Steve Bruce: It's time to take action over rising Premier League ticket prices

Visiting fans’ group Spirit of Shankly is organising a boycott of the game in protest at the £50 tickets

Steve Bruce has urged Hull to be fearless against Liverpool (Getty)

Steve Bruce, the Hull City manager, has called for Premier League officials to act to curb rising ticket prices ahead of his side’s home game against Liverpool tonight.

Visiting fans’ group Spirit of Shankly is organising a boycott of the game in protest at the £50 tickets, and Bruce echoed his Liverpool counterpart, Brendan Rodgers, in backing the supporters’ right to do so.

“I feel sorry for the supporters of big clubs who have to dig deep every week and I hope when the new TV money comes into play the Premier League can remember football does belong to supporters,” said Bruce.

“I know how difficult it is for people here at our club to find the money to bring their two kids to a match and we have to make sure, with all the money washing around, we give something back to fans.

“We have to remember the average man in the street because they are the lifeblood of football and I think if the Premier League set certain rules we would all have to abide by them.”

Even with several top clubs still to visit the KC Stadium this season, Bruce believes his side have given themselves a fighting chance of survival after Saturday’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace. “You have got to take the pressure off and remember how to play and that’s what pleased me at the weekend – we didn’t look in any trouble and we played without fear,” said Bruce.

Liverpool, fifth in the table, were held to a goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday but Manchester United’s loss to Everton has kept their Champions League hopes alive. Victory at Hull would take them to within four points of fourth-placed United, with both sides then having four more games to play. Rodgers said: “It will be a tough game away at Hull, they had a good result at the weekend. But for us the idea is to go in and see if we can get the victory and keep putting as much pressure as we possibly can on the teams above.”

On the Spirit of Shankly boycott, Rodgers added: “Like everything in modern football, I respect the supporters’ right to protest. I don’t know so much about it but supporters nowadays have to work very hard to get the money to go to football games.”