Reading have offered to make tickets for away fans just £20 in the Championship this season, as long as other clubs promise to do the same.
Ticket prices for football, along with other sports, are often criticised for being too high and making it increasingly harder for new fans to enjoy the sport, and older ones.
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With the UK in the middle of a cost of living crisis it's even harder for people to make it to sporting events, as they have to sacrifice things in life.
In the Premier League there's a cap of £30 on away tickets for games, although many want to keep it at £20, but no such price cap exists in England's second tier, with some clubs charging as much as £35 last season.
Now Reading have come up with an idea to only charge away fans £20, as long as fans from other clubs agree to only charge their fans the same price.
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"This season, our consistent stance on Twenty’s Plenty now firmly places the emphasis on the opposition clubs," the club explained in a statement on their website.
"Since 2016, we have championed Twenty’s Plenty. However, despite our best efforts, very few other clubs in the Championship have followed suit in their pricing strategy.
"That has resulted in our travelling fans routinely paying well in excess of £20 for the privilege of watching the Royals on the road, while opposing clubs’ travelling fans have all paid £20 or less to follow their team to the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
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"For clarity’s sake, clubs are only allowed to charge away fans the equivalent price that they charge their own supporters in a comparable section of their stadium. So by keeping matchday ticket prices so low at Reading, we have also been committed to keeping prices for visiting supporters at the same level.
"In 2022-23, adult matchday ticket prices will, in some sections, be elevated slightly above the £20 mark – meaning we will now be permitted to set the equivalent price to away fans.
"However, every single Championship club will be given the opportunity to offer their fans £20 tickets when their team visits RG2…but only if they commit in advance to a reciprocal arrangement for our loyal away fans in the reverse fixture.
"And this is the communication we have sent to all 23 clubs in the division..."
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The Berkshire club have confirmed that so far Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers have agreed to take them up on the offer.
The hope will certainly be that other teams follow suit, and could come under pressure from their own fans if this isn't the case and they have to spend more to visit the former Premier League side.
Reading fans will certainly be hoping to see an improvement in their team next season, because they might argue the last campaign wasn't even worth spending £20 on.
If Derby County hadn't had their points deduction then the Royals would have gone down instead of the Rams, even if their own points deduction hadn't also happened.
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Next season their fans will get to see newly relegated sides Burnley, Norwich City and Watford, although Norwich is likely to only be a one time thing, until 2024/25 at least...
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: EFL Championship, Reading, Blackburn Rovers, Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town
