British government 'really concerned' about rising cost of soccer tickets

The British government is "really concerned" about the rising cost of ticket prices.

The British government is "really concerned" about the rising cost of ticket prices, Minister for Sport Helen Grant told BBC Sport.

Grant said she's asked teams to review their prices and that clubs shouldn't take their fans for granted.

"I can see why fans are cross. I'm cross,"

said Grant

. "Fans are the lifeblood of the game, without the fans we won't have football the way we know it. To take a family of four to a Premier League match now you're talking about £130, and that's before petrol, parking, a programme, hot dogs, burgers and a drink.

"That is just not affordable for most families so clubs really do need to look at this."

According to analysis done by BBC, the average price of the cheapest ticket for games in leagues from the Premier League to League Two in England is £21.49, or about $34. The figure represents an increase of 13 percent since 2011, compared to an increase of 6.8 percent in cost of living.

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Arsenal has the most expensive game-day ticket in the Premier League at £97, or about $154. Manchester City has the cheapest season ticket in the Premier League at £299, or about $475.

Grant said the government will run a panel featuring a group of senior team administrators in order to give fans a chance to air their concerns about prices. The date for the panel has not yet been announced.

- Ben Estes