Explaining Everton's rising season ticket prices and fans' 'deep disappointment'

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Off the field, there have been signs of progress, with the latest set of accounts reinforcing the sense that owners The Friedkin Group (TFG) have put the club back on a stable financial footing since their takeover was confirmed in December 2024. But last week, prominent fan groups expressed their “deep disappointment” with Everton’s decision to increase adult season ticket prices for next season. The Everton Fan Advisory Board (FAB) is consulting with the wider fanbase on next steps, ahead of their latest meeting with the club. Is a storm brewing? And why are groups like the Everton FAB voicing their displeasure? On Friday, Everton announced their season ticket prices for the 2026-27 season, which included significant rises in some categories. Adult prices, the club say, have risen by an average of £45 ($61), or around £2.36 per game. They also noted the maximum increase was £85, which works out at closer to £4.50 on an individual match basis. There was, however, one notable exception for some fans housed in the Family Stand, which usually has the cheapest adult tickets in the stadium and is located in the ground’s bottom northwest corner, this season. For the new campaign, that section is being split in two. The Family Stand will be smaller and some of those who paid that lower rate this season will be moved onto a ‘Zone 1’ tariff if they decide to stay in their existing seats. Zone 1 is the most expensive standard area in the stadium due to its pitchside views, with prices considerably higher than in the Family Stand. In simple terms, that particular group of fans would be paying £295 more for the same seat next season if they decided to stay put. This will not impact every fan in the Family Stand, just the ones whose seats have been reallocated to Zone 1 and choose to remain where they are. Everton have frozen prices for kids under the age of 11 and kept concession tariffs. In a social media post on Friday, the Everton Fans Forum said it “shared the disappointment felt by supporters regarding the season ticket price increases”. “We fully understand the concerns being raised and stand alongside fans calling for football to be affordable,” the group wrote. The Everton FAB, a separate group which advises the club on policies such as ticketing, has liaised with Everton’s senior leadership team throughout the process and called in November for a three-year season-ticket price freeze. It described last week’s rises as “significant” and “deeply disappointing”. “We have already made our deep disappointment clear in discussions directly with senior leadership,” it wrote in a statement. “Despite consistent advice, insights and feedback, many of the concerns we raised on behalf of supporters have not been reflected in the final decision. “Club leadership and the owners, The Friedkin Group (TFG), have chosen to move forward with these rises regardless of the financial impact on match‑going supporters. While a small number of supporters will see no increase, many loyal match‑going fans now face rises of up to almost 10 per cent, close to three times the current rate of inflation. For regular match‑going supporters, these increases add to an already challenging financial environment and will have a real impact on overall affordability. “The decision suggests a preference for short-term financial gain at the expense of loyalty. It fails to recognise the growing sentiment amongst supporters that our game is moving further and further away from its core values, identity and soul. It is a missed opportunity.” Everton’s position is that increases were not made lightly, and followed a period of regular consultation with a number of fan groups. The club believe they have acted on at least some supporter feedback by freezing under-11 prices, retaining concession tariffs and commencing a seat move process for fans who want to change where they sit. Everton’s senior leadership team, insights department and finance team were all involved in the process, with the club’s board then offering a recommendation to TFG. A three-year freeze was considered unrealistic due to the club’s financial position. Everton lost £8.6million in 2024-25, their last season at Goodison Park, but that number would have been significantly higher were it not for the £49m sale of their women’s team to Roundhouse Capital, the vehicle through which TFG owns the club. Everton are on a more stable financial footing under TFG, but are now aiming for sustainability. Adherence to the Premier League’s financial rules remains a priority, with UEFA’s stricter squad cost rules even more challenging should Moyes’ side qualify for Europe this season. With the Premier League moving to a new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) model next season, the view at Everton is that the clubs who succeed will be the ones with bigger fanbases and turnovers. Broadcast revenues are shared, so the focus will be on three main club-controlled revenue streams: commercial/sponsorship, stadium use for non-football events and matchday income. Everton have made progress in the first two categories, bringing in new partners such as Pepsi, Budweiser and stadium naming-rights sponsor Hill Dickinson, as well as hosting sporting events including the Rugby League Ashes Test between England and Australia and a recent football friendly between Scotland and Ivory Coast. A game involving England’s women’s football team, rugby league’s Magic Weekend (where an entire round of games are played at one location over a weekend) and an England rugby union match will all be held at Hill Dickinson Stadium, while the club intends to hold concerts at the near-53,000 arena from next summer. Everton are expecting to see a rise in turnover of around £50million this season — their first at the new stadium — and are aiming to jump to between the eighth and 10th-highest revenues across the Premier League in the coming years. The promise is that every penny will be put back into the club’s footballing arm. There is an acceptance they are asking supporters to shoulder some of the financial burden, and that the rises will increase pressure to perform on the pitch. More than 80 per cent of Goodison Park was made up of season ticket holders. That number is now in the 70s at Hill Dickinson, in part due to the increased corporate offering. One-off match tickets tend to be more financially lucrative across the league. Everton made just over £20million from matchday activities at Goodison, a number that put them in the bottom third of the league. Their data shows they were 12th this season for the average price of an adult season ticket, and that they will remain 12th this time around due to rises elsewhere. In time, the desire is for matchday revenues to be somewhere between £60-100m. Everton’s stadium running costs this season are £12.6million higher than they were at Goodison and are planned to rise by a further £7.3m over three years. So while the new stadium is making them money, it is also costing more, too. The club say they have reduced the Family Stand allocation in line with demand. Supporters primed to move to zone 1 prices were emailed notifying them of the price change and informed they could swap to cheaper seats in the new Family Stand area. Tickets there have been standardised at £640. But to make that saving, those fans will need to move and that will be seen as unnecessary upheaval by some. Last weekend, Liverpool fans boycotted club outlets at Anfield in response to planned rises for next season of three per cent. Newcastle United increased their general season ticket prices by five per cent. Championship-bound Wolverhampton Wanderers have promised fans “average reductions of 25 per cent” on adult season ticket prices, while Burnley’s season tickets have gone up by 2.9 per cent, less than the rate of inflation. So Everton are by no means alone in raising prices, but their percentage increases are higher than the other clubs mentioned. Clubs are looking to increase revenues to sustain success on the pitch and remain reliant on their supporters to create an intimidating atmosphere at games. Yet fans are also being squeezed during a nationwide cost-of-living crisis, while wages and agents fees tend to go up across the board. In Everton’s case, many home games this season have been played on a Monday or in midweek due to broadcast commitments. It has increased the strain on the local transport network and made it difficult for some fans to attend matches. There has been considerable disgruntlement among the fanbase at the scheduling this campaign. Reconciling these positions without alienating loyal fans remains a considerable challenge, and one that may ultimately be beyond at least some club owners. The FAB is asking supporters to complete a short survey ahead of their next meeting with the club. “We remain committed to constructive dialogue with the club and will continue to advocate for decisions that protect accessibility, loyalty and the strength of our traditional fanbase,” the group wrote. “Once we have analysed the survey results, we will provide a more detailed and informed response.” For now, the focus appears to be on that consultation with fans and Sunday’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool — Everton’s first at the new stadium. Fan group The 1878s are planning a coach welcome for the game and a tifo display featuring flags and banners. Beyond that, it is a debate that is unlikely to go away. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Patrick Boyland has been The Athletic's Everton correspondent since 2019. Prior to joining the company, he worked for ESPN, Mail Online and press agency Sportsbeat, where he covered numerous major sporting events. Boyland's views on Everton have been sought out by local and national media, while he is also a regular on a number of podcasts focusing on the club. Follow him on Twitter: @Paddy_Boyland