Liverpool fans staged a mass walkout over ticket prices
Thousands of Liverpool fans voted with their feet in protest at ticket prices as Anfield witnessed its first walkout in its 132-year history.
Supporters’ groups organised the action for the 77th minute of the match against Sunderland after a £77 match ticket (up from £59) and a £1,000 season ticket for next season were announced this week.
The club argued the new structure – which includes 45% of match tickets decreasing in price, 64% of season tickets being reduced or staying the same in cost, better availability for local fans and around 1,500 £9 tickets for category C games – offers greater accessibility and affordability.
However, that was not enough to placate fans’ groups as upwards of an estimated 10,000 of the 44,179 inside the stadium got up and left their seats in the 77th minute, with long queues forming for the exit.
Before the mass departure the Kop loudly sang, “Enough is enough, you greedy b*****ds, enough is enough” – which was roundly applauded by all four sides of Anfield, including the Sunderland supporters – before launching into ’You’ll Never Walk Alone’, usually reserved for the last few moments of a game.
There were noticeable empty blocks of seats all around the ground, particularly in the Kop where, before kick-off, fans had waved black flags instead of their usual club colours in protest.
The walkout was followed by a Sunderland fightback as the visitors, having been 2-0 down, scored twice in the last nine minutes to snatch a 2-2 draw.
