Thursday 27th November 2025
The AST has made the following submission to the Arsenal Advisory Board with our proposals for ticketing arrangements and stadia improvements for 2026/7. This submisison is based upon our previous ticketing work and on-going feedback from members.
AST submission to Arsenal Advisory Board (AAB)
All fan engagement must now meet the standards underpinned by the new Independent Football Regulator and we are hopeful that Arsenal will again demonstrate best practice in this regard as in recent seasons.
It is important that all Arsenal supporters are given as much information about ticketing arrangements as possible including more explanation of all final decisions taken.
Previous submissions and our response to last year’s announcement can be read here, and here.
Proposals for 2026-27
The AST is a signatory to the FSA’s ‘Protect the Fans, Protect the Game’ document and fully supports the call for a league wide price freeze. The football sector is benefitting from ever increasing commercial revenues and it is time to stop squeezing supporters so hard.
Last year Arsenal reported total revenues of £616m and ticketing income of £132m. These figures will increase again for the current season and we expect ticketing revenue to have reached about £155m.
Football fans should not be asked to pay the cost of such indifference.
Protection of all concession categories
We were very pleased that Arsenal retained all concessionary categories last season and actually increased the number of reduced price tickets for young fans (up to age 25) by 1,000 to 4,000 in total per game.
Many other clubs are eroding their concession categories. We believe that Arsenal’s core values mean concessions are a fundamental part of the Club’s identity and we urge the club to maintain them at the current level.
Fairer categorisation of Champions League games
The AST has repeatedly raised with Arsenal supporter concerns at the high categorisations applied to Champions League matches. Designating UEFA Champions League group stage matches as ‘ABBB’ for fixtures in a competition where qualification from the group stage is all but guaranteed (24 out of 36 teams qualifying) and quality of opposition not always that strong is just too high.
We see no justification, sporting or economic, for the game with FK Kairat Almaty in January 2026 being made a category B. There was also understandable upset from our members at a Category A being applied for the PSV last-16 game in the 24/25 season.
We would like the Club to review the categories applied with an acknowledgement they should be reduced from those used in the last two seasons.
Improvements to the option to buy a 19-game season ticket for PL matches only
We are pleased that following our long-standing requests that last year the option to buy a 19-game Premier League season ticket (ST) was introduced. This has the advantages of reducing the up-front cost of a season ticket by about 20% (as it will be for 19 not 23 games) while increasing the number of tickets available for Silver and Red members – a key objective for us given the feedback from so many who find it difficult to access tickets.
As we advised at the time we expected take up to be low given that those ST who took up this option were not afforded any priority rights to buy their seat for the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
We strongly advocate that season ticket holders who opt for the 19-game ticket should still have an automatic right to purchase their seat for all other competitive home matches. This is in line with arrangements at other Premier League clubs, and recognises the dedication of season ticket holders and their still large up-front financial commitment.
Arsenal promised to review this after one season. Our request is for a one year trial of the right to buy tickets with a further review to this arrangement next season when its impact can be fully assessed.
Investment in stadia facilities: Mobile Phone Signal and Safe Standing
With Arsenal fans paying some of the highest ticket prices in football and the club declaring the highest ticket revenues in the Premier League we believe it is reasonable to expect some of this income to be re-invested into first class facilities.
It is a damning indictment that in 2025 most supporters cannot get a working mobile phone signal at the ground. This creates real security and safety issues as important announcements cannot get through. It also means fans struggle to stay in touch with family and friends. A premium price should mean a good mobile phone signal is available.
Safe standing (rail seating) is long overdue at Arsenal. We are the only big club in the Premier League not to have this. There is overwhelming evidence it provides a better experience to both be a fan and for stewarding.
AST has previously submitted detailed evidence on the case for introducing safe standing including overwhelming support for it from Arsenal fans. Crucially we also believe it will help with Mikel Arteta’s focus on getting the stadium together with the team.
There is also a customer satisfaction issue. There are all seated areas where it is known people stand non-stop for 90 minutes. This has seen children and people with disabilities unable to enjoy the ticket they have bought.
There was an AAB working group on this issue and good progress was being made and then it stalled. We would like a timetabled commitment that this will be re-established with rail seating introduced for home fans in suitable areas of the lower tier of the Emirates stadium.
More ticketing information to be made available to supporters including how away tickets are allocated
We submitted a paper to the last AAB meeting on away ticketing including the need for greater transparency on how away tickets are allocated. This led to a good discussion.
More transparency helps supporters understand how processes work and to see that Club policies are reasonable. Where an information vacuum is created conspiracy can take hold.
We would like a commitment that by the start of the 2026/27 season that more details of how tickets are allocated is provided. We also understand that a review of away ticketing policies is being undertaken. This is good practice and we always advocate policies that are open and transparent and fair to all categories of Arsenal Supporters.
More action to tackle ticket touting
Last year we called for increased efforts by the club to address touting and all the evidence suggests that much more focus and effort still needs to be applied to this issue. A fuller explanation of other activity being taken on ticket touting is requested.
The introduction of ID verification for all new red members is action we long advocated and should make a notable difference. We would like to understand how this will be rolled out and how this can be applied to other membership categories.
We would also like to see a concerted action to trace the source of away tickets that regularly end up on secondary market websites at multiples of the face value. This has to be stopped and more “mystery shopping” is needed as well as once again reiterating to all those who receive away tickets that any caught being sold on these sites will result in a lifetime ban from receiving any further tickets (home and away).
