End of Season Away Fan Sweetener
First of all, lets state the obvious. This season has been perhaps the worst season for Aston Villa supporters in the club’s entire history. After five seasons of flirting with relegation, we’ve finally been dealt it like a sledgehammer to the head.
Villa fans should be seeking reparations from the club for what they’ve had to endure at Villa Park over the past few seasons; reductions next season for home tickets are a must to have any chance of keeping supporters on side for the promotion fight ahead.
In the meantime, the club are offering tickets for the last game of this season, the final away game at Arsenal for £10 a ticket. They have also taken the full allocation of 2,912 tickets.
This is the final season of the Premier League away supporter initiative, where each club has dedicated £200,000 towards subsidising away supporters. Next season, there will be a £30 cap on away ticket prices in the Premier League, which Villa obviously won’t be privy to.
Villa fans will potentially be in the situation of paying more next season in the Championship than if the club had stayed in the top tier.
The Arsenal ticket savings come out of this £200,000 that Villa have to contribute to away supporters. While it could be argued that it was better spread across the season, i.e. why not subsidise two games to £20 tickets? A £10 ticket certainly is more headline-grabbing and also welcome by the regular away day fans.
Next Season Away Price Dangers
With Villa in the Championship next season and out of the jurisdiction of the Premier League £30 away ticket cap, MOMS hopes the club will take the initiative of doing some cheaper away ticket contra deals with other clubs to help Villa away fans. After all, there will be more away trips next season and Villa away fans will be seen as Category A and charged more. In this season’s Championship there have been ticket prices of £40 and over.
Villa fans will potentially be in the situation of paying more next season in the Championship than if the club had stayed in the top tier.
In the meantime though, at least they’ll have one last cheap away day to say goodbye to the Premier League. Lets just hope the team turn-up this time, unlike they did when playing the same opponents in the game that brought the end to last season.
UTV
The Arsenal away ticket details:
Tickets will be available from Tuesday April 12 to season ticket holders who have attended nine or more Barclays Premier League away matches.
There will be several categories available all the way through to general sale on Monday April 25, subject to availability.
The match is on Sunday May 15 at 3pm at the Emirates Stadium.
Follow MOMS on Twitter – @oldmansaid
