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Football fans feel 'priced out' as they reveal top frustrations with modern game

Football supporters are starting to feel priced out of the game, with rising ticket prices, FIFA and VAR controversy among their biggest complaints.

[football fan sitting in stands alone surrounded by empty seats]

Fans say the game isnt what it used to be(Image: Getty Images)

Football supporters' biggest complaints include FIFA, soaring ticket prices and Super Bowl-style half-time shows. Research of 5,000 fans found 61% believe the sport has lost its way. The study revealed much of fans' frustrations stemmed from escalating costs, with 88% feeling like ordinary supporters are being priced out.

Alongside ticket prices, this included the number of subscriptions required to watch games, as well as the Champions League not being free-to-air. But that wasn't all. Many also moaned about the number of tops released by teams each season, while others dislike colourful football boots.

The research was commissioned by OLBG to celebrate the launch of the Marc White Fixes Football show. The Dorking Wanderers founder and manager, said: "The feeling that fans are being priced out of football really stands out from the study.

Following your club has become more expensive than ever, and supporters are noticing it. Football doesn't exist without fans, so it's important the game doesn't lose sight of that."

[Two passionate young adult males react to game play during a sports game]

Fans are frustrated by VAR and official body decisions(Image: Getty Images)

When asked what they would do if they were in charge of the game, many said they would enforce cheaper tickets. The next biggest priorities were scrapping VAR, making more matches free-to-air and reducing the influence bodies like FIFA have on the sport.

When it comes to VAR, just 18% said they would keep it as it is, with the biggest issues being the time it takes, the game feeling too stop-start and it creating more debate than it solves.

If participants were to make alterations, they would advocate for more consistency, faster decisions and even a time limit for reviews.

Respondents also expressed dissatisfaction with half-time shows. Only a quarter stated they enjoyed this year's World Cup Final performance.

Nearly three quarters (72%) reacted negatively to the idea of introducing such shows more frequently, while 31% labelled it "a terrible idea".

White added: "Fans are the lifeblood of the game, but many feel football is drifting further away from the people who made it what it is.

"People still love football, they just want decisions to be made with supporters at the heart of them."

TOP 20 BIGGEST FOOTBALL GRIPES:

1. Rising ticket prices
2. Too much focus on money
3. Players diving / exaggerating contact
4. VAR
5. FIFA
6. Inconsistent refereeing decisions
7. Too much time-wasting
8. Too much football being behind paid subscriptions
9. Too much commercialisation
10. Champions League not being free-to-air
11. Super Bowl-style half-time shows
12. Replica football shirts being too expensive
13. Too many kits being released every season
14. Modern "systems-ball" / overly tactical football
15. Premier League decision-making
16. UEFA
17. Fixture congestion
18. Lack of atmosphere at some grounds
19. Clubs releasing too much merchandise
20. Matches being too physical and not technical enough

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