Liverpool cancel Q&A to discuss ticket price furore

Liverpool have cancelled a Q&A session in which chief executive Ian Ayre was due to respond to supporter concerns over increased ticket prices.

Fans staged a walkout in the 77th minute of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Anfield in protest over rising costs which will see the most expensive matchday ticket go from £59 to £77, while the top-priced season ticket would be priced at £1,029.

Liverpool had invited concerned supporters to send in questions to which Ayre would respond in an online discussion on Monday, but that has now been called off just four hours before the scheduled start time.

“LFC thanks fans for submitting questions for tonight’s Q&A however due to ongoing ticketing discussions, this will no longer take place,” the club announced via Twitter.

LFC thanks fans for submitting questions for tonight’s Q&A however due to ongoing ticketing discussions, this will no longer take place.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 8, 2016

Manager Jurgen Klopp, who missed Saturday’s game due to illness, admitted he was not happy with the walkout but refused to comment in any detail on the argument.

“It’s not too easy for me to say much because I wasn’t there,” he said. “I know it is my problem too but everything I could say would make it more complicated.

“I have to collect more information because the club is speaking to find a solution.

“It is not what we want for fans to leave the stadium before the match is finished.”

Ayre had insisted on Friday that critics had too narrow a view of the new pricing structure, pointing out that the most expensive tickets only applied to the prime seats in Anfield’s rebuilt Main Stand and that a number of low-priority matches offered seats for just £9.

“People should be careful what they wish for,” he said.

“We have great owners – that £100million [for the new Main Stand] came interest-free and they don’t take a penny out of this football club.

“People should make their own decisions but I feel absolutely we have made the right decision and have everyone’s best interests at heart.”