Credit crunch puts football fans under pressure

More than one in four fans will cut back on the number of games they go to this season as the UK's economic slowdown spreads to football, according to research from Virgin Money.

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Inflation Index, which has been tracking the costs of being a supporter since January 2006, shows costs have increased 21 per cent in the past three months alone, taking the cost of a match day for an individual to £106.21 - the first time the index has broken the £100 barrier. Since the index began costs have risen by more than 36 per cent.

And the price squeeze is forcing fans to give up on going to as many games this season with 26 per cent saying they will cut back. The cutbacks are hitting regular fans who go to between 11 and 20 matches a season as much as casual supporters with even season ticket holders who've already paid out planning to reduce the number of games they go to.

The research among more than 3,800 fans in the Premiership and Football League is worrying for all clubs but those most at risk are West Ham where 43 per cent plan to go to fewer games, Newcastle with 39 per cent and Liverpool, Wigan and newly-promoted West Brom at 38 per cent.

Clubs which have the least to worry about include Arsenal, Blackburn, newly-promoted Stoke and Bolton. However even they face up to one in five fans cutting down.

Virgin Money says the reduction in the number of games that supporters will attend is in response to wider economic pressures which have translated into rising mortgage, food and fuel costs as inflation hits 4.4 per cent, as measured by the Government's Consumer Price Index.

However Virgin Money's own Football Fans' Inflation Index shows that the cost of being a regular football fan is increasing at a rate of closer to 24 per cent in 2008, driven by the high cost of merchandise, match tickets and rail fares.

Virgin Money's Scott Mowbray said: "Football often seems immune to the real world existing on its own Planet Football where there is always money for player transfers and salaries and the cash keeps on flowing from TV and sponsorship deals.

"However fans do have to live in the real world and the past year has seen severe pressure on people's finances from rising mortgage costs, fuel prices and food bills. But with merchandise and rail fares also on the rise something has to give and obviously keeping a roof over your head and keeping your house warm outranks going to football matches."

Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, commented: "This is very worrying for the football industry because supporters at live games are its lifeblood but it is not at all surprising.

"Leisure activities are always likely to be at high risk in a period of economic downturn. This would be true even if football inflation was at the same rate as ordinary inflation let alone when it's much higher. It shows that all those clubs who increased prices beyond the rate of inflation for this season are living in a fools' paradise."

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Price Index shows that in the past two years the cost of attending games has risen by 36.25 per cent. The index is aimed at helping supporters keep track of the rises and falls in the costs of supporting their team. The company identified the match day essentials fans buy and keeps tabs on increases and decreases.

At the launch of the index in January 2006, the match day basket of goods cost £77.95. However the most recent analysis puts the cost at £106.21 - a rise of £28.26. An increase in the cost of replica shirts, petrol, match tickets and rail fares are primarily the cause of the extra expenditure facing fans.

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Prices Index runs every three months and looks at the cost of a typical basket of goods monitoring the ups and downs of prices.

The firm's research team examines the cost of items such as a gallon of petrol, match tickets food, alcohol, train tickets and replica shirts.