Liverpool fans’ groups have acclaimed the success of their boycott of their game at Hull City and warned they will consider repeating the action if Premier League clubs do not take seriously calls for an across-the-board price cut.
The Spirit of Shankly group claimed there were an estimated 1,500 empty seats in the away end at Hull on Tuesday, of which 1,000 were fans who had bought a child’s ticket for £10 and then stayed away.
The group, which was backed by supporters’ groups from other clubs and the Football Supporters’ Federation, said several hundred of those who boycotted the game gathered at Anfield.
“The most telling aspect was that it was people you were used to seeing at Anfield,” the SoS chair, Jay McKenna, claimed. “It was killing them not to be there. For some it was the first away match they’d missed all season; for some it was the first for several seasons.”
The game on Humberside was targeted by Liverpool fans after Hull set a price of £50 for adult tickets and McKenna said the group had not ruled out repeating the exercise. “If supporters want to and we feel it’s the right step, we’ll do this again,” he said. “It won’t be Hull again, it might be at Anfield. There’ll also be demonstrations outside Anfield. Another element is talking to sponsors and broadcasters. There’s a vital role they play in all of this – they don’t want to show passionless grounds.”
He added: “It wasn’t a withdrawal of our support. It was saying that if you carry on then you’ll end up with these [half-empty] away ends. We will literally be priced out.”
The FSF has appealed to the Premier League to cap away supporters’ tickets at £20 and use some of the proceeds of TV contracts – expected to top at least £8bn – to cut prices. It argues that the passion and full stands that have helped fuel the top flight’s income growth will be undermined if the most loyal fans are priced out.
“It’s indicative of an increase in the temperature, fuelled by the TV money,” said the FSF’s chief executive, Kevin Miles. “It was quite an effective protest – it’s a big ask for fans. Last night’s protest very graphically illustrated what it’s like when you have a half-empty away end.”
McKenna said the fact that grounds are still full is masking deep-rooted issues for many who can no longer afford to support their team. “There is a hollowing out of support,” he said. “There are lads who were on last night’s protest who simply can’t afford to go any more. These are the young lads who organise the banners around Anfield, who organised the greeting of the team bus last season. There are plenty of people who just pick and choose games now. People are desperate to cling on to going to the match because they know that once they stop, that’s it.”
