There is also concern that a generation of Premier League fans may be lost to football if the age group from 18 to 21 is not tackled in new pricing structures.
“Away fans and younger adult fans are two categories we believe merit extra attention as they are key to the future social and economic health of the game,” the AST said in its letter to Gazidis.
“Young fans are the future of the game. Yet as ever more young people are in full-time education or lower paid employment it is important more focus is giving to making football affordable for them.”
Supporters’ trusts at Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Everton, Newcastle United, Norwich City and Bournemouth are also understood to have sent or be in the process of drafting similar letters to their clubs.
Arsenal were among those clubs to oppose a £30 ceiling for away ticket prices at the Premier League meeting last week and have instead suggested that clubs should focus on subsidising away travel. They believe that their proposals would actually cost clubs around twice as much as the £30 cap.
It is understood that Arsenal are supported by Manchester United and City, Norwich, West Ham United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham in arguing to retain flexibility on prices.
There was also a view that a uniform cap would be illogical in the context of differing funding models as well as the varying seating arrangements for away fans.
Arsenal have the most expensive season ticket and match-day tickets in the Premier League at respectively £2,013 and £97. Their cheapest season ticket is also the most costly at £1,014, although their pricing structure does include seven matches in cup competitions on top of league games.
It is estimated that a ticket costing around £10 at Highbury during the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93 now stands at more than £45 in the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal have not increased prices, however, in seven of the 11 seasons at the Emirates Stadium and argue that this amounts to a real terms reduction in price of 19 per cent. They also provide around 350,000 reduced price tickets a season which include £10 adult and £5 concessionary tickets for the Capital One Cup, as well as ticket prices as low as £10 for under-16s at Premier League games.
Arsenal also point to a £4 discount on away tickets this season and their desire to introduce more travel concessions.
Norwich are among others to have particularly helped away fans this season and have reduced the cost of tickets for the forthcoming Swansea City match from £35 to £10 and also put on free coaches for a round trip of more than 600 miles.
- Telegraph