Report highlights the ‘cost of being a football fan’

A new report from Virgin Money has shown that the typical English football fan paid out more than £1,000 over the course of last year on following their favourite side.

Match tickets, as well as food supplies and merchandise, all prove costly over the course of a season for the more dedicated football supporters and for some their passion for the game could see them adding to their debt management concerns.

The costs associated with following a football team are highest for fans of a Premiership club, whose tickets cost hundreds of pounds more than lower division equivalents across a whole season, Virgin Money reports.

However, dedication to any football club playing in England is already an expensive passion and one that looks set to become more costly this year, the firm behind the research has asserted.

A spokesperson for Virgin Money said: “2008 will be a real struggle for football fans, regardless of the team they support.

“People’s expenditure on football will eat into their disposable income even further.”

Meanwhile, research carried out by Legal & General has indicated that the mood for spending among the British public has worsened in recent months.