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Liverpool fan groups send open letter to club with warning about 'killing the Kop'

Liverpool supporters on The Kop during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City.
-Credit:Carl Recine/Getty Images


Liverpool FC fan groups have joined forces to write an open letter to the Anfield club warning that rising ticket prices are risking "killing the Kop". The issue will be discussed at a meeting on Monday.

Ticket prices rose by two per cent this season and the letter addressed to Liverpool managing director Andy Hughes and signed by Spirit of Shankly, Spion Kop 1906, Official Liverpool Supporter Clubs’ Network, Liverpool Women Supporters’ Club and cultuRED — has urged the Reds' hierarchy to lower the cost of attending fixtures.

"We understand that football is a business and other clubs make a choice to target the richest people interested in attending stadiums without consideration of the consequences for culture and atmosphere," the letter reads. "But football is also a community. Liverpool FC is in Anfield, and should be of Anfield.

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"A Premier League match should not be off limits to a supporter growing up in the same postcode as the club. We know the club will argue that every penny generated is reinvested, but the revenue from ticket price increases for general admission and season ticket holders represents a fraction of the club’s overall income. It is a myth that ticket price rises are required to remain competitive.

"Pricing out supporters risks undermining the very foundation of what makes Liverpool FC special. The Kop, the culture of it, and the people in it, should be valued and protected. Clubs in Germany, Brentford here in the Premier League, and others elsewhere have shown that success on and off the pitch does not require exploiting supporters at every turn, every year."

Adult general admission tickets at Anfield currently cost between £9 ($11) and £61 ($74). Season tickets start at £713 ($869) and go up to £904 ($1101) depending on where the seat is located in the stadium. Fan groups want to see both general admission and season tickets reduced ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, though there is also another wider issue of access to tickets no matter the cost.

Liverpool has already committed to meaningful engagement with fans on various issues. The Liverpool Supporters' Board has given fans representation at board level since 2022. It consists of various representatives drawn from fan organizations in an attempt to cover all the interests of Liverpool’s diverse global fanbase.

Liverpool.com says: Ticket prices are too high across the board and it would be great to see Liverpool take the lead on such an issue and really make a statement. It would make a limited difference to the club's accounts to save match-going supporters some cash, but for fans, it would really make an impact.