Growing Concerns from Fan Communities
Over 100 supporter groups are appealing to Premier League teams to freeze ticket prices at home for the upcoming two seasons. In the 2024-25 season alone, 19 of the 20 clubs raised ticket costs, with 13 clubs doing so again for the current season. This has driven 116 fan organizations to seek a cessation of any further hikes.
Supporters are requesting that teams maintain their ticket prices for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons, share comprehensive data on ticket pricing and policies, and engage in discussions regarding future costs.
A correspondence shared by the Football Supporters’ Association states:
Increasing prices are making it increasingly difficult for regular fans, particularly younger audiences and working-class communities, to attend matches.
Upcoming Discussion with Premier League Officials
Reports indicate that the Premier League plans to meet with the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) and fan representatives in December to address the content of the letter. This conversation follows a series of protests by fans against the rising ticket prices.
The letter also points out the difficulties arising from match schedules being altered for television networks, stating:
Organizing matchdays has become more complex, and the expense of attending games has increased.
Moreover, it urges clubs to “cease the ticketing arms race” and suggests that “inflated transfer fees, agent commissions, and record player salaries should not rely on escalating ticket prices to be sustained. While we recognize commercial realities, it’s crucial to pause increases and collaborate for a more equitable approach.”
Additionally, the letter highlights that the existing £30 limit on away tickets is a groundbreaking agreement that demonstrates that ticket prices can be structured effectively.
The Chelsea Supporters Trust, an organization that endorsed this letter, added:
After two years of ticket price increases above inflation that have adversely affected fans, the message is unmistakable: Chelsea must stop raising home ticket prices.
They added:
By endorsing this statement, we advocate for Stamford Bridge to remain accessible, inclusive, and vibrant with the supporters who define Chelsea, both now and in the future.
Schedule Changes for 2026-27 Season
Meanwhile, the Premier League has confirmed that the 2026-27 season will commence on Saturday, August 22. The season is set to conclude on Sunday, May 30, making it the latest starting and finishing season of the league, apart from the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the Premier League attributed these changes to a “congested global football calendar” and the importance of “player welfare.”
The preceding 2025-26 season began on August 15. The shift to starting one week later will create an 89-day gap from the end of the current season and allow for 33 days after the World Cup final.
Additionally, the Premier League noted that its scheduling will strive to avoid overlaps with UEFA club competition dates when possible, and that there will be at least 60 hours between any two match rounds during the Christmas and New Year period.
Next season, the international break in September will be extended so that national teams can play four matches instead of two between September 21 and October 6.