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Three out of five cut back on away games

• One in ten away match goers to stop all travel
• Premier League "should be prepared for a drop in attendance figures", warns Virgin Money
• Football Fans' Inflation Index shows year-on-year increase in matchday costs

Three in every five football fans who travel to matches away from home plan to cut back on the number of away games they attend next season, according to a new poll by Virgin Money*.

The shock findings from the firm’s authoritative Football Fans' Inflation Index, which has tracked the cost of being a fan since January 2006, show the effects of the recession are being felt by even the most ardent fans as die-hard supporters face up to the prospect of not following their team away from home.

Some 60 per cent of fans who regularly attend away matches said they will cut back on away travel with one in ten (10%) admitting they will stop travelling away from home altogether.

And Virgin Money says Newcastle fans are most likely to ditch away travel – a startling 20 per cent of travelling Magpies fans say that they will stop all away travel completely next season blaming the cost of long trips to support their team.

Other Premiership teams likely to suffer reduced ticket sales for away matches include West Ham, Portsmouth and Everton. Some 18 per cent of travelling fans at each of those clubs confess they won’t be able to afford away travel next season. Wigan fans are least likely to sacrifice following their team – 45 per cent of away match attendees say they refuse to stop travelling next season, more than any other club.

Virgin Money warns that the consequences for clubs could be serious. Grant Bather of Virgin Money said: "Away fans are the lifeblood of the Premiership contributing massively to the atmosphere at games but at a massive cost to themselves.

"They spend a fortune on travel every season and lap up tickets to cup games. They represent the die hard contingent.

"But many football fans, and particularly away fans, can no longer justify the expense of following a team away from home – particularly if their job is at risk. The worry is whether this will adversely affect ticket sales next season. 60 per cent is a large number and the Premier League should be prepared for a drop in attendance figures."

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Inflation Index shows the cost of a match day for an individual is currently £89.53 – a five per cent year-on-year increase on this time last year.**

The company polled some 4,021 regular match goers, including season ticket holders, representing 125 different clubs. Its findings suggest that the effects of the recession are likely to hit away fans hard at all levels of the game but the pain is particularly acute in the Premiership. On average around 13 per cent of away match attendees in the Premiership will stop all away travel next season.

Malcolm Clarke, Chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, commented: "Away supporters are the football industry's most loyal customers and are an essential part of the lifeblood of the game. Without away fans, there is no atmosphere, which is an important part of the attraction of the game, including the television product.

"It can cost a fortune to travel the country to watch your team, and it's no surprise that in the current economic climate, many fans are reconsidering this.

"In the light of these findings, football clubs ought to prioritise looking after away fans better. They will live to regret it if they don't."

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Price Index shows that in the past two years the cost of attending games has risen by 14 per cent. At the launch of the index in January 2006, the match day basket of goods** cost £77.95 compared with £89.53 now. In April 2008 the basket of goods cost £85.19.

The index is aimed at helping supporters keep track of the rises and falls in the costs of supporting their team. The company identified the match day essentials fans buy and keeps tabs on increases and decreases.

Virgin Money's Football Fans' Prices Index runs every three months and looks at the cost of a typical basket of goods monitoring the ups and downs of prices. The firm’s research team examines the cost of items such as a gallon of petrol; match tickets; food; alcohol; train tickets and replica shirts.

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Notes to Editors

** The basket of goods includes a gallon of petrol, a pint of lager, a bacon roll, a train fare, a match ticket, a replica shirt, pay-per-view cost and a match programme.

For further information:

Grant Bather, Public Relations Manager, Virgin Money
07834 844 427

Kevan Reilly/Billy Partridge, Citigate Dewe Rogerson
0207 638 9571

Football Supporters' Federation
Malcolm Clarke 07939 594379
Steven Powell 07881 950613

About Virgin Money

Virgin Money is Virgin’s financial services arm and was established in 1995.

Virgin Money has over two million customers and offers a wide range of financial products across lending (e.g. credit cards and personal loans), savings (e.g. deposits, investments and pensions) and protection (e.g. life insurance, home insurance and car insurance) to the UK market.

Virgin Money Personal Financial Service Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). Registered Office: Discovery House, Whiting Road, Norwich NR4 6EJ. Registered in England no. 3072766. Entered on the Financial Services Register (www.fsa.gov.uk/register), Register Number: 179271

About The Football Fans' Census:
The Football Fans Census is Europe's leading football research expert. With over 100,000 members The FFC provides a communication channel between the supporter and the football industry.

About the Football Supporters' Federation
The FSF represents over 142,000 members supporting clubs and national teams at all levels throughout England & Wales.