Away Fans Matter
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March 2014 AWAY FANS MATTER A FREE FANZINE FROM THE FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS’ FEDERATION NO TO PYRO TICKET PRICES SAFE STANDING Most fans oppose The campaign for £20 More encouragement smoke bombs & flares away match tickets for supporters of choice Contents WELCOME TO AWAY FANS MATTER Away Fans Matter 3 AWAY FANS MATTER Away Fans Matter is the umbrella term for the FSF’s campaign work Twenty’s Plenty 4-5 that champions the cause of the away fan, and it takes a number of Quiz 6 Away Fans Matter is a free fanzine from the different forms. Football Supporters’ Federation. Passion Without 7-10 Pyro Away fans matter Away fans The FSF is the national organisation for football fans, campaigning feedback project for the interests and rights of supporters. Stewarding 11 practices – and we want to and Casework This fanzine has been produced as part of our Away Fans Matter AWAY FANS make sure that the away fan is campaign, which takes up all aspects of the experience of MATTER not in danger of becoming an Safe Standing 12-13 travelling fans. endangered species, and that Away fans are often at the we aren’t taken for granted. SLO 14 We know from experience that away fans are absolutely crucial to sharp end of some of the the atmosphere in grounds: quite often the home fans don’t really worst experiences of watching Away Fans Matter is the football in this country – games umbrella term for the FSF’s 15 get going if there’s no away support to spark them into life. Away Fans Audit being moved at late notice, campaign work that champions Just about all the issues facing supporters have their sharpest travel disruption, excessive the cause of the away fan, and We also want to work with Away Fans Survey 16 impact on those who travel away: changes to kick-off times, ticket ticket prices, confrontational it takes a number of different clubs to improve the matchday prices, standing, travel problems, stewarding and policing issues, you policing and stewarding forms, including: experience for all away fans, name it. And while attendance figures generally have been rising in which is why for the last two Kick it Out top flight football, away attendances have recently declined - that’s seasons we have operated the something we need to put right. Twenty’s plenty Away Fans Feedback Project. This fanzine gives updates on some of the issues we’ve been taking This survey, completed by As part of Away Fans Matter, we up, and there are areas where we’ve made some progress. But our thousands of fans following their launched the ‘Twenty’s Plenty’ campaigns are only as strong as the support that we get for them clubs up and down the country on campaign. It calls on clubs from you, the hard-core away fan. a weekly basis, collates all those to agree to reciprocal pricing experiences. It covers every aspect agreements so that away fans There are lots of levels at which you can get involved, from signing of the matchday, from the price The FSF is opposed Watching live football is becoming of both clubs benefit from a our online petition on ticket prices, to filling in our away fans’ of a pie to the condition of the more and more expensive, and in maximum price of £20 when the to all forms of survey after every match you travel to, through to helping with away sector, from the availability the current financial climate many two sides meet. discrimination, our activities with banners in grounds, attending meetings, even of toilets or refreshment kiosks fans are finding it harder to afford. occasionally joining a protest march. Help us to spread the word, get to the attitudes of club stewards and support the Increases in the cost of petrol and Deals have already been agreed the media on board, create an irresistible groundswell of opinion. and police. campaigning work rail fares make travelling away between clubs, and you can particularly expensive, and ticket read more about it on the Membership of the FSF is free: you can join instantly online at By collecting the data, we of Kick It Out. prices don’t help. coming pages. www.fsf.org.uk, and you can also follow us on Facebook and can work with clubs and the Twitter. We’re here to help if you encounter problems, and we have authorities in an analytical fashion We encourage all fans the ear of the football authorities if there are issues you want to raise. Away fans’ facilities audit – congratulating them on what to show your support for they’re getting right, and helping Kick it Out and its work We’re fans just like you, our policies and priorities are determined pinpoint potential problems that by downloading the Kick democratically and we have no-one else’s interests at heart other than Alongside gaining fans’ opinions audit their facilities and approach require improvement. The benefits It Out mobile app onto those of football supporters. on how they are treated, we to away fans. You can find out passed on to away fans often feed your phone. will be working directly with the more about this new project on back to the club’s home supporter » So get involved and strengthen our cause Premier League and all 20 clubs to page 15. base, too. THE FOOTBALL AWAY FANS SUPPORTERS’ Informing • Supporting • Campaigning Website: www.fsf.org.uk • FSF Tel: 0330 44 000 44 2 FEDERATION MATTER 3 » Want to help bring ticket prices down? Why football clubs TWENTY’S PLENTY FOR AWAY TICKETS should back Then sign the FSF’s Twenty’s Plenty for Away BECAUSE FOOTBALL SHOULD BE AFFORDABLE FOR ALL… Twenty’s Plenty: Tickets petition. » Watching live football is Away fans are the beating heart of football. The hardcore. Travelling becoming more and more supporters bring colour and atmosphere to grounds, spend the most expensive and, in the current money watching their teams and make the most effort to support their financial climate, many fans clubs. The away fan should not be taken for granted. are finding it harder to afford. Increases in the cost of fuel and rail fares make travelling away Your online signature will show your support for the campaign and particularly expensive. trigger an email to your club and the Premier League. Do your bit, spread the word via Facebook, Twitter, and add your name to the » Some football clubs already Twenty’s Plenty petition: go to great lengths to keep ticket prices accessible through promotional deals and responsible ACTIONS SPEAK pricing. Sadly those offers are LOUDER THAN WORDS: rarely shared with away fans. More bums on seats means more pies, Fans contact the FSF to vent about any number of issues, from gripes “I back the FSF’s Twenty’s Plenty pints and programmes sold. for Away Tickets campaign and that frankly don’t matter (“They ran out of Wagon Wheels at half- » Reciprocal arrangements are in call upon football clubs at all levels time!”) to some of the most fundamental fan issues facing the game, everyone’s interest – if all clubs of the game to recognise and reward the amazing adopt cheaper pricing for away like ticket prices. contribution of away fans by getting together to agree fans, match attendance will an across the board price cap on away match tickets of increase and teams would be The reason you’re reading this is because you picked Last year we marched on Premier League HQ at a protest £20 (£15 for concessions).” backed by more of their most it up at a game. It’s what makes you different from organised by our affiliates Spirit of Shankly and launched loyal supporters away from home. a passive TV viewer. You create the atmosphere they Twenty’s Plenty which gave fans a chance to make their www.fsf.org.uk/20plenty enjoy, which leads to multi-billion pound TV deals. voice heard via a petition which automatically emailed » Lower prices would help make Clubs should never forget that. their club and the relevant league. football more affordable for those on low wages, children, students Ticket prices create a barrier for match-going fans in The fight’s far from over but since Twenty’s Plenty » Will those TV billions keep flowing if stands and OAPs. Football must act now to a way nothing else does. If you can’t afford a ticket, launched clubs as diverse as Barnsley, Cardiff look empty and atmospheres stagnate? make sure it doesn’t lose the next you can’t make the match. Costs soon add up once City, Derby County, Hull City, Liverpool, Newcastle Football needs the colour and noise that away generation of match-going fans. you throw in travel, food, and the occasional pint United, Norwich City, Swansea City, and WBA have (just to be social, of course). announced reciprocal deals which mirror Twenty’s fans generate. » Gate receipts are becoming Plenty’s key principles. less important as an overall Back in 2012 more than 4,000 fans completed our percentage of a club’s income. National Survey with 92% saying ticket prices were It was the strength of feeling about the importance of The Premier League’s new media too high. The BBC’s Price of Football survey also away fans that formed the background to the Premier deal generated more than £5bn showed the average cost of the cheapest adult League’s Away Fans’ Intitiative. That’s £12m over three for clubs. The increase from the ticket had risen by more than five times the rate years to make games more affordable for away fans, last deal alone is enough to knock of inflation.