Man City and Liverpool fans united on divisive club issue that is not going away

Manchester City and Liverpool remain fierce rivals on the pitch as they go head-to-head for another Premier League title. Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp head up that iconic rivalry of recent seasons, while there has been a number of unsavoury incidents between the fanbases in the last few years that have soured an elite rivalry between two world-class teams.

The two clubs are hardly best friends at boardroom level either, but away from on-pitch rivalry there remains plenty to unite the two fanbases - and not just the ongoing controversies over at Old Trafford, or the brilliant work done by supporters of both clubs to collect donations for local foodbanks.

After City fans voiced their unhappiness at another rise in season ticket prices last month, tensions have simmered among the supporter base. City defended their rises, at an average of five per cent, by comparing them to almost all Premier League rivals, and Liverpool are the latest club to announce an increase.

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Liverpool's season ticket prices and members' matchday ticket prices will go up by two per cent across the board, with the club claiming that is the lowest rise so far across the Premier League. “The rise is a result of significant increase in costs across the club, in the past six years annual operating costs for Anfield have increased by nearly 40 per cent," the club said, explaining their decision.

“During those six seasons, all ticket prices at Anfield have been frozen before a two percent increase was introduced last season for season tickets and match day tickets.”

That landscape is slightly different to that at City, where prices have slowly risen year on year at almost every new season in the last decade. For Liverpool to explain their rises publicly is also more than City did, when they quietly released new prices and hoped nobody would notice.

As a result, City's four main fan groups united to criticise the decision and a banner at the recent Arsenal game read: Record profits but record prices. Stop exploiting our loyalty." It was taken down by the club with initial explanations pointing towards the banner hanging over advertising hoardings and later expanded as not having been checked to have a fire safety certificate.

Liverpool fans are similarly unhappy at the rises at Anfield, with fan group Spion Kop 1906 making the decision not to provide the usual display of flags on the Kop for Liverpool's Europa League quarter-final with Atalanta on Thursday. They said: "Unlike the club's own approach, this has been decided in consultation with other fan groups.

"There is still a chance for the club to hold some positive dialogue with the Supporters Board. Until then the supporters have one message. "NO TO TICKET PRICE INCREASES."

Liverpool fans also took a banner with that last message to Old Trafford on Saturday, and boss Jurgen Klopp admitted this week that he sympathises with the club's supporters.

"The flags aren't there but the people are there. But I understand the concerns, and the discussions," he said, carefully treading the line between keeping his supporters and employers both onside.

"It's a tricky one from my point of view to say. I didn't know about this but the opinion is clear. We want our fans in the stadium, we want Liverpool for everybody. We are a self-sustaining club and I can say that for as long as I have been here every single pound has gone into the football, it is not wasted, the club is doing very good things for the community.

"But of course I understand. I am sure they will find a solution. It maybe starts with a protest, that leads to discussions and that is good. But we have to make sure that nothing gets between us and the supporters. Yes, discuss it, this should happen if they are not happy but between the whistles we just have to all be Liverpool and that is what I am asking for."

It's a similar message to the one Pep Guardiola gave when asked for his opinion. He appreciates the sensitivities of the issue, but also knows that the fans will support the team when each game kicks off. And that is why clubs know they can steadily increase prices, because the demand to see the team outweighs the unhappy voices.

In turn, that is why City and Liverpool fans must continue to make those voices heard. As Klopp says, proper protest should lead to productive discussions. If they let the issue die, the clubs will know they can do the same thing next year.