Exclusive: Lee Hendrie defends Birmingham City fans - Coventry City demands are "pretty ridiculous" | OneFootball

Blues fans have been left furious by the price they will have to pay for tickets at the CBS Arena

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie has issued his reaction to the prices which Birmingham City supporters will have to part with when purchasing tickets for their upcoming away match against Coventry City.

Bluenoses are notorious for travelling well all across the country, and with the optimism currently surrounding the club, the clash between the two West Midlands sides will generate plenty of interest from locals and outsiders, hence why the match has also been chosen for Sky Sports' main lunchtime slot on Saturday 27th September.

Chris Davies' side have enjoyed a steady return to the Championship after setting and breaking a whole host of records in League One thus far, whilst Sky Blues supporters have also had their early-season optimism backed up after last season's crushing defeat to Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals with a flurry of goals in their early-season encounters.

The upcoming clash has all the hallmarks of a feisty encounter, as is often the case between these sides. However, it's fair to say that Coventry have already caused a stir with those set to make the short trip from the Second City towards the end of the month.

Lee Hendrie issues "ridiculous" verdict as Birmingham City supporters left furious by Coventry City ticket prices

Coventry confirmed before the season started that certain encounters would fall under a new 'Category A+' bracket for ticket prices, meaning adults who aren't season ticket holders or away supporters would have to part with £45 of their hard-earned cash to watch the game in-person.

As well as this, seniors and 'young adults' (18-21) will be charged £40 each, whilst Under-18's a slightly lesser, but still extremely high £35.

The upcoming clash with Blues is the first match to fit the bill for said category, with those making the journey across the M6 left furious by the prices they will have to pay after receiving a full allocation of 2,744 tickets.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Hendrie completely understands the frustrations shown across social media, and believes the powers that be should consider a £30 cap for away tickets, a scheme that has been in place across the Premier League for the past 10 seasons.

"I actually think it's pretty ridiculous to think they can up prices and charge (that much.)," Hendrie stated to FLW. "I've spoken to a few Birmingham City fans who have mentioned this situation and I think it's pretty poor.

"You're raising the stakes of tickets and what-not, and they should be putting a cap on them for away tickets like the Premier League have," he claimed.

"That way it keeps things fair and simple and teams can't 'take the mick' by putting their prices up to ridiculous costs, particularly when you've got families you want to take and younger fans.

"It just seems to be a hell of a lot of money to go on an away trip on top of travel. I think they should cap it, I just don't think it's fair they're allowed to do so (charge so much."

Ticket costs in the Championship have caused frustrations for some time - Birmingham City outrage is the latest example

This isn't the first instance where ticketing costs have caused major outrage and discourse among supporters in the Championship too, showcasing that it is a worrying trend that cannot continue over time.

Another example in the current campaign is that adult Sheffield Wednesday supporters in Hillsborough's South Stand were charged £780 for their season ticket which, over the course of a season, equates to approximately £34 per match for 23 league home games.

For those Blues fans who are travelling by official club coach to the CBS Arena, it is only £15 maximum for the 22.5-mile journey. However, that is still £60 spent before an individual adult supporter has even considered purchasing a matchday programme and food inside the away concourse.

In comparison, when Birmingham welcomed Ipswich to St. Andrew's for the season's 'curtain-raiser', the maximum price for those travelling from Suffolk was £32.50, whilst an Under-16 ticket was effectively half that cost at £17.50.

There is a long way to go, but this scenario is yet another reason why supporters below the Premier League are also calling for a 'price cap' to be introduced in order to stop match-going supporters from feeling like they are being priced out of the self-proclaimed 'beautiful game.'