A Member of Parliament (MP) has said that an independent regulator should have a role in agreeing ticket prices as he believes English Premier League matches have become too expensive for working-class supporters.
As reported by the BBC, Liverpool West Derby Labour MP Ian Byrne (pictured) was speaking during a House of Commons debate of the second reading of the Football Governance Bill. He said: “The reality is that prices are far too high already, especially for younger fans.
“For 2025-26, of those announced, the majority of prices have been frozen by Premier League clubs, but it has only happened following the concerted and co-ordinated efforts by fan groups led by the Football Supporters’ Association.”
The Football Governance Bill was introduced by the UK government last year, while plans for an Independent Football Regulator (IFR) were first announced in 2023.
A regulator would give fans a greater voice in the running of their clubs, and promote financial sustainability and club heritage across the professional men’s game in England.
Byrne urged Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Lisa Nandy to consider amendments that would protect working class fans from being priced out of attending top-flight games.
The MP wants the regulator to be involved in ticket pricing decisions, and to provide updates in regular reports.
Byrne also said the IFR should review concessionary ticket prices across the game to ensure loyal fans of all ages were able to access football, with regular progress reports once again produced on this matter.
“We cannot allow the greed of some owners with no idea of how important [the] working class game is to the very communities that it should serve,” said Byrne.