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Liverpool’s response to demands for lower ticket prices


Enough is enough, said the Liverpool fans on Saturday. Against Sunderland, Liverpool fans - including, apparently, Jamie Carragher - walked out of Anfield in the 77th minute. That number was chosen because of the £77 ticket to be introduced for some games next season. That wasn’t all, as there were to be season tickets which would cost, for the first time, in excess of £1,000. Fans were understandably outraged, and roughly 25% of those in the grounds walked out in protest and in disgust.

However, we are told that Liverpool have listened. FSG and Ian Ayre have seen how badly the fans have taken the news, and how it seems they are out of touch with their supporters. As a result, with more protests to come, and the prospect of the movement of fans’ resistance spreading from Liverpool to the rest of the Premier League, they will take action. They will make sure that the fans are engaged and listened to. Yahoo can reveal some of the proposed changes to help fans get better value for money, depending on the retention of season ticket holders for next season.

Special, anti-singing sections

You can’t claim that the board is totally cut off from what it’s fans want, just listen to this: as part of an incredible piece of outreach to the club’s supporters, it has done an online survey on Twitter and Facebook, to make sure that every voice is heard. The survey focussed on what people would like most from the match day experience. It broke down into several recurring themes, each of which will be implemented next season, if they retain 70% of their season ticket sales, as a thank you.

The most desired change from this global pulse taking was to take an amended idea from Old Trafford. Just as some fans there had asked for a singing section in order to preserve the tradition, many at Liverpool, those who have only made a few visits - but at high prices - would like to be guaranteed a position away from anyone who might be tempted to sing. As a result, there will be an establishment of Non-Singing Sections in 95% of Anfield, with the remaining 5% of seats broken up into 1% (Singing Section) and 4% (Stewards and other noise-proofing instruments around the Singing Section).

There are two other proposed changes, both of which will be introduced if 75% of season tickets are retained at next season’s prices. The first change will be the opportunity to pay a £5 levy on your tax (plus £6 admin fee) which would give the ticket holder the opportunity to rent iPads (£20 + £220 deposit) to use throughout the game, should they stump up for the WiFI (Network Name: Dunkin Donuts).

The second change is the chance to have a picture signed by John Aldridge (20p) at a post-match meet and greet.

Introduction of a third transfer window, with more to come

This is not a Liverpool specific initiative, but is an idea supported by Liverpool as well as the other major Premier League clubs. Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have promised to lobby for the change if they retain 95% of their season tickets at the proposed 2016/17 prices.

This group would ask the Premier League, the FA, UEFA and FIFA for the introduction of a special, bonus transfer window to be sponsored by the highest bidder on each available occasion. Rather than be scheduled for a particular time in the season, a two-day window could be activated with an agreement to sponsor the event for £6 million - and an extra day could be added to that window for each additional £1.5 million. Honda are believed to be very interested, as is Jorge Mendes, who could stand to make far more than £6 million in any transfer window.

Hard Fi to do special version of YNWA

In an example of the widening gap between what the owners think local Liverpool fans, and what daytrippers from Norway actually prefer, there have been suggestions that an 80% retention of season ticket holders would result in Staines’ finest rock band, Hard Fi, would be commissioned to record their own inimitable version of Liverpool’s classic anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone. This would be made available for download as a mp3 on the official club website, at a very reasonable price.

Rejected ideas

Obviously, some ideas had to be rejected. Given the scope of the survey, there were some completely ridiculous proposals floated that had to be rejected out of hand. The first was to make a unilateral agreement with all Premier League clubs that they would charge a maximum £20 for away tickets. The second was to reduce ticket prices to their 2012/13 levels, and then increase or decrease them in line with deflation, and use 10% of any increase in television revenue to subsidise ticket prices. All of these ideas were rejected, and described by Sajid Javid MP as, ‘like something out of the communist manifesto.’