Yahoo News Aston Villa given emphatic ticket message as Champions League storm rumbles on
Our big Aston Villa survey has revealed three matchday issues supporters want to see the club improve on as the fall-out to Champions League ticket prices continues.
Unai Emery's side will kick-off their Champions League league phase campaign next week when they face Young Boys in Bern on Tuesday, September 17 (5:45pm kick-off). Back-to-back home ties against Bayern Munich and Bologna await before a trip to Club Brugge at the start of November. Villa's final two home clashes against Juventus and Celtic come either side of successive away games against RB Leipzig and AS Monaco.
Villa announced the prices for the Champions League matches last week. Supporters who are season ticket holders in zones one and two will pay £79, and £70 in zones three and four. Those prices increase by £15 per zone if you're not a season ticket holder. In the 1888 Suite, where there are no concession tickets, every fan will pay £97, while it'll set back season ticket holders by £82.
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In our big survey, 689 fans said the Champions League tickets were too expensive, while 109 were happy with the prices. Asked what the biggest issue is regarding matchdays, 598 votes said ticket prices and availability.
Travel and transport took 268 votes, while the option of poor stadium facilities was picked by 247 supporters. Another 37 said the atmosphere at Villa Park was the biggest matchday issue.
Season ticket holders have until 5pm on Monday, September 9 to secure their seat for the Bayern game. Confirmation of those ticket details came last week, after the Villa Trust, who make up a part of the Fan Advisory Board which meets with the club at various intervals to discuss a variety of issues regarding the club and the fanbase - particularly ticketing - urged the club to rethink their prices.
"As part of the Fan Advisory Board, the AVST met with the club towards the end of last season to discuss season ticket prices including the Champions League, if we were to qualify, and made clear pricing should be no higher than that of a Category A game if we did," the statement read.
"For the club to announce Champions League ticket prices well above this season's Category A is extremely disappointing, especially given the recent matchday experience with delays of over 30 minutes getting into the ground, issues with access to seating, toilet facilities.
"When compared to other English clubs in the Champions League this year and indeed UEFA's own away ticket price cap, this announcement is out of touch. Loyal Vlla fans who have waited as long as 40 years to celebrate this momentous season are being punished and exploited at the expense of the club's compliance to PSR, ESR, and publicly known revenue targets.
"The Trust fears the club will alienate fans with these prices and urges the club to rethink ahead of the first home match against Bayern Munich in October. On a separate note, we welcome more reasonable pricing for League Cup and first FA Cup home games for adults and children."
