Our fan panel offer their thoughts on away ticket prices and a potential price cap

Middlesbrough fans have paid an average of over £30 to attend away games since the start of last season.

The price of some away tickets has been a hot topic of debate this season, with prices regularly rising well above the £30 threshold that is currently set as the price cap in the Premier League.

Last term was the first time every that the price of an away ticket rose above an average of £30, while so far this term, that average is creeping every closer to £35.

It has angered many Boro fans who feel they’re being exploited for their fiercely loyal support, as evidenced when 5,100 fans travelled to Bolton Wanderers last Friday evening.

So is a price cap needed in the Championship, where clubs don’t get nearly as much broadcast revenue in comparison to Premier League.

That's the question we asked our fan panel this week, this week consists of Youtube analyst Phil Spencer, Twe12th Man member John Donovan, and streamer Ry 'Inrictus' Charman.

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Phil Spencer

I certainly think that a price cap is needed in the Championship. Times are incredibly tough for working families across the country and personally, I think that football is quickly becoming a sport that is only for the privileged due to the cost of tickets and the necessary TV subscriptions needed to watch your team.

Middlesbrough fans are among the best away supporters in the country, but to pay £39 for a ticket to a game in Bolton on a Friday night after work is absurd. Pay for a family of four with travel, food and drinks and an away day easily costs hundreds of pounds.

Being blunt, if the Premier League can agree a £30 price cap for fans wanting to attend the biggest and best stadiums in the country (and even the world), fans in the EFL should not be paying close to £40 to visit average, run-down stadiums where the fan experience is average at best.

An agreed price cap is the right thing for clubs in the EFL to do and I would hope that if such an agreement was proposed, Middlesbrough would be among the clubs to agree given that supporters in our region are among the hardest hit in the country. Football used to be a sport for everyone, it's essential that that remains the case.

Ry Charman

Yes, I believe a cap on away ticket prices is needed in the Championship. The fact that the average away ticket price rose above £30 last season shows why this conversation matters.

That’s before supporters have paid for everything else that comes with following their team across the country.

For many fans, an away day is becoming a luxury rather than something they can regularly afford. Families and younger supporters are being priced out of experiences that should be part of football.

Middlesbrough are one of, if not, the best supported teams in the league. Our travelling supporter numbers are constantly applauded and highlighted.

But they also have the furthest to travel, more than 3,700 miles travelled this season! That has to be factored in and considered.

Most teams will price their tickets on the strength of the visiting team, but Middlesbrough fans shouldn't be punished for travelling in numbers, nor being a stronger team.

In fact it's the opposite, clubs should base their ticket price on the location or distance travelled for the fans.

Away fans bring passion, noise and atmosphere to grounds every week. They dedicate their time and money to supporting their clubs, and that commitment should be respected. Without the fans, football is nothing.

John Donovan

It seems crazy that championship fans are asked, on average, to pay more to watch their team away from home than a Premier league clubs fans have to pay.

I fully understand that the Premier League is awash with cash and that gate income is a smaller percentage of total income than that of a championship club. Even so, to have to pay more to watch an 'inferior product' is insane.

The Championship should have a limit on ticket prices for away fans before things get out of hand.

Boro fans travel well, even when the team are struggling, and it seems that we are always in the highest category when it comes to other clubs pricing structures.

A cap of £30 maximum price, in line with the EPL, would be sufficient, and if clubs could reach reciprocal deals below this price, like Boro and Cardiff have already agreed to, even better. It could encourage more away fans to come to the Riverside.

I would love our club to be bold, take the lead and lobby every championship club to introduce a price cap.

Football's history and roots are in working class people. Some may say football has already priced out working class families, but we have to prevent it moving further away from its roots.

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As well as hearing their views on particular Boro topics on Teesside Live each week, you can also hear from them further on their respective platforms.

Phil Spencer runs his own Youtube channel Bonkers For Boro, which you can subscribe to here, while Ry Charman has his own Youtube channel Inrictus, where he does popular live watchalongs of all Boro games.

Chris Cassidy is part of the Boropolis Podcast, Dana Malt is part of the Boro Breakdown Podcast, and John Donovan is part of the Twe12th Man Podcast, all of which you can listen to on all major podcast outlets.

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