Doug King questioned for 'very strange and controversial' Coventry City decision that has many fans fuming | OneFootball

FLW's Sky Blues fan pundit has sided with those who are critical of the ticket prices for away fans

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Coventry City have recently come under fire for the pricing of their away tickets for certain games this season.

Some West Bromwich Albion fans are even organising a boycott of the game, after it was revealed that adults would be charged a whopping £45, and £35 for under-18s.

Baggies fans are being praised for the decision, with other fanbases coming together to show their support and empathise, as they too are being charged what is perceived to be extortionate prices to go and watch the current Championship leaders.

Given the financial hardships Coventry have had to undergo in the past, and the fact that the Sky Blues actually own their stadium, meaning profits gained from concourse sales and from the global concerts which are held there help the club financially, there have been questions surrounding Doug King's decision to charge above the odds for away tickets.

Coventry City fan pundit sides with protesters as Doug King comes under fire for ticket prices

Chris Deez, FLW's Coventry fan pundit, agrees with the protesting groups that his club are charging too much for away tickets at the CBS Arena.

He found the backlash rather amusing at first, but then questioned why Doug King would up the price for a Championship clash.

"It's been a fun few days on Cov Twitter — West Brom fans raging, Birmingham and Swansea fans getting involved, but I don't blame them at all," he said.

"There's been some insane headloss on social media, people going back 10–15 years to find people's tweets almost as a gotcha moment, and I've joined in with taking the mick out of them a bit, but I don't think there's a single sane Coventry fan who agrees with the new pricing structure.

"£45 for an adult is mental. There are Premier League teams that don't charge that. And £35 for under-18s is absolutely disgraceful. I don't understand why Doug King is doing it."

Doug King has done a lot of good in the eyes of Coventry fans. The Sky Blues finally own their stadium, after years of uncertainty and ground sharing, and under Frank Lampard, they finally look ready to make that step up to the Premier League for the first time since 2001.

However, stadium ownership should mean that revenue is high, so this decision has soured his reputation somewhat, as it seems an almost needless one to make.

"We've got over 25,000 season tickets, and we own the stadium. The money's there from beer and food sales, and the likes of Ed Sheeran and Take That performing at the ground, so I really don't understand the thought process," he continued.

"It was obviously going to cause problems and make a lot of people very angry, as football is already very expensive. If I want to go with my wife and two kids, you're looking at £120-£130, which is absolutely mental.

"I love Doug with all my heart, but it's a very, very strange and controversial decision."

Coventry City fan pundit delivers message to aggrieved opposition fans

Deez doesn't believe that his club should be charging these prices, even if opponents have charged similar for Coventry fans to watch games at their grounds.

It's not just those fans who are criticising the decision, though, as fans of clubs who haven't been charged these prices are getting in on the act, too.

The fan pundit doesn't want the club to look embarrassed and back down, but he accepts that this is a decision which must be rectified sooner rather than later.

"Other teams may have charged us high amounts in the past, but it's not like two wrongs make a right here," he said.

"And now we have the problem of, if we backed down, we'd look stupid, as we're already getting loads of flak from these various fan bases — even teams who aren't being charged a fortune are getting involved and piling on Cov.

"If any of them are reading this, I assure you that there are very few Coventry fans who are defending this decision and defending Doug King, saying that £45 is reasonable, because it's simply not.

"The amount of financial problems we've had over the last decade...it would be very hypocritical for any of our fans to be taking the mick."

Ultimately, that's where a lot of the disappointment stems from in the eyes of many Coventry fans. It was only 12 years ago that the club faced liquidation after going into administration.

Those inside The CBS Arena have endured a massive financial struggle to get to this point, having been forced to travel for their home games to the likes of Northampton and Birmingham in the past. Now the club is on the up, this decision seems rather distasteful to those who have scratched and clawed to get Coventry City back to where it is today.