Jamie Carragher urges Liverpool to reverse Anfield ticket price increase
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has urged club owners Fenway Sports Group to reverse planned ticket price increases at Anfield following widespread fan backlash.
The Merseyside club announced intentions last month to raise admission costs in line with inflation over the next three years.
Executives cited an 85 per cent climb in match-day running expenses over the last decade as the primary catalyst for the hike.
‘Absolute nonsense’
However, the 46-year-old pundit believes the minimal financial gain is massively outweighed by the resulting supporter anger.
“No owners of any club are ever popular but they have been absolutely fantastic for us,” Carragher told the Liverpool Echo.
“But I don’t understand the ticket price thing in terms of how much they are bringing in from sponsorship and the revenue from the Premier League.”
“This idea that they need to up ticket prices to pay for these players, it’s absolute nonsense.”
Fan protests and financial realities
Opponents highlight that the estimated £1.2m generated from the increase represents a negligible amount for an organisation whose annual turnover recently exceeded £700m.
Prominent supporters’ union Spirit of Shankly coordinated protests during last week’s 2-0 victory over Fulham.
Fans engaged in a boycott of stadium concourse facilities and directed vocal chants against the club’s hierarchy during the match.
“The supporters are not daft, the intelligent ones can put the numbers together and say well you’re only going to gain a small amount,” Carragher added.
General admission tickets are projected to increase by between £3 and £4.50 per match over the proposed three-year timeframe.
