In a win for supporter groups, Premier League giants Liverpool FC have announced they will freeze season ticket prices for the 2025-26 campaign. The move comes after fans warned the club that continued price hikes threatened to price out local and generational supporters.
Liverpool’s decision bucks the trend of rising ticket costs across the Premier League. Matchday prices rose by an average of 2% this season alone. The Reds have now committed to holding general admission and season ticket rates steady for 2025-26 despite acknowledging “significant increases in Anfield matchday operating costs.”
Supporters Make Their Voices Heard
The price freeze announcement follows a coordinated campaign by several Liverpool supporter groups. In an open letter to club leadership last month, the coalition cautioned that escalating prices risked “killing the Kop” – a reference to Anfield’s renowned Kop stand and its working-class fan base.
Enough is enough…Ticket prices are already too high and are threatening the makeup and future of our support. We are at real risk of losing a generation of young and less affluent Reds.
– Spirit of Shankly Supporters Union
The groups called for an immediate freeze on prices and demanded a meeting with club officials. To their credit, Liverpool directors agreed to sit down with the recently formed Supporters Board to hear out fan concerns.
Keeping the Kop Affordable
Beyond holding the line on regular prices, Liverpool is renewing its commitment to affordable access for local and youth fans:
- Local Fans: £9 tickets for residents in the L postcode, a program begun in 2016
- Young Supporters: £9 junior tickets frozen for the tenth consecutive year
The club acknowledged these measures are necessary to maintain the atmosphere and supporter culture that has defined Anfield for generations. With fans feeling the pinch of a cost of living crisis, many historic clubs risk being priced out of their own communities.
Pressure Mounts on Other Clubs
Liverpool’s announcement comes as rivals face increasing scrutiny over their own pricing models. Manchester United is under fire for implementing price hikes in the middle of the season, with some tickets rising to £66. The move prompted an “open rebellion” warning from the Manchester United Supporters Trust.
Fan groups across the league have united under the Football Supporters’ Association’s #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign. Of the Premier League’s 20 clubs, only Palace have avoided raising prices in some form for this season.
It’s good to see an elite club like Liverpool listen to fan concerns and take real action on ticket costs. We hope it sets a precedent other clubs feel compelled to follow.
– Lucy Preston, Football Supporters’ Association
The Moral and Economic Case
Liverpool maintains that the price freeze is the right thing to do, both from a values and business perspective. The club believes preserving Anfield’s atmosphere and attracting young local talent to the stands is vital to its long-term health.
We share our supporters’ concerns and are committed to maintaining Anfield’s status as one of the most accessible, atmospheric and community-driven grounds in world football.
– Andrew Robertson, Liverpool FC Supporter Liaison
Still, with escalating operating costs, Liverpool is leaving money on the table with the freeze. The club is betting that preserving its supporter culture and broadening accessibility will pay off, even if it means a short-term hit to the balance sheet.
Over to You, Premier League
Liverpool’s price freeze puts the onus on other Premier League clubs to reexamine their ticketing structures. With supporter anger at a boiling point and even the UK government taking note, the risk of inaction is high.
The broader question is whether the ticket price issue represents a tipping point in how the modern game treats its most passionate fans. In a sport increasingly oriented around lucrative TV rights and foreign investment, are clubs still willing to make concessions to preserve the traditions and communities that built their global appeal in the first place?
Liverpool is betting the answer must be yes, for the good of the club and the sport. Time will tell if other teams and leagues feel the same.
