7,000 new seats from its Anfield Road expansion to season tickets, despite a lengthy waitlist. Newcastle hasn’t issued new season tickets in three years, while City only did so this summer after sustained fan protests.
FSA Warns of Long-Term Damage
FSA chair Tom Greatrex warned that prioritizing short-term revenue from “experience” visitors risks hollowing out club culture. “The people at the forefront of creating atmosphere are finding it difficult to attend,” he said, calling it a “false economy” that undermines the Premier League’s product.
Some clubs are even weighing U.S.-style Personal Seat Licences (PSLs). Manchester United recently discussed charging fans up to £4,000 for the right to buy a season ticket in a planned new 100,000-seat stadium—part of a potential £2bn redevelopment plan.
The FSA says its campaign focus is shifting from pure pricing concerns to the broader “changing approach to season tickets” that could fundamentally alter the relationship between clubs and their most loyal fans.
