Nottingham Forest have once again reduced ticket prices for their Europa League tie against Midtjylland on Thursday.
This follows the club’s first qualification for European competition in three decades.
Initial Pricing and Fan Disappointment
Tickets were initially priced between £50 and £70. Forest offered a £10 discount in all areas of the ground for season ticket holders and club members on Tuesday in response to disappointing sales before the last-16 first leg fixture.
Further Reductions After Fan Feedback
On Wednesday, Forest announced that ticket prices for adults had been dropped to £15 and £30, with children’s tickets starting at £5, after listening “to supporter concerns regarding the cost of tickets for this fixture.”
The club said that fans who bought tickets at the previous prices will be refunded the difference.
“We are deeply committed to keeping prices affordable for our loyal fanbase and ensuring matches are as accessible as possible for supporters of all ages,” Forest said.
“The atmosphere at the City Ground under the lights is always special, and we want the stadium to be as full as possible on Thursday evening. As our head coach Vitor Pereira recently said: ‘Our supporters can be the difference between winning and losing.’
“With this in mind, we have listened to the feedback from our fans and we have reduced the price of tickets for season card holders and MyForest members even further.”
Impact of European Fixtures on Fans
This has been one of the most expensive seasons in the club’s history for fans to follow their team. Forest have been to Spain to play Real Betis, to Austria to face Sturm Graz, to Utrecht in the Netherlands, Braga in Portugal and, most recently to face Fenerbahce in Turkey.
And with vitally important Premier League games against Fulham at the City Ground and at Tottenham Hotspur immediately following the two games against Midtjylland — who Forest have already faced in the league phase of the competition — sales have been slower than anticipated.
Supporters Trust Survey
The Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust published the results of their survey into ticket pricing on Monday.
Among the concerns voiced over season ticket prices, fans have also complained about the cost of going to European games.
“European football should have been something everyone could enjoy, but the prices meant some fans simply couldn’t attend,” was one fan’s response to the survey.
The club have now responded by reducing prices for Thursday’s game, which will see Vitor Pereira’s side seek to secure a quarter-final tie against either Stuttgart or Porto.
In Tuesday’s announcement, the team said that if they progress to the quarter-finals, MyForest Core (the club’s third priority membership package) members will “receive priority for the quarter final home leg ahead of MyForest Core members that haven’t purchased a ticket for any UEFA Europa League game.”
It will not be an easy t