Football
Dan Kilpatrick, Tottenham Correspondent 8y

Tottenham prefer to subsidise away travel over ticket price cap

Tottenham are yet to confirm if they intend to follow Liverpool's lead by scrapping planned increases to ticket prices and would prefer to heavily subsidise supporters' travel to away matches.

Liverpool's owners scrapped their controversial £77 ticket and apologised for the "distress caused" by last week's pricing announcement, after thousands of fans left in protest 77 minutes into last weekend's draw with Sunderland at Anfield.

Spurs have the second most expensive adult season ticket in the Premier League, behind only Arsenal, but the club have proposed a 2 percent increase in prices from next season.

The move is opposed by the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust (THST) and in a meeting with THST the club said it would not announce a final decision on pricing until April.

At the meeting of Premier League clubs earlier this month, a vote failed to get the necessary support of 14 of the 20 clubs to cap away ticket prices. Spurs refused to confirm to THST if Spurs voted against the cap but Levy expressed concerns about the proposals.

"DL [Daniel Levy] said he questioned the principle of prices being set centrally, asking for an example of another industry where there was a central control over pricing," read the minutes of Wednesday's board-to-board meeting between the club and the THST.

"There was concern that once a precedent was set with away pricing, home pricing would be next and given THFC's position with the stadium build, a ceiling on ticket revenue would be very harmful to financial modelling.

"DL also explained that he was concerned that away fans visiting WHL should pay less than home fans. There was a feeling home fans would be angered by away fans sitting across the divide from them having paid less money.

"DL stressed that he did recognise the cost of attending matches was too high -- as expressed in previous meetings -- and was in favour of heavily subsidising travel.

"There were logistical issues to overcome to make that work but THFC would support a heavy subsidy on travel to matches through a voucher system [including petrol] and through work with the rail providers."

Elsewhere, the club confirmed that it is engaged in "positive" talks with the FA about using Wembley Stadium as a temporary home during the 2017-18 season, while their new stadium project is being finalised.

Katrina Law, THST co-chair told ESPN FC: "We're pleased the meeting was overall a positive one with good depth and breadth of subjects discussed.

"Regarding ticketing, given the money flooding into the game, THST can see no justification for any price rise for home tickets at Tottenham next season. Fans bear enough of a financial burden without being asked to dig deeper still.

"THST also urges THFC to work with other Premier League clubs to finally agree on a mechanism that will deliver substantial savings to Away fans in time for next season."

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