Source:REUTERS/Phil Noble
[Saba Sports News] Last year, Premier League club Manchester City introduced a new season ticket policy. However, the strict policy has dissatisfied a large number of City fans, as it stipulates that season ticket holders must attend 16 matches, including at least 10 matches in person. The remaining 6 matches can be resold to the club or transferred to qualifying members, but cannot be freely sold to non-members. Failure to meet these requirements puts holders at risk of losing their season ticket eligibility for the next season.
Fan organizations believe that this policy violates relevant equality laws and constitutes indirect discrimination. They argue that it transforms the season ticket’s reward for fan loyalty into a rigid performance metric, overlooking the impact of uncontrollable factors such as illness or family changes, thereby severing the emotional connection with core fans.
To express their grievances, fan organizations have undertaken various protest actions, including holding targeted on-site demonstrations during home matches, sending legal letters to the club from a law firm accusing the policy of violations, publicly appealing to the team’s manager to adjust the policy, and exerting pressure through social media.