Bob Matthews

These points are frighteningly accurate. Clubs are deliberately looking at long standing supporters, taking away long fought for rights and making basic things like season tickets a weapon to remove rather than a part of "ownership" and support of the club. A study was done over a decade ago and they are right, stadiums are full of people my age, with previous few avenues for youngsters, the vibrant future of any club, to congregate together as a large, noisy, feisty and sometimes intimidating group. I'm surprised Palace owners have let it get this far because with greatest respect to a club I started at, 90's Palace was old, Surrey based and "nice". HF undoubtedly have made Selhurst a prickly place to play so their attendance is proof that embracing positive supporter change works. And works well. Going to be honest, not a fan of the mimickery by English supporters of European Ultras groups per se, we have a 150 year old raw, passionate culture and we do things differently, so that's my tuppence on the "look" of groups like HF rather than the extremely valid points they make, which I support 100%. We've just come off the $1000 a ticket World Cup, we know tourists from afar's spend is more valuable to clubs that a season ticket holder who doesn't need to spend £600 in the shop, and we know that through a cost of living crisis, youngsters are finding cheaper teams to support ( a very welcome unintended consequence of Prem pricing) or move away from football entirely. If I were shouting still on radio this is exactly the debate we'd be having tonight, rattling cages of those in power, inviting guests into squirm a little as they try to defend pricing, strategy and bringing more youngsters into stadia. Alas, the Premier League, like FIFA and UEFA want only happy clappy official broadcasters to " tell them how great we are ", so you won't find HF statement being answered by anyone relevant in football, they just ignore and ride it out. It's why we are where we are now. I hope HF reconsider, and I hope good people like @CEO4TAG can find a solution, we need more, not less HF. Football without hardcore fans, is nothing. Football without tourists, is fine. Look after those who've looked after uou for 150 years. Today, tomorrow and in the future. It's why English football IS so special.