How Much?!

This summer Uncle Radrizzani has dug deep into his companies coffers to acquire Elland Road and ten football players but are we the fans the ones to pay it forward?

On the whole the announcement of Match day prices for Leeds United FC left most fans aghast as there was a increase.

The first time in two years but it puts the price of watching Leeds United up to £49 in the West Stand if you purchase the ticket on the day of the game. Yes £49!

A new category of A+ has also come into being, probably used if Leeds achieve a top six place come April and May.

I'm 57-years old and have followed the mighty whites around forty three years and when I started my journey as a fan, if I'm remembering well it was 50p to get as a junior. I set off from Bradford with around £5 in my pocket and it was enough to watch my favourite team.

In the years that have followed the cost of football has gone through the roof and me as a grandad would need around £100 to take two of my grandchildren to Elland Road if on the day of the game I decided to take them. That does include travel but it's still a sizeable amount of my weekly wage.

The argument that a full Elland Road with fans charged £30 is worth considering, although 18,000 season tickets have been sold it means that if you want to go you better have planned it to get your ticket a few days before.

It looks like the days of deciding on the day will become a thing of the past. That to me is a shame because surprising a young fan can be such a joy and a generation of fans could again be lost with the likes of Bradford City and Huddersfield Town offering cheap deals.

The LUFC Trust have said that they will ask the club for the reasons why football in Leeds is cost in some cases more than Premiership clubs and to seek a meeting with new club owner Andrea Radrizzani. It is hoped that the owner takes on board what the Trust has to say.

I ask the owner to look again at the pricing structure and remind him that the great work he has done in the summer is in some eyes being undone by what most fans see as a 'kick where it hurts' when it comes to watching their favourite football team.

Mr Radrizzani, the fans are this club's life blood and they travel from far and wide to see them, surely they deserve a better deal.

MOT

By Keith Ingham