With the walk out of some Liverpool supporters last weekend and the news that Liverpool FC are scrapping the now infamous £77 ticket, is there about to be a sea change in the way supporters are treated?

Despite the humongous and ever-growing amounts of money pouring into football, going to support your team has never been more expensive. Quite frankly, too expensive. Not for all, but for many.

The money will stop increasing at some point, particularly with the marked decrease in atmosphere at many Premier League games (and Portman Road?), especially when compared to Bundesliga and La Liga games, but it will still be more than enough that the clubs could afford to have cheaper tickets.

Too many clubs treat their supporters like commodities, including our own, hence when the 'product' is poor and expensive, only around 16,500 die hard ITFC supporters turned out to watch the last home game against Reading.

I am sure that if the 'product' was of better quality and/or cheaper, there would have been more attending that game, not necessarily 30,000, but certainly more.

How many Ipswich supporters following the team away, or away supporters coming to Portman Road have been fleeced for extra money? Certainly the games against Norwich last season.

At some point enough is enough. Our club is going to have to start thinking more radically about ticket prices, season tickets and how to reward supporters who do follow the club through thick and thin, and more thin etc.

A half-full stadium is a poor indictment of the club and where it is going, not of the supporters, though. Should football supporters of the top two divisions stage a similar walk out to Liverpool, acting together? Is that the only way clubs will listen? Any thoughts?

Interestingly with the media interest in reducing ticket prices and how this could be achieved, an emotive side issue has emerged, a return to safe standing at grounds. On my, wouldn't that be fantastic!

Mullet added 20:23 - Feb 10 So what would you suggest?
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stevieiriswattii added 20:32 - Feb 10 It is a blog... to stimulate discussion, opinion, ideas etc
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Guthrum added 01:01 - Feb 11 Unlike Premiership clubs, gate revenue makes up a whole one third of ITFC's income. They wouldn't miss it (lost in the wadges of TV money), we would (especially as we already make a loss every year). You'd have to have a significant increase in attendance to offset a cut in ticket prices - there's no guarantee that would happen. If people can't afford £30 to go to the football, can they manage £25 (only £5 difference) any better?

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carsey added 11:23 - Feb 11 As someone who used to go to all the away games when I was young free and single and had disposable income I would suggest a place to start is with away supporters - make Ipswich Town FC the one ground they want to visit. Why should away supporters be ripped off by the home club. If you can get around 3000 away supporters into the ground it makes for a better atmosphere and I'm sure other clubs would join in. Sensible prices for tickets and drinks etc at the ground and don't treat them like animals. If they want to stand up and sing let them perhaps it might have some effect on the home supporters.

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butleymallard added 14:00 - Feb 11 It's certainly a topic that needs looking at across all leagues. It is such a delicate dynamic when you consider the numbers. Let's look at that Reading game as you mention - 16.5K give or take. At £35 a ticket on average (happy to be corrected here, I paid £27.50 for Lower North) the turnstile take would be circa £550K. If ITFC as a business are happy with this figure then we'd be looking at the following required attendance to achieve that value; £18 ticket - 30K attendance £19 - 29K £20 - 28K £21 - 27K £22 - 26K £23 - 24K £24/£25 - 23K £26 - 22K £27 - 21K £28 - 20K £29/£30 - 19K So you see the problem, to have a meaningful reduction in ticket prices, the fans would need to turn out in numbers to prevent ITFC losing money. Cash generated by ticket sales directly affects the debt we currently own and in turn, investment etc. That's my business view. However, as a fan of the club and of the sport, I am sick to the back teeth with being a customer. But overrun with guilt (perhaps a little dramatic) if I don't attend. The radio for me just isn't the same. Personally, I would happily pay £20 a ticket, no graded games (I think every game I've been to this year has been Grade A) and safe standing. Please keep in mind that values and figures are estimates and designed purely to show a trend line

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Bert added 13:26 - Feb 13 Some good points on here. Personally, I think it's the grading system that's wrong as it puts off casual walk ups. The majority of fans are season ticket holders and in my view we go to see our team regardless of the opposition whereas casuals will pick and choose and even more so in the Premier League. By and large the club is reasonably inventive with promotions but too many and it will irritate season ticket holders. Where the club really scores is in attracting youngsters under 11 at a knock down price, many of whom become life long supporters.

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Cloddyseedbed added 21:54 - Feb 17 I think you'll find Bert that youngsters when they do go to Portman Road to watch games are often put off by the entertainment on show, or lack of it. The comments I often hear are we don't want to go and watch Ipswich again, or I was bored. Nothing going on at half time. This is not what I think although I do, it is what I have heard coming out of the mouths of children and their parents as they leave the ground. Personally I can't see many of them becoming life long supporters until there is more excitement around the club.

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