After Liverpool revelation – What is fair price for Newcastle United fans to pay for tickets? | OneFootball

This Liverpool revelation has ignited a major debate amongst Newcastle United fans.

That announcement (see below) delivered on Monday morning.

Liverpool FC revealing their ticket prices for next season the Anfield club freezing all season ticket and match by match prices for the 2025/26 season.

So for Newcastle United fans, the question/debate developed into, is it fair and reasonable for NUFC supporters to expect the same?

Should the Newcastle United owners be expected to keep ticket prices the same as this current 2024/25 season, when the 2025/26 prices are made public?

A lot of points raised on both sides of the argument.

Some arguing no justification for the NUFC owners to raise Newcastle United season ticket prices and match by match ticket prices.

Others saying that Newcastle United fans should be expected to play their part in helping to close the gaping financial gap between our club and the usual ‘big six‘ suspects.

The 2025 Deliotte football rich list was published in January, this gave the total revenues (not including player trading) for clubs last (2023/24) season.

Liverpool generated €715m (approx £593m at today’s exchange rate).

Newcastle United generated €372m (approx £308m at today’s exchange rate).

Roughly, last season Liverpool generated pretty much twice as much money as Newcastle United. Which then of course means they have far more money to spend on transfer fees and wages.

Quite clearly, it is far easier for the scousers to freeze ticket prices.

Another factor is, how much are Liverpool and Newcastle United fans currently paying?

These are the 2024/25 Newcastle United season ticket prices:

These are the 2024/25 Liverpool season ticket prices (which also now apply for the 2025/26 season):

Liverpool have a bigger capacity stadium and as you can see from the prices above, their season ticket holders pay more on average than Newcastle United fans. Not loads more but still more.

For those not familiar with where these Newcastle United seating areas are, in general terms….

Category One (£895, all figures quoted here are for adults and not concessions) are for those season tickets holders (not corporate areas) at the side of the pitch in the Milburn Stand and East Stand.

Category Two (£727) are those fans sitting behind the goal in the Leazes and Gallowgate.

Category Three (£662) is a very small number of seats, mainly in a wedge of seats in the corner between the Milburn and Leazes.

Mike Ashley legacy holding back these Newcastle United owners

The situation has been further complicated until now with the current NUFC owners left beyond frustrated by the fact they have been tied into long-term deals where Newcastle United season ticket holders were incentivised by/bought off by Mike Ashley to keep filling the seats next to his adverts, if they agreed to stay on. Their season tickets not going up in price for a decade or more.

This meant you had a ridiculous situation whereby you could have three fans sitting next to each other in the Leazes or Galowgate End.

Where somebody still on the Ashley deal this season could be paying less than £25 per match or less (my friend in the Leazes pays £467 for a season ticket, which works out at £24.57 per ticket/game).

Next to them somebody with a season ticket that wasn’t on Ashley deal paying the proper £727 price, which works out at £38.26 per match.

Then next to that fan could be a Newcastle United member paying around £60 for their ticket! Match by match tickets for NUFC tickets start at £47 for many games, then start at £50 for ‘glamorous’ matches such as Spurs, Chelsea and Man U. However, when you then add in the £37 membership fee per year and the fact that members average four successful ballots or less per season for Premier League matches, then on average around £60 per ticket overall. Of course, the dream for the Newcastle United owners is having as many members as possible going to just one match, where they will be effectively paying at least £84 to go to just one PL match, or at least £87 if it is one of the ‘glamorous’ ones.

It isn’t difficult to see why the Newcastle United owners have been left so frustrated, when due to the Mike Ashley legacy, you have thousands of adult season ticket holders paying less than 25 quid a match!

That is now changing though with the NUFC owners no longer tied to the Mike Ashley days, from next season season ticket holders will now be treated fairly, with those in the same areas paying the same prices.

So for example, if season ticket prices stay the same, those in the Leazes and Gallowgate would all pay £727, which averages out at £38.26 per match. Compared to what Newcastle United members pay, still a massive bargain!

That is unless of course the Newcastle United owners decide to increase ticket prices next season, for both season ticket holders and match by match members.

Bin the ‘Family Area’

The NUFC owners will surely as well be doing this all at once, rationalising all the ticket pricing for season ticket holders. With the Ashley long-term deals running out, the NUFC owners will for sure bin the ‘family’ area. He claimed he was helping families out when in reality just another scheme to fill a load of seats next to his adverts at cheap and cheerful pile them high prices. Never mind the quality, just look at the price you are paying.

It was always a bit of a shambles anyway the family area and not many under 18 season ticket holders remain there either. Absolutely no way these Newcastle United owners are going to carry on with the family area, that is destined to become fairer prices, in line with what fans in other areas pay. Especially when you consider that many of those family area seats are prime view ones at the side of the pitch, especially towards the halfway line.

The big question for 2025/26

As for the overall question though.

Once the Newcastle United owners have got rid of the Mike Ashley deals (long-term ones and family area prices) and levelled things out so season ticket holders paying the same/similar prices what should those prices be for the 2025/26 season?

Should the proper/full prices be frozen for the 2025/26 season, or is it acceptable for the NUFC owners to raise prices, to help close the gaping gap on clubs such as Liverpool, when it comes to the revenues generated?

Liverpool official announcement – 17 February 2025:

‘Liverpool FC will freeze general admission and season ticket prices for the 2025-26 season.

The club held meaningful engagement discussions with its official Supporters Board on ticket prices and is grateful for its important and significant contribution to those discussions.

As well as adult prices remaining the same, junior tickets will also continue to be frozen at £9 for the 10th season in a row, and are the same price as local tickets, which have been available to those with a Liverpool postcode since the 2016-17 season.

The latest price freeze comes despite significant increases in Anfield matchday operating costs and continued rises in the cost of football operations in general.

Alongside meaningful engagement with the Supporters Board, a survey was sent out to 500,000 LFC supporters last October, using the club’s ticketing database, asking for their views on a number of ticketing-related topics. More than 62,000 fans responded and access to tickets and the online purchasing process were highlighted as the primary concerns by the majority of supporters.

The club will therefore start discussions with its Supporters Board on developing a range of ticketing policy changes during next season and beyond.

These changes will be line with the club’s updated ticketing principles, which were created in consultation with the Supporters Board. The policies include the ambition to make ticket access a realistic goal for all supporters while also recognising loyalty, with transparent data, protection against misuse, and a long-term pricing approach.