Angry Bayern fans plan protest at Arsenal ticket prices

BERLIN (Reuters) – Some Bayern Munich fans are planning to boycott the start of next week’s Champions League game at Arsenal in a protest over ticket prices, they said on Thursday.

A number of fan groups, including Club Nr.12 and FC Bayern Worldwide, said members travelling to London would not take their seats until five minutes after kickoff to make their protest at what they said were exorbitant ticket prices of around 64 pounds (86.80 euros), which they suggested amounted to nearer 100 euros after postage and charges.

“We will not go into the stands for the first five minutes of the game … on Oct. 20, 2015, in order to raise awareness about the increased ticket prices,” the Club Nr. 12 fan association said on its website.

It called on all Bayern fans who will be at the game to join the action, under the slogan, “64 pounds a ticket but without fans football is not worth a penny”.

The group said: “The first five minutes of the game in London will be a look into football of the future if this madness continues. Huge gaps in the stands and no atmosphere or emotions whatsoever in the stadium.

“We want to show in the remaining 85 minutes what the alternative is and what a living fan culture means for football. We call on all Bayern fans to take part in the action. It’s about all of us.”

It said prices, not only for the Arsenal game, but for the German champions’ other away matches in Europe were too expensive, with 50 euros a ticket for their Champions League group game at Olympiakos in Greece and 40 euros for the Dinamo game in Zagreb.

Bayern are one of the richest clubs in the world with an annual turnover of more than half a billion euros.

News of the proposed protest at The Emirates Stadium coincides with the publication of a BBC survey on ticket and other football-related prices in England.

The analysis found Arsenal’s match-day tickets were the most expensive in the country, priced at up to 97 pounds (131.55 euros), while away fans pay between 26 pounds (35.26 euros) and 64 pounds.

Bayern’s cheapest season ticket in the Bundesliga, where standing is still allowed, is 140 euros (103.15 pounds). The cheapest seats cost 340 euros (250.50 pounds).

(1 euro = 0.7374 pounds)

(1 British pound = 1.3573 euros)

(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann,; Editing by Neville Dalton)