Town fans are being asked to back Hammers United’s Save Our Concessions protest ahead of the game between the Blues and West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks, the club’s sole affiliate to the Football Supporters Association, is calling for Town fans to stand with their West Ham counterparts in condemning the almost total removal of concessionary tickets across the London Stadium this season.
In April, West Ham announced price rises for all season tickets and the withdrawal of concessions (under-21, under-18 and over-66, including all disabled fans) for new season tickets for the 2024/25 season.
Price rises and the withdrawal of concessions across the board were subsequently extended to matchday tickets with all fans forced to pay significantly more with the youngest, oldest and disabled supporters hit most significantly.
Following a previous event in conjunction with Liverpool and Everton supporters, a protest is being held ahead of Saturday’s match with a banner set to be unfurled outside the National Aquatics Centre, just down from Westfield Shopping Centre on the bridge to the London Stadium, at 1.30pm, where fans will be gathering with their message ‘Stop exploiting loyalty’.
Elijah Aldridge, co-founder of Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks, is inviting travelling Blues supporters to join the protest: “Ipswich Town fans swallowed an eight per cent increase in season ticket prices with individual games up a massive 26 per cent on 2023/24.
“Whilst this was softened by promotion, we all have a duty to protect the next generation of fans and to prevent the loyalty of so-called legacy fans from being exploited.
“We hope that Town fans will stand in solidarity with the West Ham supporters fighting for their children, parents and selves.”
Paul Colborne, chair of Hammers United, added: “Football fans have always been the heart of the game, but our loyalty is being increasingly disregarded in favour of pure profit.
“Ipswich supporters are joining us in our fight for the rights of seniors, youths and disabled people, all of whom deserve respect and fair ticket pricing.
“This isn’t just about money; it’s about preserving the essence of football for future generations.”
For those unable to join the protest on matchday, a petition against the changes has already received the support of almost 20,000 people from across the footballing community.
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