Sports Letters: Cheaper thrills

Sir: Your correspondent, Ken Jones, stated his belief that there will be no backlash against football clubs who sell out. I can tell him that a backlash has already started.

Coincidentally, my brother and I both decided not to renew our season tickets this year. His was at Nottingham Forest, mine at Arsenal. In his case, the higher cost of watching a team lose in the Premiership when it had been winning in the First Division was just too much. For me, I felt that having watched my team do the Double twice, and having been at all four matches, there was no point in paying more (over pounds 550 compared to pounds 380 two years back).

The alternative on offer was to pay the club for the privilege of trying to buy tickets through Ticketmaster, an agency. A friend of my brother now takes his son from near Mansfield to watch Manchester City. The cost, including petrol and meals, is still less than it would be at Forest. For myself, I am watching Stevenage and enjoying every minute.

Michael Coyle

London