Liverpool fans this weekend staged a walkout in the 77th minute of their match against Sunderland today, in protest of raising ticket prices, which for this match was 77 pounds ($111). This wasnt the first staged protest this season, as Munich fans also walked out in protest of prices for the Champions League match against Arsenal last fall in London. The ticket prices for that match was 64 pounds ($93).
I empathize with those fans. Ticket prices are getting out of control, my complaint is the execution. I just believe a bigger form of protest is to NOT spend the money, merchandise, tickets ect.
My issue with the walk out is the tickets were bought, and you stayed for 3/4 of the match, so ownership got their money and vendors sold their merchandise to sell. I understand the waiting list for tickets, especially for a top Premier League team is long and if one fan doesnt buy them, someone else will. But walking out with 13 minutes to go? Why not walkout after the opening whistle and leave Anfield mostly silent for the whole 90 minutes?
We complain a lot here in the States about raising ticket prices, especially baseball and football (NFL). I also understand the fan base in the 4 major sports dont organise the way soccer fans do, but I would like to see a similar walkout protest, even though i disagree with the execution, at least do something about it instead of calling sports talk radio on your way down to the game to complain.
We’ve seen our own walk our protest here with our New England Revolution, although the issues were different from Liverpool’s. In 2011, it was cases of treatment of fans while chanting profanity laced chants or jeers at the opposition. Many fans were kicked out, arrested by security and police for such acts. At the time the team felt it was a bother to other season ticket holders. But those chants and jeers was a way of life as a fan to taunt the visiting team and their fans. I myself took part of those chants for several years, between 2003-2009, with the supporting fans in section 143, also known as “the fort” .
With our own history of walkouts, how do area Revs fans feel about the Liverpool fans walking out in protest of prices? let us know what you think.