THE BBC’s Price of Football study has revealed that the average price of a season ticket in Scotland has risen in three of the four divisions this season.
The amount fans must pay for both the cheapest and most expensive tickets is up in every league apart from the Championship, where the average has fallen on both counts.
Among the 42 clubs in Scotland, the BBC found that 63.5 per cent of tickets across six price categories were frozen or cut, despite the fact that the lowest home and away ticket averages have increased in the top three divisions.
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Eleven different categories were looked at for the study: the cheapest and most expensive home tickets, away tickets and season tickets, pies, cups of tea, match programmes and junior and adult shirts.
It was found that in the Ladbrokes Premiership, the average cost of all 11 pricing areas has risen in 2017, after most fell in 2015 and 2016.
Ross County were the only top-flight club to lower their season ticket price, with the average cost rising to £302.42 from £293.83 last year after seven clubs raised their prices.
Hamilton Academical’s £180 offering is the cheapest in the league, while Rangers offer the dearest season ticket at £660.
The lowest home tickets are up slightly from £21.25 to £21.90, while away tickets have also gone up to £22.83 from last year’s figure of £21.58.
Hearts come out well in this category by offering the cheapest ticket for away fans at £19, as well as the joint-lowest home ticket with Motherwell at the same price.
Celtic and Rangers were level with the most expensive home and away tickets at £49 for home and away Old Firm matches.
The price of replica shirts has also gone up, with adult jerseys rising £2 to an average of £46.58 while junior kits have risen £1.50 to a £36.25 average.
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Rangers’ home shirt is the most expensive for adults at £54.99, while Celtic and Aberdeen’s price of £40 for junior tops is the priciest.
The average price for a pie in Scotland is £1.98, with the Dons asking for the most at £2.70 and Edinburgh City’s £1 offering the lowest.
Forfar Athletic offer the most affordable cup of tea in the country at 85p, significantly less than Rangers’ £2.50 cups that sit some way above the £1.57 average.
Celtic, Rangers and Hearts share the dearest programme price of £3.50, with the average match day guide costing £2.46.
The average season ticket in the Championship went down from £253 to £248.70, but Dundee United’s price of £440 is more expensive than every club in the Premiership outside of Celtic, Rangers and Hearts.
The Championship was also the only league in England and Scotland to see more price hikes than freezes and cuts, having had increases in 33 of the 60 ticket price categories this season.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle reduced all six price categories following their relegation, while Dundee United, Queen of the South and St Mirren froze theirs.
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