Bolton fans were in uproar last night as ticket prices for the club’s first home match of the season were revealed and the club has appeared to respond by suspending ticket sales for the Coventry match which were due to go on sale at 9am this morning
A number of fans took to social media to complain and even the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Trust appealed to the club to reconsider the ticket prices for the Coventry City fixture.
As a result of the backlash, tickets sales – which were set to go live at 9am this morning – have been suspended. But are the controversial ticket prices really that bad?
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Tickets for the Coventry City game had been priced at £24 for adults, £18 for over 65s & under 23s and £12 for under 18s which is around the same price Wanderers fans had to pay the last time the club was in League One during the 2016/17 season.
An under 23 ticket for the home game against Fleetwood Town in 2016 would have set you back £18 and tickets for the final game of the season against Peterborough cost £28 for adults and £20 for under 23s respectively.
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So why has there been such a backlash about charging fans the same amount of money as the last time the club was in the third tier?
It’s no secret that Bolton’s ticket prices have been somewhat on the steep side in recent years, not least in last season’s local derby matches against Wigan and Blackburn.
However, this time around though there seems to be a number of factors that are getting fans riled up about the ticket prices.
From the quality of the squad on show to the treatment of season ticket holders last season, it was vital that the powers that be set ticket prices at an attractive level to earn some goodwill from Bolton fans who have felt a little more than shortchanged over recent years.
Clearly, the backlash from fans shows that the prices set, while they may be the same as the club’s last visit to League One, are unnecessarily high.
Hopefully, the club suspending ticket sales shows that those who set the prices, whether it be the club’s administrators or incoming owners, don’t want to get on the wrong side of the club’s loyal fanbase this early on into the season and could well be reconsidering.
More to follow.