Football Supporters’ Federation to discuss widespread walkout

The Football Supporters’ Federation will discuss organising a widespread walkout of Premier League matches with supporters’ groups in response to the rising cost of attending matches.

After 10,000 fans staged a 77th-minute walkout during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Sunderland on Saturday, the FSF plans to convene a meeting of supporters from all 20 top-flight clubs in the next week to discuss what options are available to them.

"The FSF will be convening a meeting of representatives of supporters' organisations across the Premier League to discuss the next steps in the campaign. There are a number of options. The Liverpool walkout very successfully highlighted the whole issue of the affordability of football and the clubs need to be made to listen," Kevin Miles, the FSF chief executive, told the Telegraph.

Last week, the FSF expressed bitter disappointment that Premier League clubs failed to back a measure to cap away ticket prices at their most recent meeting. It is understood that while no vote was taken on away tickets at Thursday’s meeting of all the Premier League clubs, informal soundings were taken that made it clear the proposal would not receive the two-thirds majority required.

While a widespread walkout may be hard to achieve, the FSF has also called on frustrated fans to air their grievances with club’s sponsors, as many at Liverpool have done with Subway.

Meanwhile, Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool will heed “the sign” from Saturday’s mass walkout at Anfield and that a compromise must be found over the club’s controversial new ticket prices. He denied the current unrest threatens that ambition or supporters’ love for the club, although admitted: “Now I know it is my problem too.”

“There is always a reason for a situation like there was on Saturday,” he added. “It was not a situation where one game you have 40,000, the next 39,000, the next 38,000, 37, 36 and so on. But it was a sign on Saturday and I think it was easy to understand. That is the good thing with signs. Now we have to talk about it. This club is a really big club that has faced a few difficult situations in the history of Liverpool FC.

“These other problems were bigger than the problem we have in this moment but supporters never ever lost their love of the club and that will not happen now. We have our job to do on the pitch which is easier to help people enjoy the game, we will try, and I know the owners are really interested in having a good relationship with our supporters. In the moment, we understood the sign, I think, and now we look for a solution.”

The former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, who joined in with the protest on Saturday, insists £77 (€100) is too much to pay to watch a football match.

“People have said to me since then ‘it’s OK for you on your big wages, that’s why the prices are so high’,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column. “I was paid well, yes, but I was there for 17 years and in comparison to some of the other players who were in that squad, it was fair. That’s what you want ticket prices to be: fair. I know the increase will not impact on me but I also know plenty about my city – £77 (€100)is too much to watch a game anywhere but that price is particularly over the top in Liverpool.”

(Guardian service)