LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Thursday, October 22, 2015: Liverpool's owner John W. Henry and Director Michael Gordon before the UEFA Europa League Group Stage Group B match against Rubin Kazan at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool owners meet with supporters group to discuss ticket prices

Liverpool owners FSG have met with supporters groups to discuss Premier League ticket prices.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Thursday, October 22, 2015: Liverpool's owner John W. Henry and Director Michael Gordon before the UEFA Europa League Group Stage Group B match against Rubin Kazan at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

The meeting, which was attended by principal owner John W. Henry, chairman Tom Werner, director Michael Gordon, chief executive Ian Ayre and other senior club management, took place prior to the Southampton game last weekend.

Henry and Werner had been on Merseyside to watch Jurgen Klopp‘s first two home games in charge, and took the opportunity to meet with the Liverpool Supporters Committee representatives.

Prior to the meeting, the Supporters Committee had outlined the desire to discuss the increasing disconnect between the club and local young supporters.

They outlined the fact that Liverpool’s ‘cheapest matchday ticket’ (as per BBC Sport’s Price of Football survey) was second only to Chelsea – with the average salary of Kensington and Chelsea residents being £101,000 per annum, compared to £16,027 per annum in Liverpool.

“We are asking you to reconnect with your local supporters – the scores who stand outside the Kop AFTER kick off each game, unable to get in but wanting to partake in the atmosphere as much as possible – running to the pub windows to see TV replays of goals as they hear the Kop roar,” the Supporters Committee addressed.

In the meeting, the club said that management had “spent a large part of their meeting the day before looking at pricing structures within the ground and this review encompassed looking at more entry points rather than the current tiers of pricing”.

Werner told that ticket prices had been discussed at the Premier League meeting the week before.

The club said that they expect to make changes to the ticket structure next season, with the introduction of the new Main Stand.

The report from the meeting states that initiatives being considered by the club include a season ticket ‘amnesty’, more modern access systems, touting and the recapture of tickets, and also the potential to release seats unoccupied after 15 minutes of a home game.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, October 5, 2013: Liverpool supporters on the Spion Kop during the game against Crystal Palace in the Premiership match at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

In the meeting, Ayre “acknowledged that selling commercial deals demonstrating a vibrant atmosphere and experience made that part of his job easier and all agreed that more young people sitting together in the ground would make a positive difference to that atmosphere.”

Supporters have urged Liverpool FC to be the first to lower ticket prices following the new £5 billion TV deal – which would in turn put pressure on other clubs to do similarly.

One issue the committee have asked the club to look at is the categorisation of games, supporters come to Anfield to watch Liverpool, not the opposition. This also applies to away games, where Liverpool and fans of other top-six sides are forced to pay higher prices to access the same seats in the same stadium.

Credit must go to the club hierarchy for meeting with the supporters, now they must act on their words.