What does £23 get you at a football match today? A decent seat for a single game, perhaps. But on 10 May 1975, that same amount would have bought you an entire season at Roker Park. For Sunderland fans, the date marked the moment the club announced season ticket price hikes—and the cost of loyalty went up.
It was déjà vu for supporters, as the club had done the same thing exactly a year earlier. In 1974, moderate increases had been unveiled. Then, on 10 May 1975, letters landed on doormats, bundled with reapplication forms and a dose of bad news. The season had just ended in disappointment, with a defeat at Aston Villa keeping Bob Stokoe's side in the second tier. Now, the wallet was taking a hit too.
The price of a Main Stand 'centre' ticket jumped from £20 to £23. Upper enclosure, Fulwell Wing, and Clock Stand equivalents all rose by £2.30. A 12.5% increase might raise eyebrows today, but the club had a defence: admission fees had been frozen for four years prior to 1972. And compared to the 25% hike the Football League Committee was expected to propose, this was a relative bargain.
True, the centre area had crept up from £14 over four years. But in the regional market, Sunderland were still in the cheap seats. Middlesbrough were already charging £25, with more increases on the horizon. Newcastle United? They were asking up to £30. Context matters, especially when you're counting the cost of following your team.
Club secretary Ron Linney penned the renewal plea, striking a diplomatic tone: "It is regretted that due to increases in costs generally, it has been necessary to increase the prices of season tickets by approximately 12.5 per cent for next season. I am sure you will agree that this increase is much less than the rate of inflation."
The year before, a flat £3 uplift across all tickets hadn't dented attendances. Despite a prolonged spell in the second tier, the 1974/75 season averaged nearly 30,000 fans through the turnstiles. For Sunderland supporters, the price of passion was rising—but the commitment never wavered.