The supporters trusts at Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United along with we at the Ugly Inside have joined forces to issue a statement about the rising costs of ticket prices for this years semi finals.

The statement issued this morning has the backing of not only we at TUI after many comments from Saints fans about the cost of the tickets for Wembley, but the supporters trusts at Spurs, Chelsea and Man Utd and the Football Supporters Federation.

It is simple and to the point and needs very little explanation and reads as follows.

"The decision to raise prices for the FA Cup semi-finals and finals to the highest levels ever defies belief.

The FA has secured record broadcast rights for the competition, there is a lucrative sponsorship deal in place, and attendances throughout the competition have been higher than in recent years. The FA itself is in better financial health than ever. So we cannot see the rationale for hiking prices.

The FA could have tried to explain the reasoning to fans, but once again the people who are the lifeblood of the game, the paying customers, were not consulted or even given advance notice. Like it or lump it is the clear message.

Supporters of all four clubs have already spent a fortune following their teams from round three onwards. Our reward for reaching the last four is price rises 10x the rate of inflation. The FA has taken this decision at a time when, by contrast, the Premier League has reduced the cost of away tickets to a maximum of £30.

Freezing the lowest ticket price category is a token gesture that will benefit only a small minority of supporters. These price increases further illustrate the longstanding issue we have with the FA as both the regulator of the game as well as the worst offender when it comes to excessive ticket prices for fans. A concession discount of just £10 further compounds the issue.

The price of football at the top level is already extortionate. This latest decision is nothing more than opportunistic exploitation of fan loyalty. We expect better from a body that claims to be the guardian of the game, especially in the oldest and most famous cup competition in world football.

We wonder, too, how the FA’s commercial partners feel about being associated with such naked opportunism.

The FA still has time to rethink. It should.
​
THST, MUST, CST, Southampton fan groups"

Last seasons highest price was £60, but that ticket will now cost Saints fans and indeed the other semi finalists £80 and that is the case across the board, although the cheapest ticket has been frozen at £30 and last years category two tickets risen from £40 to £45 this, the top two categories have shot up.

The most popular categories will be 3 & 4 and they have gone up from £50 to £65 and then a 33% increase from £60 to £80 in the top category.

I think most Saints supporters although glad to be in our first FA Cup semi final in 15 years would agree that the cost is astronomical especially for those who take children and the FA are once again looking to cash in rather than taking account of the supporters of all four clubs.

Photo: Action Images

Sanguin added 13:39 - Mar 22 I found it amusing that concessions include ‘under 18s’ and ‘18 – 21s’. Why didn’t they just say ‘under 21s’?
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JGH added 13:42 - Mar 22 Pretty sure the FA's stance will be proven correct when the most expensive tickets sell out first.
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saintmark1976 added 14:18 - Mar 22 Quite frankly who's surprised anymore? It's just another example of the rip off "something for nothing" Britain that we all live in at present. The only way to combat this type of behaviour by the F A is for the fans of all the clubs not to pay what are clearly ridiculous prices. Will this happen? I seriously doubt it because fans have been brainwashed into believing that the modern day Wembley has some sort of mythical aura about it.In reality the stadium is in one of the most congested areas of London with poor transport links and very little facility for car parking. Any sense of history was destroyed when it was redeveloped, in much the same way as us moving from the Dell to St Mary's and West Ham vacating Upton Park for the Olympic stadium. Stay at home for the semi final and watch it on T V. I guarantee that if enough fans did this then not only would the prices not increase next season but you will save a fist full of money in the short term.

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SaintNick added 14:28 - Mar 22 "FA's stance will be proven correct " So what stance is that !!!!!! If it is one that says that we have to squeeze every penny out of the supporters who follow the team week in week out, then yes they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams
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1970 added 15:22 - Mar 22 So who do you address such a statement to Nick theres no-one at home, the free masons inside the FA wont take a blind bit of notice as this has been going on for years, if your lucky enough to get a ticket then keep your money away from all there other rubbish like the ten quid burger or any boring England games replica tops etc etc... hopefully it will still be an enjoyable day for the mighty saints as we march on to the final coyr

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SonicBoom added 15:28 - Mar 22 It is a disgrace. And just cos the tickets sell out that doesn't make it right. What it means is that potentially fans that have followed the team through the rounds can't afford to go. sure those tickets will be snapped up by other people that can afford it. But this is exactly why the atmosphere at most grounds is at it's lowest ever ebb. I truly hope someone from the FA has to come out and defend this. With all the billions in football why are they trying to squeeze and extra few % out of the gate receipts?

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mattlegod added 18:53 - Mar 22 I also think it stinks that a supporter of over 40 years and long term member who does not live in Southampton but attends many away fixtures is deemed by the club as less important in terms of being given an opportunity to buy a ticket for the semi than someone who could buy a membership today and buy a ticket for the next home match. Do I feel like a valued supporter after all these years? In a word, no.

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VancouverSaint added 06:24 - Mar 23 Wow, sitting here in Canada gives us the advantage of getting early morning news releases first before the UK wakes up. Today’s news ....Saints made a profit AFTER taxes of £34M. Incredible increase from last year. How was this achieved? Selling VVD? More revenue sources than that are identified by the Board. The supporters will now be complaining that more investment in players should be done in order to stop a situation that we are now in. Got to agree. Success breeds success. Our smart board must be patting themselves on the back. God forbid if we go down.....what does all this money mean then?

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the_saint added 11:21 - Mar 24 I’m going to spend £178 on tickets for me and my two boys disgracefull FA hang your head in shame ripping off the working class
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SaintBrock added 12:58 - Mar 25 "Stay at home for the semi final and watch it on T V. I guarantee that if enough fans did this then not only would the prices not increase next season but you will save a fist full of money in the short term" Which is exactly why my son and I have decided to do just that saintmark1976. Everyone in football in any position of power are cast from the same mold, greedy self-serving barstewards. Petitions fall on deaf ears.

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