FA UNDER PRESSURE OVER FA CUP FINAL TICKETS

Last updated : 17 April 2007 By editor

Richard Caborn, Minster for Sport, has backed calls from Supporters' Group the Football Supporters' Federation for the Football Association to drop the prices for the FA Cup Final.


Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, Caborn said, "
No it's not okay. I've said this very clearly, that I think the clubs and indeed the FA as well have got to look at ticket pricing and make sure that some of the profits made are recycled back into the game. I've said this about the Premier League and indeed, to be fair, some of those football clubs - Blackburn and others - have actually taken that on board and are either freezing the price or bringing the prices down. They (the FA) have got to look at it very carefully. They are in the marketplace and I'm hoping they will review the ticket pricing."

The FSF have also protested about the tickets, which have a lowest price of £35. Chairman Malcolm Clarke said: "When they say the tickets are competitively priced, they are comparing the prices with the Premier League. But if you compare them with Europe, that is not the case. It does not matter if you have a nice stadium and a big game but if you have not got the money, that's it. Football in general is rapidly pricing itself out of the reach of a lot of ordinary supporters."

FA chief executive Brian Barwick has defended the pricing structure as "sensible and affordable".

Barwick said: "It was important to set ticket prices at a sensible and affordable level for the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley. We believe these are very competitive prices for what will be a historic match."