Please invest in our away fans Mr Bausor
Middlesbrough Football Club,
Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough TS3 6RS
Dear Neil Bausor,
We are writing to you on behalf of ourselves and all other supporters who will be travelling to an away game in the EFL Championship this season.
Along with countless other supporter organisations across the country we have campaigned since 2013 for the introduction of a “Twenty’s Plenty” cap on away tickets – a national campaign co-ordinated by the Football Supporters’ Federation.
Away ticket prices in the Championship have come under serious scrutiny following the introduction of a league-wide cap of £30 in the Premier League, which was introduced in the 2016-17 season. This has just been recently extended to at least the 2021-22 season. With many away tickets priced way in excess of £30, some even over £40, the Championship is one of the most expensive leagues in the world to follow your team.
We are writing to you now to ask the club on behalf of all supporters, to sign up to a price cap on away tickets.
The pricing cap has proved to be immensely popular among away fans in recent seasons and we believe it will make a significant contribution to the uplift in the number of away fans going to games.
The introduction of the Red Button on SKY for midweek games is sadly encouraging more Boro and visiting fans to stay at home in front of their screens. We hope the price cap can be a way of enticing them to make the journey instead. None of us want to see half empty away ends at the Riverside.
Talking of journey’s, Boro’s first away game, the long trip to Luton Town will now be played on a Friday night, not an easy journey after work. At the end of August our marathon trip to Bristol City has now been switched to a 12.30pm kick off meaning a really early start for fans. This price cap would again be a really timely gesture and reward for supporters before embarking on that first long and early away expedition of the season.
Away fans are vital to creating a good atmosphere at games. The level of time, money and travel our away fans give to the club makes a real difference and we want the club to do whatever it can to make away games as accessible as possible.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Robert Nichols
Middlesbrough Supporters Forum
