Liverpool owners, upon further review, have decided to axe their new controversial ticketing policy after 10,000 fans staged an Anfield walkout last weekend. The fans have won, and the scheduled ticket price increase is now cancelled.
Liverpool Owner John W. Henry and Chairman Tom Werner were moved on Saturday, when “You’ll never walk alone” became you’ll never do a walk out protest alone. Reds supporters left Anfield early at the 77′, symbolizing the new £77 ticket price tag.
The top-priced ticket in the newly reconstructed Main Stand had been set at £77 for next season, up from £59. Liverpool have decided to scrap that plan.
“It has been a tumultuous week,” said an open letter jointly signed by Henry and Werner.
“On behalf of everyone at Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool Football Club we would like to apologize for the distress caused by our ticket pricing plan for the 2016/17 season.”
“We were strongly engaged in the process to develop the ticketing plan for 2016/2017.”
“We met directly with representatives of LFC’s Supporters’ Committee and along with LFC management, wholeheartedly agreed with major concerns raised, notably: access for local and young supporters; engagement and access to Anfield for local children; access to Premier League matches for those in Liverpool most challenged by affordability.”
“We believe the plan successfully addressed these concerns and are disappointed that these elements have been either lost or, worse, characterized as cynical attempts to mask profiteering in the plan as a whole.”
“Rather, we prefer to look at them as the parts of the ticketing plan we got right.”
“On the other hand, part of the ticketing plan we got wrong.”
We kind of saw this decision coming on Monday when Liverpool cancelled a planned Q&A session with chief executive Ian Ayre to discuss the matter.
LFC thanks fans for submitting questions for tonight's Q&A however due to ongoing ticketing discussions, this will no longer take place.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 8, 2016
Congrats Liverpool fans! You conveyed the power of grassroots action by a group of dedicated individuals.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
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