34.2 Facilities for visiting supporters
34.2.1 Each Club must make provision for at least 2,000 visiting supporters at every home match or such number as represents 10% of the Club’s certified capacity, if less than 2,000. The League may, on the prior written application of a Club, suspend this Regulation or reduce the figure either for a particular League Match or for a period of time. Each Club shall, subject to any dispensations granted by the Board, make provision for at least 200 of the visiting supporters to be accommodated under cover. Any Club which fails to meet the requirement of 200 visiting supporters being accommodated under cover and which does not have a dispensation granted by the Board shall have such amounts as the Board shall determine (in its absolute discretion) withheld from that Club’s central distributions from the Pool Account until such time as the Club can meet the requirement.
34.2.2 Clubs are required to sell tickets for their away matches if required to do so by the Home Club and similarly Home Clubs are required to supply tickets for their Home Matches to the Away Club for sale by the Away Club to its supporters if so requested by the Away Club. These tickets are to be made available on a sale or return basis and must be ordered by the Away Club at least five weeks before the League Match to which they relate. The Home Club must deliver those tickets to the Away Club at the latest four weeks before the League Match to which they relate. Where any match is arranged at shorter notice the above steps shall be taken as soon as is reasonably practicable. Visiting Supporters should also have the same opportunity to take advantage of pre-booking discounts that apply to home supporters.
34.2.3 For League Matches only, the Away Club shall be entitled to a commission representing 5 (five) per cent of the aggregate sales (exclusive of VAT) of tickets sold on behalf of the Home Club, unless otherwise agreed between the Clubs. The Away Club shall submit a VAT invoice, in respect of the commission due, to the Home Club within five working days of the date of the match taking place.
34.2.4 The Away Club may charge a booking fee or transaction charge to the customer providing this is exactly the same in every respect as that which it charges for tickets to its own home matches.
34.2.5 Each Club shall, not later than 30th June prior to the commencement of the following Season, provide to The League a ground/zone plan together with associated ticket prices (‘Pricing Plan’). The Pricing Plan shall be accompanied by the Club’s ground registration form.
34.2.6 The League shall provide copies of each Pricing Plan to all other Clubs within the relevant Division. For the avoidance of doubt this will only be done once all Pricing Plans have been received for the relevant Division.
34.2.7 A Club may not depart from the Pricing Plan without the prior consent of the relevant Away Club. In the event that the Home Club and Away Club are unable to reach agreement the dispute shall be referred to The League whose decision shall be final and binding.
34.2.8 No Club shall charge higher admission prices for visiting supporters for accommodation that is ranked as comparable with or inferior to that used by supporters of the Home Club in the same or next highest ranked accommodation. For the purposes of this Regulation, accommodation shall be allocated a ranking as indicated by the table below (where 1 represents the best available and 6 the lowest) having regard to the following criteria:
(a) Covered seating;
(b) Uncovered seating;
(c) Covered terracing;
(d) Uncovered terracing;
(e) Behind the touchline;
(f) Behind the goal line; and
(g) In the corners of the stadium (i.e. behind both the touchline and the goal line).
34.2.9 Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 34.2.8:
(a) if the visiting supporters have use of the only standing area in the ground, the admission prices charged for this area must be at least 10 per cent lower than the price charged for the cheapest covered seats. This arrangement does not apply to designated family sections; and
(b) if the visiting supporters have use of accommodation that is of an equivalent or lower ranking (using the table set out in Regulation 34.2.8) to that available to the home supporters, but the accommodation used by visiting supporters is reasonably considered to be of a higher standard for other reasons then the admission prices charged for this accommodation may be higher than the price charged to those home supporters in the equivalently or lower ranked accommodation. Any such increase shall be limited to such amount as is reasonably justifiable but in any event shall be no greater than 10 per cent of the value of the price charged to those home supporters. In the event of any dispute between two Clubs as to what amount is reasonable, the dispute shall be referred to The League whose decision shall be final and binding.
34.2.10 Concessionary admission prices for senior citizens and children, if available to supporters of the Home Club, must also be available on a similar basis to visiting supporters. 34.2.11 Subject to Regulation 34.2.7, discounts or special promotions (in each case for one match only) made available to supporters of the Home Club must also be made available on a similar basis to visiting supporters.
34.2.12 At every home match, a minimum of 10 per cent of the total disabled spectator accommodation must be made available to disabled supporters of the Away Club.
34.2.13 Payments for tickets sold by an Away Club together with details of tickets sold and the return of unsold tickets, must be made to (i.e. receipt of cleared funds by) the Home Club within seven working days of the date of the match taking place. Any Club making late payment shall:
(a) pay interest to the Home Club at the rate of 5 (five) per cent per annum over Barclays Bank base rate in force from time to time calculated on a daily basis, on the outstanding sum from the due date to the actual date of payment to the Home Club; and
(b) forfeit their entitlement to the 5 (five) per cent commission detailed in Regulation 34.2.3.
