The London Assembly today asked the Mayor to help keep football ticket prices affordable.
The Assembly agreed a motion calling for the Mayor to negotiate with Premier League clubs who have benefitted from regeneration support, to ensure that tickets are affordable for all, especially those communities where the clubs are located.
Murad Qureshi AM, who proposed the motion said:
“The Mayor’s recent approval for the development of Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium at White Hart Lane marks the latest in a number of high profile stadium-led regeneration projects across London. But the success of these schemes doesn’t just rest on delivering jobs, skills and new infrastructure - but on using existing club loyalties to boost community cohesion and local pride.
If these developments are to bolster community solidarity then it’s vital football matches are accessible to supporters from all sections of society – and don’t become solely a privilege for the rich. It’s vital the Mayor uses his negotiations during the planning stages of new stadia to make the case for clubs to ensure that tickets are affordable for all, not just the wealthy few.”
The full text of the Motion is:
This Assembly is concerned that the rising cost of tickets[4] for Premiership football matches will make them unaffordable for supporters in London earning an average income[5].
Previous motions[6] by this Assembly have noted the importance of football clubs to communities and the support the Mayor has given to stadium-led regeneration to create job opportunities and improve facilities for local people. With several Premier League clubs benefiting from the Mayor’s support in building new, or expanding existing, stadiums, we now call on the Mayor to use these negotiations to make the case for clubs to ensure that tickets are affordable for all, especially those communities where the clubs are located.
Notes to editors
- Watch the full webcast.
- The motion was agreed by 13 votes for, 3 against.
- Murad Qureshi AM who proposed the motion is available for interviews. Please see contact details below.
- Sky Sports News: Premier League ticket prices revealed 08.10.15 (Accessed 17.01.2015). The most recent rise in ticket prices means that the average season ticket holder spends £32.50 per game. London has some of the highest ticket prices; the cost of the cheapest season ticket at Tottenham Hotspur is £745, this rises to £1014 at Arsenal.
- GLA Household Income Estimates for Small Areas 2012/13 (Accessed 17.01.2015). For many people living in the areas where the clubs are located this is unaffordable; the most recent GLA estimates of household income in Enfield, where Tottenham Hotspur is located, is £33,110 – the cost of a single cheapest season ticket represents over 2 per cent of that income.
- London Assembly Motion “London Living Wage at Football Clubs” 08.07.15 (Accessed 17.01.2015)
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For media enquiries, please contact Alison on 020 7983 4228. For out of hours media enquiries, call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the London Assembly duty press officer. Non-media enquiries should be directed to the Public Liaison Unit on 020 7983 4100.