Season upon season, we all read reports and statistics of how the majority of clubs up and down the country continue to raise their ticket prices at a time when the money generated from television rights should lead to the regular supporter benefiting in some way. There are still some good deeds done in the Premier League. For instance, Stoke City offer free coach travel to their supporters for matches away from the Bet365 Stadium and even outside of the top flight, Wolverhampton Wanderers are providing the same service for any fan who fancies the long trip to Norwich City on an October evening. That said, in the most part, single and season ticket prices are still on the increase and at the start of 2017-18, Arsenal were top of that list.
It is easy enough to work out your own matchdays costs, but the Gunners actually brought the price of their cheapest season ticket down ahead of this season, with supporters having access to a seat for 19 Premier League games and the first seven cup fixtures for £891 - a deduction of £123 - but that is still £131 more than second-place Chelsea and just over £600 more than West Ham United's most affordable option. When Arsenal have a waiting list of people wanting to buy a season ticket, there is an argument that they are justified in keeping prices at their current level but in the grand scheme of things, the North London outfit leaves themselves open to criticism and there can be little pride in topping this table.
It is worth pointing out that Arsenal have not always increased their ticket prices. Since 2007, there have only been increases in around half of the campaigns with the biggest jump coming ahead of 2011/12. The most recent increases are also not as high as they have ever been, with the most significant leaps coming at the start of the nineties and the new millennium, but the rise at those times may be owning to redevelopment work at Highbury and the increasing prospect of a new stadium needing to be funded in the immediate future.
You only have to go back until 1980 when it would cost just £3 to watch a match at Highbury. To the younger audience, that will seem unthinkable but it was affordable in relation to the average working wage. There were even times when some ticket prices would be frozen at a time when the average wage increased - something which Arsenal would deserve credit for at that time - but on other occasions, ticket prices would be on the rise by more than 10%. On the face of it, Arsenal were not finding a balance with satisfying their supporters because any positive work would soon be undone and by the time more seating was installed at Highbury, prices were soon £10 and over.
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Since the Emirates opened, the increases have not exactly been substantial, but that is arguably because the pricing started high, presumably to cover more costs racked up for producing a 60,000-seater stadium. Between 2000 and 2006 - a time when proposals on the ground were agreed upon and the construction work took place, ticket prices almost doubled from £21 to £39 but since moving into their new home, there has only been an increase of £6 or £7. In modern-day football, that isn't much so while Arsenal will probably sit at the top of any pricing standings for the time being, there have no extortionate and outrageous increases. In fact, that has probably occurred more at other clubs who may feel an obligation to try to match Arsenal. Who's to blame? That is open to interpretation.
