Hull City fans criticise QPR’s ‘disgusting’ ticket prices for an upcoming Championship fixture between the two sides at Loftus Road.
Supporters who planned to attend the game have voiced their disapproval after away ticket prices for the game later this month were revealed.
The away side head to the capital on the 30th of August for a Tuesday night visit, but the away end might be left busier than hoped with the prices proving to be a stumbling blocks for fans especially during a cost of living crisis.
£36 is the cost of adult prices for the upper tier of the School End, while the club have been labelled disgusting at ticket prices for youngsters under the age of 18 around £18 – there are no concessions on premium tickets below the age of 18.
Those aged over 61 or between 18 and 23 will be made to pay £26 to sit in what Rangers class as the gold tier seating, and the silver tiered seating is at £30, however Under-8s will be admitted free of charge with a full paying adult providing those tickets are secured before matchday.
London clubs 🤝 ripping off fans
— Jamie Turnbull (@ThatjamieT) August 15, 2022
Fans wanting to go on the away day by coach from the MKM Stadium can get a seat for £37.50, but those without memberships are to pay £50 with Tiger Travel leaving at 12:45pm on the day of the game – no tickets will be available to pay on the gate at Queens Park Rangers.
The West London outfit’s prices have gone up across the board from last season’s meeting, which saw Marcus Forss net an equaliser for Hull in a 1-1 draw back in February 2022.
Adult tickets in the 2021/22 camapign cost £33 with Under-18s priced at £16 for the premium seats, and £28 for adults and £13 for Under-18s in the silver bracket, report Hull Live.
The Tigers are at the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to their own ticket policy, with Acun Ilicali reducing the cost of tickets in some areas ahead of the new season.
Norwich City fans were charged £20 for Saturday’s game at the MKM Stadium if they were bought in advance, while youngsters aged from 2 to 22 could get a ticket for as little as £3, the most expensive costing £10.
“Away fans are vital to the matchday spectacle and an important part of English football’s match-going tradition but too often fans in the Championship have to put up with eye-watering away ticket prices that put them off following their team,” a spokesperson for the Football Supporters Federation told Hull Live.
“Clubs have shown – like with Reading’s reciprocal away price deals – that they are able to act in fans’ interests and make football more affordable, we wish more would follow that lead.”
Reading made headlines around the world a few months ago for releasing a letter sent to every Championship club offering a reciprocal ticket deal in which away fans would be charged £20 at the SCL Stadium if Reading fans are offered the same in return.
The likes of Cardiff, Huddersfield, Blackburn, Swansea, Watford and Birmingham were among some of the first to accept this and many figures around the football-sphere have come out in support of the initiative, however Simon Jordan took to his radio show to come out against the idea which everyone but him seems to be loving.
Speaking on the show with Trevor Sinclair and host Jim White, he said: “Watch it on iFollow. You can’t have what you want, when you want it, how you want it.
“I want tickets at XYZ stadium because I want it, tough. If you go to a theatre, what do you pay? Y
“You don’t go to away games every other week if you don’t want to, no one has tied your tongue to the back of a bus and dragged you there.
“I don’t see any reason why if the Premier League then the Championship shouldn’t do £30. Football costs money at every level.
“If you’re watching Reading it’s because you value watching Reading in the same way that if you are a Manchester United fan you value watching Manchester United.
“I agree that maybe £40 is a price point that needs to be pushed back against.
“If the Premier League is charging £30 for away tickets and they’ve got 97 per cent attendances, and the Championship has got 60 per cent attendances, then maybe £30 is a fairer concession.”
Jordan owned Crystal Palace between 2000 and 2010 before putting the club into administration.
Supporters want an EFL away ticket price cap according to a survey carried out by the Middlesbrough Supporters Forum (MSF).
MSF’s survey, carried out to understand more about why fans do or don’t travel to the Riverside stadium as away fans, showed that 97% of fans want to see an away ticket price cap in the division.
Supporters surveyed said they wanted to see a league-wide price cap somewhere between £20 and £25.
Mark Motley, chair of MSF, said: “We were keen to find out why many fans are reluctant to travel to Boro to follow their team as we have a fairly low away attendance at many games.
“The research showed us that it is a combination of issues, some of which are out of the club’s control – Middlesbrough can’t be geographically moved! However, there are some things including ticket prices and better and comprehensive information for away fans that could be considered.”
When asked if they had travelled to Middlesbrough at any time to watch their team, 26% of responders said no.
The main reasons given were distance, cost of travel and cost of ticket. However, a number of supporters said the ground was difficult to get to on an increasingly expensive public transport network.
“As a fans’ group we are firmly in favour of a price cap on away tickets and that is obviously reflected across all clubs with an overwhelming vote in favour,” Mark said.
“The other, less positive, thing to come out of our survey is the rise in anti-social behaviour.
“This reflects the anecdotal feedback MSF is getting from Boro supporters at away games, and something that we are working with Middlesbrough to understand what can be done to crack down on this.”
Lower ticket prices, better transport links, a guide to Middlesbrough and more to do before and after the match were given as things that could be done to attract bigger away followings.
The MSF research was carried out in June 2022 – with 144 responses from 19 Championship clubs.
The Football Supporters’ Association said: “A number of clubs in the division are charging away fans some eye-watering prices that put some fans off following their team away.
“Previously, the EFL has said it would not introduce a competition-wide price cap, saying that pricing was a matter for each individual club.
“The FSA continues to support a cap and urges clubs not to take advantage of away fans visiting their grounds. Away fans are vital to the matchday spectacle and an important part of English football’s matchgoing tradition.”
Twitter users gave their thoughts as Hull City fans criticise QPR’s ‘disgusting’ ticket prices for the Championship fixture…
@joel_robin5on: Absolutely ridiculous pricing considering what we will be offering their fans this season.
@BillRobins6: Absolutely disgusting pricing should be ashamed @QPR #qpr. Already an expensive trip made 20x more expensive on a Tuesday night too wtf!! We defo need to charge them the same when they come up here
@KsaHull: QPR are aware I could go to Bahrain and back with £36 worth of Petrol, outrageous pricing and its a Midweek game which makes this even more of a crime 👎. @QPR #20IsPlenty
@BenArksey04: Outrageous prices
@andysteelehull: So much for Twenty is Plenty.
@1904Irrelevants: @QPR you really are a joke. When @QPR visit us can we put a load of temporary pillars across the NE Corner and block their view but just knock a couple of quid of the price
@CW_Wells123: Dont punish us, we are just as angry as you are. In fact, ive personally written on behalf of every hull fan asking for the price to be reduced. I can only offer my apologies, £36 is a complete joke in the current climate.
@mthw11: £36 to sit in a shoe box.
@ExileAryui: 76 quid if you want to go with tiger travel! Which lets be honest is probably the cheapest and most reliable way of getting to London these days!! The price is extortionate considering only 25 quid a month to see my team for the entire month…. @QPR should be disgusted
@cole_qpr: I’m so sorry, those prices are ridiculous wtf
@jamessbeckk: 36 QUID ?! Along with forever rising travel ?! And on a Tuesday. Got it horribly wrong there rangers…
@superhoop50: Awful pricing!
@StonesThrow_W12: Grim pricing that – @QPR do better
@DagenhamGeeza: I can’t afford that unfortunately. I really wanted to go to this one but with the cost of bills and everything else and my wages remaining the same I’m going to have to miss out. Hope everyone who goes has a good time, it’s a decent away day!
@Mas1882: £36 is a disgrace for any match day let alone a midweek game! You’ve got this terribly wrong @QPR.
@QPRW7: It’s basic economics. If Hull bring a 1000 supporters @ £36 and 25% of them spend £10 at the ground, total revenue for QPR is £5100. If they bring £1500@ £20 and 25% spend a £10 in the ground, total revenue is £6750. C’mon @QPR sort it out!
@mwhelan1968: Shocking prices from my club 😡
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