Bayern Munich Fan Group Threatens Walkout at Arsenal Champions League Game
A Bayern Munich supporters’ club visiting the Emirates Stadium for their Champions League game with Arsenal next week is encouraging fellow fans to participate in a walkout over ticket prices.
As reported by Matt Morlidge of the MailOnline, FC Bayern Worldwide (FCBWW) has branded the £64 ticket prices—potentially rising to £74 (€100) with administrative costs—“impossible” for supporters and has vowed not to take their seats for the match in the first five minutes of the Oct. 20 clash.
“This kind of a price structure makes a stadium visit impossible for younger and socially disadvantaged fans,” FCBWW posted on its Facebook page. “It destroys fan culture, which is the basis of football. In England, this development has already taken place.”
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
The post goes on to mention travelling Bayern supporters have already had to shell out €50 (£37) for their entry against Olympiakos and €40 (£30) for their tickets for the match with Dynamo Zagreb. By comparison, FCBWW claims supporters of the German champions only have to pay €30 (£22) per ticket in the cheapest price category.
The post continued:
"The first five minutes of the game in London will be, what future football will look like if this madness continues. Empty seats in the stands and no singing or emotion in the stands. In the following 85 minutes we want to show the alternative and show how fundamentally important a lively fan-culture is for football.
We call upon all Bayern fans to participate in the protest and to spread this word. It concerns all of us!
"
A recent study conducted by BBC Sport dubbed the “Price of Football” shows that while the cost of watching football in England has plateaued or dropped for the majority of fans, tickets remain extortionate at the highest level. It's the Gunners who charge the most expensive matchday ticket (£97) and season ticket (£2,013).
As we can see here courtesy of BBC Sport, those amounts are far higher than what supporters are used to in the Bundesliga:
According to BBC Sport’s study, you can get a season ticket at the Allianz Arena to watch Arjen Robben, Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Muller and Co. 19 times in a campaign for a meagre £104.48.
German supporters wouldn’t be alone in making their feelings heard. There have been protests from English fans over the spiralling cost of the Premier League matchday experience, including recent ones from the Football Supporters' Federation and the “20’s Plenty” group, who aim to keep ticket prices to £20 for travelling fans.
However, as noted by the Guardian’s Owen Gibson, some clubs are in a position where they are able to hold loyal fans to ransom:
English stadiums have long been synonymous for their thunderous atmospheres and passionate support. But as prices have been hiked up, the matchday demographic has been shifted, and as a result, the noise in grounds has slowly been deteriorating over the years.
The Bundesliga still possesses strong atmospheres at the majority of their stadiums, and it seems they are intent on preserving it for as long as possible.
Hopefully, the actions of the Bayern fans strike a chord with some in England, and initiatives looking to keep costs down for the average supporter will grow in prominence.
