Season ticket prices rise in three of four Scottish football divisions

The most expensive season ticket is at Ibrox. Picture: John Devlin

The Corporation’s Price of Football study found that the cheapest and most expensive season ticket prices have increased in every league except the Championship.

Average prices in Scotland’s second tier have fallen for both the lowest and highest priced season tickets.

There was an increase in the average cost of the cheapest home and away matchday tickets in every division except League Two, where prices fell for both categories.

But, the study reveals, across all 42 clubs in Scotland, more than 60 per cent of ticket prices in six different catgeories have either been frozen, or slashed.

The BBC Sport survey is now in its seventh year, with data requested from 232 clubs from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Europe - a larger spectrum than any previous study.

Included in the Price of Football research was the cheapest and most costly home matchday tickets, cheapest and dearest away matchday tickets, the cheapest and most expensive season tickets and the cost of pies, beverages, programmes and shirt prices for both children and adults.

The average cost in all 11 pricings areas has risen in the Scottish Premiership, after most decreased between 2015 and 2016.

It means the average cheapest season ticket now costs over £300 (£302.42), an increase of £8.59 on 2016’s prices. Seven clubs raised season ticket prices, with Ross County the only club to lower costs.

There has been an increase in the price of the cheapest home matchday tickets for the second year running - £21.90 up from £21.25 - as well as the average cheapest away ticket (up to £22.83 from £21.58).

The average cost of adult and junior replica shirts has also increased, by £2 and £1.50 respectively, taking prices to £46.58 and £36.25.

Key Scottish Premiership findings

• Hamilton have the cheapest season ticket at £180, while Rangers have the most expensive season ticket at £660

• At £54.99, an adult replica Rangers shirt is the most expensive in the Premiership while Celtic and Aberdeen top the charts for most expensive junior shirt with both teams offering them at £40

• The lowest single matchday ticket price is £19, at both Hearts and Motherwell

• Tynecastle is the cheapest day out for away fans with £19 tickets on offer

• The most costly single matchday ticket is £49 for Celtic and Rangers fans both home and away at Old Firm matches

Other findings

• More than half of all ticket price categories in the Scottish Championship have increased, making it the only league in men’s football in England and Scotland to experience more rises than freezes and cuts

• Dundee United offer the dearest season ticket in the Scottish Championship at £440, which is frozen from last season but still pricier than all top tier sides bar Celtic, Rangers and Hearts

• Forfar Athletic offer the second cheapest cup of tea (85p) in the UK, beaten only by Oxford United Women who offer a cuppa for just 80p

• A replica Ayr United shirt will set you back £49.99 and £39.99 for adult and junior respectively - more expensive than all Scottish Premiership sides outwith Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers

• Edinburgh City sell the cheapest pie in the entire study (just £1) as well as offering the joint-lowest single home ticket (£6) in UK men’s football along with Bala Town and Cardiff Metropolitan University

• A season ticket for League Two Montrose is dearer than season ticket prices at more than half of the Scottish Championship sides

• Adult and junior replica shirts at Peterhead cost £49 and £39 respectively