Fulham owner likened to Scrooge by fans furious over ramped-up ticket prices when he tries to post a good will Christmas message… as supporters slam him for being ‘out of touch’
- Fans are furious about rising ticket prices, with season tickets increasing by 18 percent
- Supporters hated the club's CEO and hinted that they supported the rises
- Liverpool will regret not putting Arsenal away at home after failing to beat Man United Listen to It's All Kicking Off
Fulham fans have likened club owner Shahid Khan to Scrooge after he tried to spread celebration amid rising ticket prices.
Tensions are particularly high after CEO Alistair Mackintosh indicated fans supported rising prices and that tickets “could likely be priced higher.”
Fans protested near the ground and at Craven Cottage last month after being charged £160 for seats in the Riverside Stand following their 1-0 defeat to Manchester United – with junior prices reaching £80.
All adult season tickets have increased by 18 per cent and Dan Crawford, editor of independent supporters blog HammyEnd, told the Evening standard that Fulham are 'the most blatant example of profiteering'.
Now a new wave of complaints has emerged on X, formerly Twitter, following Khan's Christmas message.
Fans have complained that Fulham were 'out of touch' after owner Shahid Khan wished fans happy holidays amid rising ticket prices
Fans protested against the prices last month after tickets for the match against Manchester United were priced at £160, while juniors had to pay £80
'Out of range. Shock,” one fan wrote.
“Unless he mentions Ali Mac's ridiculous comments or ticket prices, we don't want to know,” said one.
“Out of touch billionaire who cares more about PR than sustainable ownership,” wrote another.
“Man doesn't care about your supporters,” said another.
One had some direct advice: “Set your ticket prices straight.”
One tweet included an image of Scrooge from The Muppet Christmas Carol, with the caption: “…with today being the eve of the home game.”
Chief executive Mackintosh caused a stir when he suggested that supporters could even be in favor of rising ticket prices.
Tom Greatrex, who sits on the board of the Fulham Supporters' Trust (FST) and is an FA councilor, has also launched an attack on Khan.
He told MailOnline: 'The current owner's refusal to even acknowledge, let alone engage with supporters about the impact his unaffordable ticket policy has on long-standing, loyal Fulham fans is the spirit of a Christmas gift.
'Those who were there through thin and thin are being priced out – and to Fulham fans, Shahid Khan's oft-repeated statements about herding the supporters seem like just empty words.
'It's no wonder there is so little affection for a man who, given how much he has invested in the club, should be a hero.
'Rather than insulting the intelligence of supporters with belligerent words from his Chief Executive and an empty 'festive message' written from afar, he should use the Christmas gift to rethink, revise and reset. '
The FST met with the club via video conference earlier this month and the minutes of the meeting include his response when asked about the issue.
They read: 'In response, AM questioned whether the Trust was representative of the wider fanbase in terms of awards.
'The Club had received many messages of support about its pricing approach [as per Mackintosh]; they had sold more season tickets than intended this season; and more expensive games sold out quickly and could probably be priced higher and still sell out.”
