The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) has published the Football Price Index, which demonstrates how the cost of football tickets in the UK have increased far beyond the rate of inflation compared to other consumer goods.
The FSA, an organisation that represents the interests of football supporters in England and Wales, opted to use Premier League team Liverpool as a point of reference. The organisation also chose 1990 as a comparison for prices, before First Division clubs broke away from the English Football League to form the Premier League in 1992.
Utilising the Office National Statistics’ inflation index and the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, The FSA found that if a Liverpool ticket cost £4 (€5/$5) in May 1990, it should cost £9.59 in 2024.
This is in comparison to other goods which are traditionally used to demonstrate price increases, such as a pint of milk or a loaf of bread. In 1990, a pint of milk cost 30p and in 2024, the rough price is 65p representing a 117% increase. Additionally, a loaf of bread cost 50p and now costs around £1.40, a 180% surge.
In comparison, the cheapest Liverpool ticket available for Anfield’s famous Kop would set back fans £39, a 875% increase on the £4 in 1990, according to the FSA.
The FSA noted that if regular consumer items followed the same inflation rate, a pint of lager would cost £11.80, a loaf of bread would set customers back by £4.88 and a litre of diesel would come in at £3.90.
“Ticket prices are a ticking time bomb and club executives have their hands over their ears. Something has to give,” the FSA wrote on social media platform X.
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