Exclusive: Lee Hendrie reacts to Coventry City v West Brom controversy - 'it does get a little bit stupid' | OneFootball

Lee Hendrie has told FLW his verdict on the situation involving West Brom's £45 tickets for away clash at Coventry

Lee Hendrie has called on the EFL to adopt a cap on the cost of away tickets similar to the Premier League amid West Brom and Coventry City controversy.

The cost of attending games is a constant point of discussion among supporters, especially with prices on the rise year-on-year.

Coventry are the latest club to receive criticism for the price of tickets, with West Brom supporters expressing their anger at the £45 cost of attending as an away fan.

There are currently no caps on how expensive an away ticket will be for supporters, unlike in the Premier League where a cap of £30 was put in place back in 2016/17 after pressure from the Football Supporters’ Federation.

Both clubs are competing at the top end of the Championship table at the moment, but the price is still a 50 per cent increase on the total amount a Premier League supporter could pay to travel away to see their team play that same weekend.

Lee Hendrie calls for away ticket cap

Hendrie has claimed that the £45 price is a lot of money for any supporter, particularly given how much people are struggling financially at the moment.

He believes that the EFL should be looking to instate a cost cap on tickets that is similar to what already exists in the Premier League.

“I think it’s a lot of money to go watch a game, particularly these days where people are struggling in financial situations,” Hendrie exclusively told Football League World.

“So I do think the EFL should take something similar to what the Premier League are doing, and obviously cap it.

“Because it does get a little bit stupid, I know certain clubs can and probably sell the tickets, but it’s going to get to a stage where it’s so daft.

“I think capping it would be the right solution for everyone going forward.”

Coventry are currently top of the Championship table, and will be hoping to earn promotion to the Premier League this season.

But if they do win a place in the top flight, then the price of their away tickets will have to decrease due to this cap instated by the top flight.

Meanwhile, West Brom are 11th in the standings, two points adrift of the play-off places after 12 games.

These two sides won’t meet until 22 November, the first game back from the final international break of the calendar year.

A cost cap on ticket prices would be the right move by the EFL

Clubs will keep increasing the prices of tickets as long as fans keep selling out stadiums and away sections.

That is why the onus lies with the EFL to institute a cost cap on prices in order to make attending games an affordable hobby for most supporters.

Coventry are within their rights to ask for £45 for the clash against West Brom, and clubs will continue to make these kinds of decisions as long as they are incentivised to do so.

If fans keep putting pressure on the clubs and the EFL, then perhaps a solution to this problem can be found sooner rather than later, but it will require supporters from all teams coming together.