Greens call for football ticket price cap
Scottish Greens Co-leader Gillian Mackay called for Scottish football teams to introduce a £25 cap on the cost of away tickets for fans.
Women's football is more affordable than men's football, which can see clubs charging wildly different prices.
A cap has been in place in England for over a decade and means travelling fans do not pay more than £30 for a ticket. There are also price caps on Europa and Champion’s League matches. No such cap exists in Scotland.
Scottish fans already top the tables for attendance in Europe, and Greens believe that with fairer ticket prices the numbers would be even higher.
Polling by IPSOS shows that 7 in 10 football fans believe traditional supporters are being priced out of the game. The same poll shows that 76% of football attendees believe there should be a cap on how much clubs can charge for tickets.
Gillian led calls for Scotland games to be shown on free-to-view TV, and wants to make football more affordable for people and families.
Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay said:
“Football is meant to be for everyone, but all over our country there are families being priced out of it.
“With ticket prices varying wildly, and with transport costs increasing, football is becoming far too expensive for too many fans and their families.
“Price caps are already common in European competitions and in the English Premiership, and there's no reason for Scotland to be any different.
“Scotland has some of the most loyal and passionate fans anywhere in the world, who follow their teams through good and bad.
“Especially when living costs are soaring, it's time for clubs to lead by example and show them the same support.”
Gillian added:
“I'm looking forward to speaking to fan groups and clubs about my proposals and working with them to ensure that Scottish football can be affordable and sustainable for years to come.”