Virgin Media to subsidise away tickets for fans travelling to Southampton
Virgin caps away tickets for fans travelling to Southampton at £20 for the forthcoming season.
Away fans travelling to Southampton in the forthcoming Premier League season will have the cost of their ticket subsidised by Virgin Media, meaning adult fans will pay just £20 when visiting the St Mary's Stadium.
The telecoms group unveiled the scheme on Tuesday (9 August), when it announced it had joined the Football Supporters' Federation's "Twenty's Plenty" campaign, which aims to cap the cost of away tickets in the Premier League at £20.
The Saints host Watford on Saturday in their opening game of the season, with away tickets currently advertised at £30.
"We hope by taking this step we set a good example in football for other clubs and sponsors to follow", Virgin Media, which in June signed a deal to become Southampton's main sponsor, said in a statement. "We are helping to enact change for the good of fans so they can get a fairer deal."
Launched in January 2013, the FSF's campaign has received widespread support among fans of Premier League clubs, who have repeatedly bemoaned the hefty prices of away tickets. Coventry City have committed to cap away tickets to £20, while Swansea City will cap their own fan's away tickets at £22.
"Premier League football is immensely popular across the globe and the contribution of fans is central to that," said Kevin Miles, chief executive of the Football Supporters' Federation. "Nobody wants to watch a game played out in front of empty stands.
"But following your side on the road can be expensive and, despite football being wealthy we believe very little of it is used to reduce costs for match-goers."
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