Arsene Wenger "worried" by ticket prices

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 11 January 2013

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admits that he is "worried" by high ticket prices, but insists that it is important for the club's revenue to keep them that way.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that he is "worried" by the high costs of tickets for his fans.

Many Manchester City fans have been priced out of travelling to London to watch the champions take on Arsenal on Sunday, with the club returning 912 unsold tickets priced at £62 each.

In an ideal world, Wenger insisted that he would want tickets to be affordable for everyone, but admitted that isn't always the case due to financial demands on the club.

"Ideally you want ticket prices to be as low as possible, but on the other hand the only way we can pay the wages and compete without any external help is through the ticket prices because it is our main income. Therefore we are in this situation where of course the prices are high," said Wenger.

"I am really worried they are high for our supporters. For the visitors, it only happens once per year, so that is less of a concern. We sell out our games, but ideally you want ticket prices to be affordable to everybody. It is a very delicate subject. It is down to every individual to decide 'Do I spend the money or not to go anywhere to watch anything?'

"If you want to go to a concert tomorrow, you look at the price of a ticket and after if it is too high for you, you say yes or no. That is everybody's individual responsibility."

Arsenal currently sit sixth in the Premier League table, two points behind Everton with a game in hand over the Toffees.