Supporters "exploited"

THERE were nearly 80,000 spectators roaring on their team during Sunday's English FA Cup semi finals but the 10,000 plus empty seats spoke louder than any of the filled ones.

`Enough is enough' was their cry. `Our loyalty has been exploited for too long.' Now, maybe, the game will recognise that in its grasping rush towards millionaire players and multi million pound television deals the most important people have been left behind. It had better, or the current boom will turn to dust.

Supporters have long been treated like children, to be seen but not heard - except when creating the atmosphere so beloved by television. In the bad old days they were regarded as terrace fodder, expected to turn up every fortnight despite archaic, often dangerous, facilities. Even after years of decline and tragedy it took government legislation to

N6w they are seen as cash cows, to be milked at the gate, at the club megastore, and by superfluous membership schemes. While Manchester United fans complain about admission prices Middlesbrough and Sunderland protest at season ticket only entry. The clubs point to better stadiums, fans retort by noting that the Football Trust has paid for many of the improvements and television was supposed to subsidise the rest compensation, in part, for the constant switching of fixtures to inconvenient Sunday afternoons and Monday evenings.

The FA, freed from even a cursory nod at preserving fan club relations, are even greedier. Ninety per cent of semi final tickets were priced at £30-£38. Bland programmes were £3. The wonder is not that 10,000 stayed away, it is that so many turned up.

It is no surprise to find that the guilty men are the same group that expect fans to pay £45 to watch England play friendlies. Crawl forward the Match and Grounds Committee, a 14 man covey who watch the most of their professional football from the comfort of a directors' box with a half time buffet, a postmatch drink and all for free. They include just five members of the professional game.