Liverpool have announced ticket price changes ahead of next season, including a price increase for the first time in nine seasons.
And supporters have labelled the rise “unfair” in the face of a cost of living crisis.
General admission tickets for matchdays will go up by 2%, an increase of £1 per game for LFC members.
Season tickets costs will increase by no more than £17.
The most expensive adult season ticket for the 2023-24 season will now be £886.00.
Ticket prices had previously been frozen for all supporters for the past eight seasons.
However, prices will remain frozen for juniors and the local general sale.
The club said the changes were due to “significant rising costs across the club”.
Anfield’s annual operating costs have increased by almost 40% in the last five years, and utility costs have risen by 100% this season.
Liverpool recently announced a pre-tax profit of £7.5m.
The news has been met with disapproval from supporters’ union, Spirit of Shankly.
The group were consulted over proposals as part of the LFC Supporters Board, but the final decision was not subject to fan consent.
A statement from Spirit of Shankly cited both the cost of living crisis and Liverpool’s revenues as reasons for its opposition.
The group said: “To implement any price increase during this cost of living crisis is cruel, unjust, unreasonable and unfair.
“Football fans are not the cash cow to balance their balance sheet.
“[We] anticipate the fullest possible opposition to these increases.”
SOS oppose any increase in the cost of tickets and we made that point clear to LFC through the SB.
We acknowledge the price freeze for junior & local tickets but we are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, where any increase – even 2% – will impact supporters. https://t.co/VXYBiOiT6m— Spirit of Shankly (@spiritofshankly) March 14, 2023
Ticket increases will coincide with expansion to the Anfield Road stand taking Anfield’s capacity to 61,000.
3,000 new general admission tickets per game will be allocated following the expansion.
Anfield will see improved disability seating, with 263 accessible bays for wheelchair fans being created.
Last year, Everton also announced adult season ticket prices were due to increase by 10%.
(Featured image: courtesy of Rept0n1x (29.9.12) – under Creative Commons Licence)
