Newcastle United have announced ticket prices for Champions League games as the Magpies look ahead to four huge home fixtures at St James' Park
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Champions League nights are returning to St James' Park
Champions League nights are returning to St James' Park
Champions League ticket prices have gone up for adult Newcastle United season ticket holders - but they are still cheaper than the equivalent seats were at Villa Park last year.
Newcastle have announced that the prices of general admission categories have risen by £5 while premium bars have also increased by £10 compared to the last time that Eddie Howe's side sat at Europe's top table a couple of seasons ago.
However, prices for juniors have been frozen and payments for the league phase will be spread across four months between July and October to help fans manage costs more easily in a move welcomed by the Newcastle United Supporters' Club.
"Credit to the club for reasonable prices and also staggering payments for the Champions League tickets to ensure affordability for supporters," the fan group wrote following the club statement.
Adult season ticket holders will pay £60, as a result, for a standard seat - regardless of whether it is category one, two, three or level seven.
Although Aston Villa, admittedly, have a smaller stadium, for context, the cheapest ticket for an adult season ticket holder at Villa Park was £70 last season, which led to the supporters' trust slamming the 'out of touch' Villains for 'punishing and exploiting' loyal fans.
Aston Villa, in response, stressed 'we need to generate as much revenue as possible through sponsorships, merchandise and ticket sales to ensure that we can keep the club where it rightfully belongs'.
Darren Eales struck a similar tone after Newcastle announced season ticket prices were increasing by 5% for the new campaign and the Magpies CEO maintained it was 'unavoidable if we are to keep pace and build towards our collective ambitions'.
However, when speaking to reporters a few months ago, Eales also repeatedly acknowledged the need for 'balance'.
"When we speak about PSR and we speak about how we're trying to compete with teams that have got much bigger revenues, we always approach it with a balance," he said.
"That balance goes across season tickets, cup-ticket pricing. For example, on the Champions League, it was interesting. We weren't in it this year, but we got a little bit of reflected praise because of our pricing that we did the year before.
"So we look at it in the round. We want to be a team that's giving Eddie the resources, that's competing on the pitch. We're also aware of where we are in the country. So we benchmark against other Premier League clubs against other entertainments, and we try to strike that balance."
Season ticket holders have until Friday, June 27 to enrol into the cup schemes of their choice for games in the Champions League league phase, the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup.
Standard seating for Carabao Cup matches has been priced at £30 for adults while the equivalent for FA Cup ties is £20.
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