Leeds United have reached an agreement with Cardiff City that the travelling fans of the two clubs can enjoy reduced admission prices for both of the matches between the clubs this season, and we have offered all the other clubs in the Championship the chance to come to the same arrangement.

While the Premier League has limited the prices for away supporters to £30 for a few years now, no maximum level has yet been applied in the EFL, which may come to a shock to our most loyal fans after the couple of years we spent at the highest level.

The Football Supporters Association (FSA) tried to persuade the EFL to adopt a similar price cap, but the League insisted that they should leave it up to each club to determine their own pricing strategy. In the current free for all Sheffield Wednesday charge some of the highest prices in the Football League, while Bristol City, Coventry City, Middlesbrough, QPR and Swansea City regularly charged visitors over £30 last season.

And under the usual pricing structure at Elland Road, Leeds would be joining them, due in part to the decision taken in the last decade to move the away section to the West Stand. These tickets cost £45 for Category B games and £47 for Category A, and while Leeds fans have the option of trying to get slightly cheaper seats in the stands at either end, away supporters don’t have this choice.

But the club have now announced that they have reached a reciprocal agreement with Cardiff City, so adult prices for their fans will only be £21 at the opening match of the new season, with various concessions ranging from £9 to £16. And in return we will benefit from lower ticket prices when we go to Cardiff later in the season.

And Leeds have offered all the clubs in the Championship the opportunity to come to same sort of arrangement with us, which could be good news for those who regularly travel to watch Leeds United away from home. This could be a sign of a more fan-friendly approach from our new owners, as the previous board declined a similar approach from Ipswich when were last in this division.

The FSA spoke to the Leeds United Supporters’ Trust, who said they are delighted that the club will be offering reciprocal pricing deals for away supporters, and hope that other clubs in the division follow suit, using this as an opportunity to offer fair prices for all travelling fans. But they also think that all fans should benefit from more reasonable ticket prices in these difficult times.

“It is still concerning however that some of the prices for home supporters at Elland Road are unnecessarily high, and we urge the club to rethink their pricing structure. It should be noted that the prices set for younger fans are very reasonable and we applaud them for making it more accessible to watch Leeds United for families, however, charging almost £50 for an adult ticket in the second tier is not acceptable.”

Reuters

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