Football is a major part of millions of lives across the UK, but many people are not in the financial situation to have the privilege of going to watch live matches.
Ticket prices are a controversial topic within football, with many fans protesting about the rapid increases, whilst clubs insist they need to raise prices to be in a financially beneficial situation.
After 13 games of the Premier League season, Brentford have introduced a new scheme in an attempt to combat the financial situations of young fans who want to watch the Bees.
What is the Gen10 scheme?
Brentford’s Gen10 scheme is in action for the rest of the 2024/25 season and means travelling junior supporters will pay a maximum of £10 to watch Brentford in the Premier League.
This includes both Brentford fans watching their side in away games as well as away fans travelling to Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, which was ranked at No.50 in FourFourTwo's list of the best football stadiums in Britain.
Brentford’s club statement said: “Football is for everyone, and Gen10 is our commitment to ensuring the next generation grows up in love with the game, not priced out of it.”
Prior to this, under-18’s would have to pay up to £25 for an away ticket at Brentford, and the scheme builds on the Premier League’s £30 price cap for adult away tickets.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank, who ranked at no.30 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, had his say on the announcement.
He said: “This is a great initiative that is about the future of football.
“We’re making it easier for young fans to be part of those special moments and be on the journey with us.
“We know that seeing us win a long way from home gives memories that last forever.
“Togetherness with our fans, both home and away, is crucial to what we’re building here and I hope this will help us see full away ends at our matches for the rest of the season.”
FourFourTwo believes this is a fantastic initiative that benefits both Brentford fans and opposition supporters, especially those who would face large sums to travel down to London and may not attend matches in the south due to the high combined cost of travel and a matchday ticket.
Brentford’s new initiative comes in stark contrast to Manchester United’s latest move to remove concessions for children and pensioners, meaning it will cost £66 for any individual to attend a game at Old Trafford.
In comparison to Brentford’s statement that highlights the need to make football affordable for the younger generation, Manchester United declared they were raising prices to allow the club to be on a “stronger financial footing”.
The club statement read: “As a club, we have been focused on cost saving to put us on a stronger financial footing.
"This means having to make very hard decisions, including a significant reduction in our staff numbers."
