In research carried out by Virgin Money, as part of its regular Football Fans Inflation Index, it was revealed that just over a fifth (21 per cent) of supporters believe rising costs are preventing them from taking their children to matches. Meanwhile, about half of those football fans with a family state that they are worried that high prices will prevent their kids supporting their team.



Meanwhile, it was indicated that the average football supporter spent 1,080 pounds following their side over the course of 2007. During the past two years, the cost of going to games has gone up by 9.28 per cent.

Following on from the increased financial cost of attending live matches, ardent supporters may find that getting behind their side impacts upon their capacity to meet other demands on their spending. Such areas could well include personal loans and credit cards, household bills and mortgage repayments.

The financial services firm also showed that expenses, which include transport costs, tickets, food and replica shirts, vary from club to club. However, as an example it was revealed that a family of four would have to spend 104 pounds per match to watch Premiership side Everton from their Main Stand at Goodison Park. In addition, it was indicated that those supporting a top-flight team paid an average of 251 pounds more for tickets and other matchday items over the course of last year when compared to the typical football fan across all divisions.

Commenting on the figures, Scott Mowbray, spokesperson for Virgin Money, said: "If children aren't going to live games then they won't get the football supporting habit at an early age. The game could lose the next generation or end up with stadiums packed with middle-aged and elderly fans. Clubs have made efforts to reduce ticket prices in an effort to attract more people to match days but a dad - or mum - taking two children to a game is still facing a big bill for a day out. There are cheaper ways to entertain the kids than going to football."

In addition, the firm indicated that Middlesbrough and Chelsea fans have the most financial concerns of all Premiership supporters, with 44 and 40 per cent of followers of these teams claiming they struggle to afford to take their children to games. Meanwhile, just over a third (35 per cent) of Portsmouth supporters were shown to have such concerns. On the other hand, just 11 per cent of followers of Wigan Athletic and Bolton report problems in making going to games a family occasion.

For fans worried about their ability to afford attending matches, getting a personal loan may be advisable. In doing so, borrowers may be able to meet the various expenses of going to games, such as season tickets and merchandise for both themselves and their children, quickly and effectively. A loan could also be of help when meeting transport costs, particularly for those who live a long distance from their team or wish to travel abroad to support their side in European competitions. Meanwhile, a study carried out by Virgin Money last year indicated that 12 per cent of football fans claim that increasing costs will mean that they will not renew their season ticket.