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Cod Almighty | Diary

Tickety-boo

10 March 2016

Devon Diary writes: Yesterday the Premier League announced a plan to cap the price of tickets for away fans for the next three years. Ever the mavericks, though, they ignored the Football Supporters' Federation's Twenty's Plenty campaign and plumped with a figure of 30 quid. How did they arrive at that figure? The BBC pointed out that eight current top-flight teams already offer away tickets for less than this. While that leaves 12 that don't, I would guess 30 quid is the amount that means minimal financial impact to the clubs while still paying a degree of lip service to the FSF.

Last month Arsène Wenger suggested that the truly obscene amounts of money pumping into the top tier thanks to the new TV deal won't mean a reduction in ticket prices. The clubs will need the money to buy and pay new players and that the first £100m transfer will soon be "easy to reach". Whoopey-doo, Arsène. I wouldn't wish an ITV Digital-style fiasco on anyone but if ever a bubble needed bursting then it's surely this one.

If Arsène's right and clubs can't afford to offset ticket pricing with their latest Logie Baird-related lucre then you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll balance the books by increasing revenues elsewhere – home ticket prices, probably. Will fans take that lying down? Earlier in the year Liverpool fans staged a protest against high ticket prices, walking out of a tie with Sunderland and hoisting banners stating that "football without fans is nothing".

It's a good point – and one that would have been better made by not turning up than walking out towards the end of the game when the club has already taken your cash. Even better would have been protesting years in advance rather than waiting until your club suggests a ticket price of over seventy quid.

Yesterday the Premier League concurred with the Liverpool fans, stating that away fans were essential for match atmosphere and helped make the league unique. Unique? Maybe some of their PR 'gurus' need to look down from their ivory towers and note the presence of away fans at pretty much every game in every league the world over. There are may be things that make the Premier League 'unique' but fans supporting their team is not one of them.

That figure of 30 quid is making the news for other reasons. It also happens to be the amount by which the employment and support allowance, the replacement for the old incapacity benefit, is being cut. The thinking behind this and many other government cuts seems to be that not having enough money to eat or to keep you and your family warm will incentivise you to get out to work, regardless of your disability or long-term illness.

What does this have to do with football? Not much at all. But it's fucking disgraceful. If you haven't heard about the ESA cuts then have a read and contact your MP. Did your MP vote in favour of the cuts? Find out here and if so, remind them that they're pulling the rug out from the people who need supporting the most.

Let's get back to football and back to fans, particularly our away fans. We had another cracking Town away day in the Cotswolds last Friday, and if you weren't there then you probably watched it on the telly, savouring the moment when BT Sport televised a protest against itself. It's pretty good to be a Town fan right now and I think this tweet sums up where we are right now:

So many clubs lose fans when they fall out of the Football League, and we lost a fair few in that first season in obscurity. Luckily we had a decent fanbase and could absorb that to some extent, but other clubs aren't quite so lucky. One is my local team Torquay, who I've been fortunate to see twice since the Forest Green game. The total attendance for both was little more than Town mustered on Tuesday night against Southport.

The first game, last Saturday, was an end-to-end five-goal thriller against Kidderminster who look nothing like the team that drew with us on the opening day and seem to be heading for the drop. Shame – I like their kit, their ground and their pies.

The second game, on Tuesday night, was against Braintree, who you will know are tagging along in fourth place behind Town. Consider this a scouting report for our rescheduled game against the Iron: they are awful. They are more awful than their hideous day-glo orange and blue kit. No shape, no tactics and no ideas. If it's the play-off route for Town this year then let's freeze the table as it stands, as a two-legged game against them would surely see us into the final.

This Saturday we have the matter of a Trophy semi-final away at Bognor and it's a game I'm looking forward to. While it would be nice to be playing a league game, I reckon that us not playing Saturday almost increases the pressure on both Forest Green and Cheltenham to get a result. Hursts trolled Gary Johnson and Ady Pennock with his calm manner after Friday's game and they've got the jitters. I look at Cheltenham now and I think of Newcastle United under Kevin Keegan – miles ahead and nailed on to win the title. The Robins are the Magpies and we are Man Utd. Ugh. Wash my mouth out with soap (or typing equivalent) but you get my drift.

If there's any Town news today then both the club and the Telegraph are keeping it close to their collective chests, so I'm going to bid you farewell. Up the Mariners!