OPINION
Gary Lineker has weighed in on the controversy over Premier league clubs charging hundreds of pounds to be a mascot.
The BBC’s Dan Roan posted a list of all the clubs who charge to be a mascot, and West Ham were top of the pile. They charge £700 a time while it’s free at clubs like Arsenal, Man City, Man United and Newcastle.
Linker said it was “awful” and “dreadful avarice” and he’s spot on. Yes, money makes the football world go round, but really, how much is this adding to the club’s bottom line?
What it’s doing is pricing all but the wealthiest families out of a once-in-a-lifetime experience at certain clubs and while West Ham are the worst offenders, they’re not the only ones.
This practise should be cut out straight away. The price of supporting your club is bad enough at the moment. Tickets for a family are wallet-busting in the Premier League.
West Ham should be encouraging supporters from all walks of life and they shouldn’t be pricing children out of being able to walk out onto the pitch at the London Stadium.
We hope they act on this immediately and set an example that other clubs can follow.
Oh come on, this is awful. Dreadful avarice. https://t.co/5BnZl9GXcn
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) January 2, 2019