Coventry City owner Doug King has responded to West Brom fans who have criticized the £45 cost of an away ticket at the CBS Arena for their match later this month.
The Baggies will travel to face the current league leaders when the Championship resumes after the forthcoming international break.
While away tickets in the Premier League are capped at £30, fans of the second-tier club will have to pay far more to go with their team to face the Sky Blues.
This has sparked criticism for Coventry, who have had a solid start to the season under Frank Lampard.
They are currently the Championship league leaders and will be aiming for automatic promotion to the Premier League this season, but their ticketing strategy has sparked criticism from the football community.
Doug King, Coventry City’s owner, replies to complaints about the £45 away tickets.
King has used the little distance to travel to justify the price hike over the previous season.
The businessman has also used the high cost of tickets to other forms of entertainment as evidence that the prices they charge are appropriate.
“We’re local, so transportation costs are reduced,” King told the BBC.
“The year-on-year price increase is around £7, and everyone has an opinion.
“People will complain about the ticket price, but when I look at other entertainment media, I see ticket prices that are through the roof.
“They say, here’s the price, get to that concert and get on with it.”
King also disputed the Premier League’s £30 cap, arguing that the difference in broadcast revenue more than compensates for the drop in away ticket sales.
“People say the Premier League is capped at £30 but I say, ‘Yeah but the Premier League has got £120m broadcast revenue and I’ve got a pittance’,” said the Cov owner.
“We aren’t printing money in the Championship.
West Brom supporters respond to Doug King’s £45 ticket comments.
While some Coventry fans have supported King’s views on the ticket price hike, it’s fair to assume that others are more critical, including a large number of West Brom fans.
Following King’s comments, Albion supporters have asked for a cap to be introduced, implying that teams may retaliate against Coventry if nothing is done.
Many Baggies fans have criticized King for equating football to other sectors, with matches taking place on a weekly basis as opposed to other major entertainment events.
And many are claiming that they are unwilling to pay the £45 price tag for a ticket, implying that they have reached the limit of what they are ready to pay in order to support their club.
Not only have Albion fans reacted to the Sky Blues owner’s new comments, but many impartial parties have also criticized the Coventry City owner.
His allegation that other entertainment costs more for tickets drew a lot of criticism.
While some people are ready to pay more for a one-time performance or event, football fans want to attend as many games as possible in a particular season, hence they want to spend less for each game.
Even Coventry fans have stood up for their rivals, condemning King while acknowledging the tremendous job he has done since taking over the club in recent years.
Regulation on ticket price is the only way to keep the game affordable
Championship clubs, such as Coventry City, will continue to be able to raise the price of away tickets if they believe they can do so.
Supporters are innately loyal, and they are more likely to pay exorbitant prices for game tickets if it is something they have always done.
This makes them simple to abuse, thus regulation, such to that seen in the Premier League, is required to keep the game cheap to the average fan.
As a result, many fans will perceive King’s statements as tone-deaf, and it’s no surprise that they’ve sparked outrage among West Brom, neutral, and even some Coventry supporters.
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