Manchester City fans will protest against rising ticket prices at the upcoming Premier League game against West Brom at the Etihad Stadium, although a mass walk-out is not on the agenda.
The 1894 Group, an influential supporters club that works closely with City, have called on fans to pull together in a bid to curb the gradual increase in the cost of tickets.
City announced on Friday that they would be charging up to £60 for an adult ticket to the Champions League quarter-final second-leg against Paris Saint-Germain on April 12.
That sparked a backlash from supporters, many of whom have now cancelled the cup- scheme option of their season ticket which would have guaranteed them entry to the match.
The club stood by their pricing strategy in a statement on Monday, after which the 1894 Group announced in their own press release that they were taking stock of the situation before declaring their intentions.
That was then followed up by a damning open letter penned by influential City website City Watch, warning that supporters would “turn their backs” on the club if they did not back down.
As a result, the 1894 Group have now announced their plans via a second statement in a bid to keep fans united.
A co-ordinated walk-out, which proved effective when Liverpool fans flooded out of Anfield to protest proposals to charge £77 for entry to some areas of the ground, is not yet planned.
Having consulted with influential figures behind the Anfield exodus, the 1894 Group decided their own supporters have not yet reached the kind of tipping point which forced their counterparts on Merseyside to take drastic action.
The group are also wary of splitting the fan base at a delicate time in the debate, and have instead called on anybody attending the April 9 clash, which will be televised, to bring along banners decrying the club’s current stance on tickets.
At £299, City boast the cheapest season ticket in the Premier League, although their most expensive, at £1,750, trails only Arsenal and Tottenham’s costliest seats and is £800 dearer than the highest bracket rivals Manchester United offer.
