Tottenham Hotspur to freeze season ticket prices for 2016-17

Ticket prices have been forefront in the English footballing news this season, and after Liverpool fans successfully lobbied their clubs into rolling back a big ticket price increase earlier this spring, there's been a bit of a sea change with how Premier League teams are handling the cost of attending a football match. Tottenham Hotspur today announced that they have frozen the price of season tickets for 2016-17, keeping them at the same level as last season.

This is welcome news, and excellent PR by the club. Fans in the UK are already on record as being dissatisfied with the way Premier League football is now too expensive for the average blue-collar family to attend on the regular. However, there is a caveat. From the club's announcement on their website:

We have been consciously pricing Cup matches to reward great support and will continue to do so.

So while league tickets will remain the same, it's quite likely that Spurs will be able to set prices higher (or lower) for domestic and European cup matches next year as they wish. This does make sense from a financial standpoint, especially since Spurs are very likely to make the Champions League next season and will be involved in some highly desirable matches. However, some fans have already groused about Spurs raising prices for tomorrow's Europa League match against Dortmund and it's likely there will be some pushback on this point. As there should be, since it is the responsibility of the fans to continue to hold clubs' feet to the fire with regard to ticketing issues.

In tandem with today's announcement from Tottenham Hotspur, the BBC is reporting that all 20 Premier League clubs have agreed to cap away ticket prices for league matches at £30 in all EPL stadiums. Many clubs already offer away fans tickets for less than this price; this is more a way put a firm cap that applies to all clubs to avoid price-gouging of traveling support. This is also good news for traveling fans who have often complained of exorbitant prices at other EPL grounds.

Tottenham made a statement coinciding with the agreement, saying the following:

The Club is strongly supportive of reducing the costs for fans who attend away matches. We have a large and committed away following that has given incredible support to the team at away fixtures...

Our fans are fundamental to the success of us as a Club and we shall continue to look at ways to support them, including assisting with coaches and trains when fixtures and kick off times require this.

Hooray for curtailing football match ticket price-related financial malfeasance!