Everton and Liverpool "rip off" fans with price of a pint
THIRSTY football fans are being "ripped off" by the sky-high cost of a pint of lager at Merseyside's Premiership giants, it was claimed yesterday.
The Liberal Democrats hit out at both Liverpool and Everton for charging up to 44p more per pint than drinkers would pay at the average pub.
The Goodison club charges ã3.20 per pint, according to the Lib Dems - compared to just ã2.76 in a pub - with the price at Anfield also significantly higher at ã3.
It means that, over the course of the season, fans are paying huge amounts more than they should at both Everton (ã43,890) and Liverpool (ã31,920), it was claimed.
The figures are the difference between the overall bar takings at each club and the income if fans had been charged the average ã2.76 price of a pint.
But last night Everton said its prices were competitive with other clubs, and MPs should stop picking on football clubs. A Liverpool FC spokesman declined to comment.
Don Foster, the Lib-Dem sports spokesman, said: "Unfortunately, it comes as little surprise to me that Premier League football fans are, once again, being ripped off.
"As if extortionate ticket prices weren't bad enough, top flight football clubs are charging over the odds for a basic pint. This blatant profiteering should not continue to go unnoticed.
"When will Premier League football clubs learn to stop taking the loyalty of their fans for granted?" Liverpool fans had the dubious honour of out-drinking Everton supporters last season, consuming 7,000 pints per game compared to 5,250. However, Anfield's capacity (45,400) is larger than Goodison's (40,200).
Everton spokesman Ian Ross said: "Our prices are competitive with other clubs. Surely MPs have better things to do than pick on football clubs, which is all they seem to do these days."
Mr Foster's survey also highlighted high prices at some top rugby league clubs, including St Helens (ã3). But Warrington (ã2.70) and Wigan (ã2.70) were cheaper than average.
However, both Everton and Liverpool were easy on the wallet compared to Chelsea. The London club charges ã4 per pint - "excess" takings of ã353,400 per season.
Across the Premiership as a whole, fans spent ã1.7m too much on overall takings of ã11m - having drunk a staggering 178,175 pints before and during matches.
Arsenal, Manchester City, West Ham and Fulham all charge ã3.50. Wigan, who share their stadium with the rugby league club, charge ã2.70.
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