The AST has joined forces with other Supporters’ Trusts to write to all of the Premier League clubs raising our collective concern at the treatment of away supporters. Those signing the letter include representatives from the Trusts at Liverpool, Manchester United, Spurs, Aston Villa and Chelsea.

The reason for the initial focus on away fans is they do not have a direct relationship with the clubs they visit. It is why a collective voice, putting rivalry aside, is so important so that all fans can benefit. The AST believes that by working together and addressing the issue across the game we are far more likely to make progress. We will continue to support constructive policies for more affordable pricing at the Emirates and have been in detailed talks with Arsenal about more affordable tickets being made available for young fans. We also highlight the more detailed work that the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association and Black Scarf Movement undertake in this area.

Copies of the letters are set out below and we welcome feedback from members at info@arsenaltrust.org

A copy of the letter sent to Ivan Gazidis can be read hereand is set out below.

A copy of the letter sent by Supporters Direct and signed by 12 Trusts can be read here

4 April 2013

Dear Ivan

The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust (AST) is writing to you with regard to the attached letter sent by Supporters’ Direct (SD) on 28 March 2013 ‘Looking after your supporters: broadcast revenues and away fans’.

This letter marks an important and symbolic moment as it is the first time that every Supporters’ Trust in the Premier League has come together on an issue.  The issue that has brought us together is ticket pricing and wider treatment of away supporters.

Too often any debate in football sees fingers pointed at one particular club and partisan positions taken. The SD letter addresses the issue as one that affects fans of all clubs and therefore is best addressed centrally.

You have of course in recent weeks successfully led campaigns about Financial Fair Play at the Premier League table and we hope that you will now be able to also lead on this debate so that Fair Play is also accorded to fans.

You will see that the letter focuses on the way that away fans are treated and especially the impact that categorisation has on them. There has been much coverage of the impact of Arsenal’s own pricing but Arsenal fans also suffer from these arrangements as we are almost always allocated to the highest category pricing when we go to away games (and often located in very poor viewing areas).

Among the prices that Arsenal fans have faced this season are £59 at Chelsea, £55 at Spurs, £51 at Manchester City, £50 at Norwich and shortly £56 at QPR.

In 2011 you told the AST that you ‘shared our concern that ordinary fans are being priced out of live football’ and that it was your objective to grow commercial revenues so that the burden could be taken off ticket prices. This sentiment, linked to the increase in broadcast revenues from 2013/14, is the thinking behind the Trusts’ approach to the Premier League.

We are hoping that you and other clubs, collectively, will agree to some form of intervention that recognises the importance of the away fan. As most clubs allocate 3,000 tickets to away fans making collective changes to the prices charged should not have much of a negative competitive impact on any one particular club.

We are hopeful that you will see merit in the proposals in the SD letter and that more detailed consideration can be swiftly applied to the issue.

On related ticketing issues we welcome the price freeze announced for next season although remain concerned at the overall cost of tickets and would like to see further efforts to make ticket prices more affordable tickets. Our Board member Simon Hill has also had constructive debate with Angus Kinnear about his proposal to make more affordable tickets availableto younger fans and we look forward to further news on this.

We also know that AISA and the Black Scarf Movement have more detailed views on a range of ticketing policies and urge you to continue to consider anyconstructive ideas that supporters put forward.

We would welcome feedback from you following the meeting of the Premier League clubs and your thoughts on how you think clubs and fans can work together on this issue.

It is often commented by both Arsenal players and officials how impressive and passionate Arsenal’s away fans are in getting behind the team and the difference they make to help raise the team’s performance. We hope you can support this initiative to help them continue this support.

Yours sincerely

Arsenal Supporters Trust