Arsenal have confirmed that four fewer games will be included in the price of a general admission season ticket from the 2023/24 season.
As things stand, season ticket holders pay up front for 26 home games a year (19 in the league + 5 in Europe + 2 home FA Cup) and receive a rebate from the club if that tally isn’t reached.
Under the new arrangement, 19 league games will be covered plus three group stage matches in Europe, if we qualify. Season ticket holders will also retain the right to buy their seat on a match-by-match basis for any additional home cup games.
As a result, the cost of a season ticket will reduce compared to this year although it’s the flexibility that comes with committing to ‘only’ 22 matches that is more of a selling point than any year-on-year monetary saving.
Hypothetically, if Arsenal draw big sides in the Champions League knockout rounds or in the FA Cup, you’d expect the fixtures to be sold as Category A and, if you wanted to attend, the total outlay would exceed what it does currently.
That’s before taking into account the fact that season ticket prices will go up by an average of 5% (6% lower tier, 4% upper tier, 5% club level).
After flat general admission ticket prices for seven years, prices this season were set 4% higher than they were in 2021/22. For the most part, the effect of that wasn’t felt by season ticket holders last summer because of a cup tie credit, however, the direction of travel has been set by KSE. Prices are going up.
While nobody welcomes having to pay more, it’s pretty obvious that the extraordinary increase in inflation in the last 12 months is also a key factor in the decision to up prices again.
Stuff is more expensive. Keeping the lights on. Maintaining the stadium. Staff costs. Ukrainian wingers. Hummus. You name it.
Telling people that prices are going up is never popular but from a club perspective, it doesn’t hurt that they are doing so when demand for tickets has never been higher. They will also be able to point to the fact the increase is below the current rate of inflation and that some of the funds will be redirected to initiatives that benefit supporters.
These include:
– investment in Emirates Stadium
– initiatives to improve the matchday experience
– enhancements to the ticketing system
– a further clamp down on ticket touts
– 25% discount on seasons tickets / match tickets for ‘Young Adult Members’ up to 24yo (up from 21)
– continued discounts to Cannon members aged 17/18
– continued 66% Family Enclosure discounts for Junior Gunners
The club have also calculated that, in theory, 150,000 extra tickets will be available to purchase as a result of reducing season tickets to 22 matches. Mind you, we’re not entirely sure how they’ve worked that out!
For more information from the club, click here.
Demand is high atm, so they are likely to get away with this.
Stan could cover these new revenues with the spare change in his wallet. But I guess he needs that extra ivory back scratcher, although he probably just gets it on his Walmart points these days.
He could I’m sure, never likely though. Strictly speaking, it’s his wife that gets the all the Walmart points, not Stan.
They have a family account.
It’s that kind of economics that has got Man City in trouble.
And the kind of trouble billionaires buy their way out of!
Well, I admit it has worked for them so far!
Yes, that’s a possibility. City got a 2 year European ban overturned so I think we shouldn’t be too optimistic at present. Hopefully, there will still be opportunities for rejoicing at some stage though.
The only reason Man City had a 2-year ban overturned was because the UEFA claim exceeded the five-year time bar that UEFA themselves imposed.
The Premier League have no such time bars therefore Man City cannot wriggle out of that one.
One or two charges can be put down to pure accounting errors which is understandable but 113 charges. I think they are in very serious trouble..
I would be very surprised if anything significant happens to them. The EPL became the #1 most popular league because of billionaires and their hobby-toy teams. FA won’t bite the hand that feeds them. The corruption is rife. Opening this can of worms has potential to uncover much of the dirty work the FA themselves have been up too (i.e., see FIFA). It’s all posturing IMO. They’ll end up getting some nominal fine and they’ll say “be better”, but they won’t be and it will be business as usual: billionaires fking up the world however they like with impunity and… Read more »
The same Stan – who has successfully funded and overseen the complete rebuild of our squad to become title challengers and a probable Champions League team again – is fully entitled to increase ticket prices.
Oh yeah. Stan Kroenke the hero, the saviour of the people! Pass me the kool-aid!
True, especially if it’s as reigning champions. For instance, I gave up my season ticket in 2015 but had my name on the list. I jumped from 33k+ to 14k+ between May and August last year, so am hoping to get mine next season. With the atmosphere plus performances this season, it would take a huge increase to stop me from purchasing a ticket. I reckon it would be the same for a lot of supporters who’ve waited years for the opportunity, plus existing holders won’t really want to give up their seat with the club where it is, and… Read more »
“get away with”
What a strange phrase. You do understand inflation, yes?
So how do we fix inflation? Increase interest rates, force unemployment and recession and filter more money to the wealthy elites then bury our heads back into the sand?
Well, that’s the remedy practised by the government.
So a 4% increase last year and now a 5% increase next year….that’s a lot. 9% on the already highest season ticket prices in the league. Wow. Yeah inflation bites everything but this seems way out-of-whack with other price increases. About time the club made provisions for fans on low incomes, else we’ll lose the soul of our support. Kroenke can afford it…
Inflation is a factor no doubt but I also reckon having one foot back into the Champions League made the timing right.
I think this is fair by the club. I run a business, and at 5% increase they’ll still be bringing in less than last year! (Not even accounting for inflation)
What a difference some good results make. This would be considered absolutely scandalous even 18 months ago.
I almost feel sorry for owners because they have basically become the lightening bearers for a teams poor performance.
Watching Liverpool fans demand their owners leave now that the team is struggling pretty much sums it up. And funny how the Glazers are barely spoken about now Ten Hag has United playing well.
Yes, fans are fickle aren’t they. Less than two years ago it was almost all “Stan Out” (and “Arteta Out” as well we mustn’t forget) on this site and there were going to be mass demonstrations, boycotts of games etc. until that happened! All hot air of course, and here we are.
Success on the pitch (and the gleam of silverware it brings) always has a great calming influence which is why Chelsea and City fans have been pretty uninterested in what their owners get up to.
I think City fans might be getting a little interested now…
The demonstrations were (quite rightly) staged to protest at the shoddy way Gazidis, Raul and Co – and a very Silent Stan and Josh – had been running the club. Since then, there has been a good deal of investment to back the manager and the Process – Ramsdale, White, Odegaard, Tomi, Gabriel Jesus, Zinchenko, Turner, new deals for Gabriel, Eddie and Martinelli and the continued development of ESR, Saka with a resurgent Xhaka forming a solid partnership with Partey and a returning Saliba forming the best centre half partnership with Gabriel that we have seen since Campbell and Toure.… Read more »
Yeah, but it’s still predominantly a results based matter. Arteta is a once in a generation manager and has bought extremely well, along with Edu. That doesn’t have a lot to do with Stan and Josh (apart from the original appointment) but we cut them slack because we are top of the league. We still don’t quite know how much personal (if any) money Stan has invested and how much debt they have allowed us to sink into. And if Arteta’s Arsenal really fall away this season, I’m guessing a lot of fans will be shouting about the Kroenke’s again… Read more »
The Black Scarf Movement, remember them?
Why you think a 9% rise is fair when ordinary people’s salaries in the UK have stagnated year-on-year and indeed gone backwards in the face of inflation?
I’m not sure where Arsenal now stand in the most expensive average ticket league. We were certainly at the top for many for many years (with not a lot to show for it on the pitch unfortunately). Things do cost, and cost more because of high inflation etc , but another factor has been that the club generates a greater % of it’s income from match day revenues than other leading clubs. This was in part at least because we were – and still are – relatively poor at generating commercial revenue. We’re still at the bottom of the “big… Read more »
This change should remedy that- we were only at the top on total cost, not on a per match basis (though obviously still top few- a symptom of the new stadium and being where we are geographically). Friends of mine that are Chelsea ST holders actually paid more per match than I did- they just weren’t forced into attending cup games. I think this is a good move by the club; most ST holders I know didn’t really have any interest in attending early stage domestic or Europa League cup games, so inevitably there are either empty seats or the… Read more »
With inflation this is hardly surprising.
Will look forward to SR’s next break-down of our finances.
They are a joy to read. The latest breakdown was two months ago so I’d imagine it’ll be a while yet before the next one.
Off topic but do people think of man city being charged by the premier league? I have no sympathy whatsoever but I cant help thinking this is all just posturing and politicking.
I want them to get fully punished but I might be in the minority and don’t want to just win the league because they got points deduction. If we are going to win it I want to win it properly.
Here’s the scenario: Man city get a 15 pt reduction, pundits have a fit how Arsenal don’t really deserve to win the league, Gary Neville’s fit gets so bad he start suffering angina, Arsenal win the league by 20 points and we parade past the door steps of every one of the haters!
If they get a 15 point reduction (yeah right) then I want arsenal to win the league by 1 point…on the last day.
Sounds like a plan to me!!
Can we have Neville’s fit on Sky, please, with that annoying twat Martin Tyler saying “And it’s LIVE!!!” ….?
Better still, that fucking Sky ad of theirs with that poxy goal seen running backwards with Tyler screaming
“Ague-NOOOOOOO!! I swear you’ll see nothing as corrupt as this again”
Don’t get me wrong, I want City to get fully punished and sent out f the Premier League and I will take winning the league any way it comes. But I feel we have done so fking well this season that I want us to win it because we earned it and it wasn’t just given to us. It would just feel fking amazing winning the league because we were the best team with no other excuses to why we won.
Hence the winning it by a wider margin that any points deduction bit…
Given what’s happened previously (regarding UEFA) I wouldn’t bother investing too much time or thought into it. It’s a lawyer’s game and Man City will assemble the most expensive group of lawyers in the world to fight it.
Having said all that, anyone who imagines they managed to get where they currently are through legit means will be interested in a bridge that is for sale.
That lovely story about an American oil tycoon, Robert P McCulloch, buying London Bridge, whilst all along thinking he was getting Tower Bridge. 😂
Possibly. As they are only charges so far we’ll have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, it will take a long time to sort out (drag out?) and City will deploy the best legal advice money can buy, which has served them well in the past.
Yes, I agree with all that and I think the whole thing will amount to nothing due to a “technicality” or whatever, I mean it’s taken them more than 10 years to get to this point.
I just wonder about the timing though, is it to do with the fan led review that’s meant to be coming out soon or are they hiding something else? and by they I mean the premier league/fa
When I heard the news I found myself muttering “About fucking time” – and it’s true – we’ve all of us long suspected that those fuckers have been having us all over a barrel for way too long. There’s no doubt in mind whatsoever that they are as guilty as sin – and I hope with every fibre of my being that in the fullness of time they have the fucking book thrown at them – relegation, deducted points, titles disqualified, Pep’s resignation, spoiled brat fans in meltdown – the fucking works. Perhaps then the fucking bubble will burst, market… Read more »
If there is a point deduction it won’t be this season.
The Premiership has not done this on a whim – their reputation is very much on the line, and it is a multi-billion-pound franchise that they will not want to jeopardise.
Four years in the making the evidence against City must be huge.
As they say cheats never prosper.
I just wonder if Chelsea are getting a bit worried about this.
If they are found guilty of massively cheating their way to the top over such a long period of time, how can any of their titles stand?
In Italy, after Calciopoli, they revoked the titles won during that period.
Whilst taking the titles away seems logical, it does nothing for the fans of the clubs promoted to winners in their place – too late for proper enjoyment. Neither does it allow other teams to gain from the European competition places they didn’t get.
I get that totally, although there might be a big party on Merseyside in that eventuality!
But it could prevent a repeat with some other clubs heading that way which could be just as important, ‘pour encourager les autres’.
They won’t get relegated as that would harm the Premier League brand. If found guilty, possible points deduction but it won’t come into effect until the start of the following season after the case has closed. So could be next season or even 2024/25 if the case drags on for months. Enough of a deduction to make it nigh on impossible for them to win the league but not enough for them to get relegated. Perhaps start with minus 30 points. One or two year transfer ban thrown in for good measure Financial penalties won’t harm them but at least… Read more »
Can someone please provide details for our hummus outlay, incl. add-ons (crudités)
I would be happy if I am wrong but if you assume a £50 average cost per ticket at 26 games per season that gives you a yearly cost of £1,300. Increase that by 5% and you are at a total cost of £1,365. Divided that number by 22 on a per game basis and ticket cost per game is £62. That is almost a 24% increase per game.
You’re not considering the discounts for under 24s and a lot of games are less than £50 a ticket. You’re also adding 5% to games that aren’t included so I think you’re way off the mark here.
Vonnie, thanks for your comment. The £50 pound a ticket price I selected was because it made the math easier for the example. No matter what ticket price you use in my example the % of the increase in a ticket price will be the same.
I don’t mind paying a bit more – I’m lucky enough in that I can afford it – and the club is now headed in the right direction. I do, however, feel strongly for those fans who are currently feeling the pinch and being asked to pay more. The club have got to be very careful here. Going to watch the Arsenal shouldn’t become a pre-ordained choice of either being able to afford to attend or not – although it’s probably been that for a lot of Gooners and football fans in general, since the year dot. On a whim… Read more »
Gotta cover the wage increase somehow, right?
We (Arsenal) should pay our best players their market worth – we don’t keep them otherwise – but it shouldn’t have to come exclusively out of our (the fans) pockets.
I think he meant paying staff the minimum London living wage.
Yep, my bad. 👍
We lowered the wage bill by £26m (11%) between 2021 to 2022.
Wait! There is a discount for under 21? My son is 15 and we pay full amount?
I think they are talking about under 21 games, not age.
Nah, there is an U21 discount. Now becoming a U24 discount.
> The 25 per cent discount on season tickets and match-by-match tickets purchased outside the Family Enclosure, currently provided to Young Adult Members up to the age of 21, is being extended to the age of 24.
Now all the living wage hype makes sense.