MX23RW : Tuesday, March 11 02:42:24| >> :120:7944:7944:

Liverpool apologise, announce price freeze

Liverpool announce that ticket prices will be frozen for two years.

Liverpool's owners have issued an apology to fans and announced that ticket prices will be frozen for the next two seasons.

The club sparked outrage last week when it announced that tickets to category A games will cost up to £77 next season, with around 10,000 fans walking out in the 77th minute of their match with West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday.

Now Reds principal owner John W Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Mike Gordon have released a statement apologising for "a tumultuous week" and causing "distress" to their supporters.

"The three of us have been particularly troubled by the perception that we don't care about our supporters, that we are greedy, and that we are attempting to extract personal profits at the club's expense. Quite the opposite is true," it read.

"To that end, we have never taken a single penny out of the football club. Instead we have injected vast sums of our own money to improve the playing squad and modernise LFC's infrastructure - exemplified by the £120million advance from FSG to build the new Main Stand.

"On the other hand, part of the ticketing plan we got wrong. In addition to the other elements of the plan we proposed price increases on a number of tickets. These pricing actions generated growth in general admission ticketing revenue on a like-for-like basis exclusive of revenue from newly-added GA seats.

"We believed by delivering a vastly improved seat offering in what will be the newest stand in English football, concentrating the price increases on those tickets typically purchased by fans least sensitive to affordability, and for LFC to begin repaying the £120million advance from FSG for the new Main Stand that these increases were supportable even in the context of growth in revenues from the new Premier League TV deal. However, the widespread opposition to this element of the plan has made it clear that we were mistaken."

The trio confirmed that they have now scrapped categorisation of games, meaning that a top price of £59 will apply for every game regardless of opposition through to the end of the 2017-18 season. Planned season tickets costing £1,029 will now be frozen at £869 for the same period, while the lowest-priced season ticket will reduce in cost by £25 to £685.

Liverpool's ticketing controversy has caused a chain reaction across the top flight and wider Football League, with prime minister David Cameron pledging to "look carefully" at the issue.

ID:266156: cacheID:266156:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3650:
Written by
Neil Wilkes
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Christian Benteke reacts as he is foiled by a tiny Darren Randolph during the FA Cup fourth-round replay between West Ham United and Liverpool  on February 9, 2016
Read Next:
Jurgen Klopp defends misfiring Benteke
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool29217169274270
2Arsenal281510352242855
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest28156745331251
4Chelsea28147753361749
5Manchester CityMan City28145953381547
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle2814594738947
7Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton28121064640646
8Aston Villa2912984145-445
9Bournemouth28128847341344
10Fulham2811984138342
11Crystal Palace2810993633339
12Brentford28115124844438
13Tottenham HotspurSpurs281041455411434
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd2897123440-634
15Everton2871293135-433
16West Ham UnitedWest Ham2896133248-1633
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2865173857-1923
18Ipswich TownIpswich2838172658-3217
19Leicester CityLeicester2845192562-3717
20Southampton2823232068-489


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!