The most expensive ticket in Scottish football costs £34 – this is what an adult fan of Kilmarnock must pay for Saturday’s match at Ibrox. Hibernian fans, who pay £30 for Tannadice, follow, while fans of Dundee at Falkirk and St Mirren at Tynecastle pay £28.
Prices are lower in the lower leagues, but still noticeable. In the Championship, fans of Morton can pay £24 for a match at Arbroath, while in League 1, fans of Hamilton pay £21 for a match at Albyn, and in League 2, fans of Kelty Hearts pay £18 for a match at Stirling Albion. SPFL has asked all 42 clubs how much they charge away fans, and the responses show that prices for adult tickets are broadly similar among clubs. The actual price depends on the opponent, the location in the stadium, and whether the ticket is purchased in advance. Greater variation exists in the prices of concessionary tickets, with many clubs offering free entry for children accompanying a paying adult.
Fans’ dissatisfaction is growing. Glen Schreuder, a fan of Aberdeen, wants a cap on away ticket prices. Paddy Loughran, a fan of Celtic, believes fans should unite in the face of the league. Ethan Hamilton, a fan of Dundee, asks how much more can be expected of fans, while Paul McNicol, a fan of Dundee United, says the price of away tickets is bordering on scandal. Grant Heaney, a fan of Falkirk, believes away tickets should have some form of cap. Greg Playfair, a fan of Hearts, warns that home fans might object if a cap is introduced for away ticket prices. Matty Fairnie, a fan of Hibernian, says that some clubs view fans as a commodity to be exploited. Sandy Armour, a fan of Kilmernock, proposes a cap of £20, and Jamie Currie, a fan of Rangers, agrees that the price should be limited to £20. Sam Miller, a fan of St Johnstone, says that what is received for the money paid seems expensive, while Mark Jardine, a fan of St Mirren, agrees with a cap of £25.
The Premier League has had a cap of £30 on away tickets for ten years. In March, clubs in the Premier League voted unanimously to keep the cap for another two seasons. The cap was introduced because ticket prices had become too high and away fans were ‘key to the atmosphere of the match’. Since the introduction in 2016, attendance has risen from 82 per cent to 91 per cent.
Michael Brunskill of the Football Supporters’ Association told BBC Scotland that there was initial dissatisfaction among home fans. He added that the money lost by clubs was minimal and that lower prices mean fuller away terraces, a better look on TV, and more sales of pies and beer. Despite this, the cap on away ticket prices is not on the agenda of the SPFL, nor has it been discussed among clubs recently. SPFL regularly highlights that the Scottish elite league is the most attended in Europe per capita.
