Unfortunately, the Malta Football Association announced that there will be a small ticket price increase from January, mostly because of the change from the Maltese lira to the euro in order to round off the charge. I sincerely hope that local football clubs together with their supporters club will stand up and make the required pressure to safeguard their supporters. I’m sure that if these changes were to be introduced, less people will bother to attend local football matches.

During the last MFA’s annual general meeting it was revealed that there was a reduction of around 30,000 spectators over the previous season. I ask the association’s officials: Will this increase in ticket price bring those spectators back to our football stadiums? During the same meeting, the association presented its audited accounts and balance sheet and there was an increase in the excess of income over expenditure over the previous season.

The association’s officials during their electoral campaign assured everyone that the association was in a good financial situation. So why is it increasing ticket price?

Also, I tried to find an MFA official who during the electoral campaign had mentioned that there will be an increase in ticket price but I didn’t find any. Will this increase in ticket price result in cleaner seats, cleaner rest rooms and a better treatment for the spectators? What about students, families and elderly people?

What about introducing different incentives such as season tickets to bring the people back? What’s the aim of holding competitions in front of almost empty seats? Will this increase automatically mean an increase in gate money for the clubs?

My appeal is for all local clubs together with their supporters clubs to defend their supporters. Football without spectators isn’t normal. Please safeguard our interests. I hope that the MFA will find different methods to make up for their costs and avoid such increase in ticket price.

Clinton Farrugia

Hamrun