Sheffield Wednesday ticket situation for Bradford City clash causes stir online | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday's away ticket prices for their game against Bradford City haven't been received positively by Bantams fans

League One football returns to Hillsborough on August 20, but Sheffield Wednesday's away ticket pricing has frustrated more than a few Bradford City fans.

Indeed, the first visitors to the blue half of Sheffield in league action this season are Yorkshire rivals and last year's play-off semi-finalists, Bradford, who will be out to prove that their first year back at the level wasn't a fluke and be amongst the top third-tier sides once again.

It'll be the first time that the two sides have met in league action in over two decades, when the Bantams beat Wednesday at Hillsborough in League One in February 2005 to complete the league double over them.

Despite that, the Owls would secure promotion from the thrid tier later that May, winning in the play-off final against Hartlepool United, while Bradford would finish 11th.

The goal will be the same for both sides heading into 2026/27, though, and while it's only the second game of the campaign, three points could prove vital when game 46 has been played.

Bradford City fans react as Sheffield Wednesday reveal ticket prices for Hillsborough clash

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The movement of the much-anticipated clash to a Thursday night has already rubbed fans the wrong way, and those of the Bradford persuasion have had even more to complain about after the ticket information was revealed on Monday evening.

Firstly, the Bantams have initially been allocated 2,400 tickets for the clash, which, for a 34,835-capacity ground, is something that fans believe is incredibly small. Albeit the general consensus is that more will become available if they sell out that allocation.

And, more importantly, an adult ticket is set to cost £34, a price that, according to Bradford fans online, is incredibly extortionate.

"Disgraceful pricing for League 1 footy. Meant to be a working person's game?" one fan commented. "Make sure you reciprocate the price when they come to Valley Parade. Should wear a mask and striped jumper," another said, indicating that Bradford fans are being robbed.

"Just a steady £62 to take me and the two boys," one father added, while another simply commented "daylight robbery, that."

Sheffield Wednesday's away ticket pricing raises general EFL issue around lack of price cap on away tickets

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Away tickets in the Premier League are capped at £30 and have been for a decade now. In that time frame, away attendances have increased from 82% to 91%, contributing to a better atmosphere in games.

And while clubs in the EFL can agree to reciprocal pricing for away tickets, charging each other £30, or even less, for away games, clubs who don't can price the tickets how they see fit, which can lead to outrage from fanbases, like Bradford here.

With the top elite level being capped at £30, it's quite ludicrous that it costs more to watch a League One game as an away fan, and this once again brings into question why there isn't a league-wide cap on away tickets across the EFL.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Bradford City will still be a great spectacle, despite various roadblocks

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Ultimately, though, despite the game being played on a Thursday and despite the ticket sales being rather extortionate for the level, there'll still be a sold-out away end at Hillsborough on August 20.

And that, plus a rowdy home crowd filled with newfound optimism ahead of their first campaign under new ownership, will still create a great atmosphere and will serve as a strong advertisement for League One football this season.

"Absolute disgrace to charge those prices. We will still sell out though coz we’re massive #bcafc," was also amongst the Bradford reaction to the Wednesday ticket prices, and general big-headedness around how big a club is aside, that's ultimately the issue surrounding it.

While these ticket prices will affect most clubs in the EFL, Bradford's loyal, passionate fanbase who are eager to get at their Yorkshire rivals once more this season will still travel in their droves and pay the prices to do so, which tells the higher-ups at the home club that they can almost exploit that and make as much money as possible out of them.

Perhaps nothing will change until the likes of Bradford and other well-supported away clubs begin to stop coming to games, but ultimately, it probably shouldn't come to that before change is made.