Coventry City owner Doug King speaks out in defence of the controversial ticket price hikes after fan backlash on social media.
He insists that visiting fans “will have a great time” at the CBS Arena despite widespread criticism, more so recently when West Brom announced that the ticket prices set for them for their Championship clash at Coventry on November 22nd is at £45 for Adults, £40 for Seniors and £35 for Under-18s.
Doug King has since spoke in an interview with BBC Coventry & Warwickshire, dismissing the anger from fans. He said: “We’re local so the transport costs are reduced.
“The price increase year on year us about £7, everybody has got their opinions.
“People will shout about the price of the ticket but I look at other ticket prices in other entertainment media and I see them through the roof.
“They say ‘here’s the price, get to that concert and get on with it’.
“I understand we play 23 games at home but we cater for our loyal followers with season tickets that are priced accordingly.
“I’m not here to fight anybody. Everybody’s welcome to come and watch our great team play. Swansea, West Brom, whoever, and they will have a great time when they come.”
Coventry owner Doug King has responded to frustration about ticket pricing at the CBS Arena 🗣️
“The price increase year on year is about £7, everybody has got their opinions. People will shout about the price of the ticket but I look at other ticket prices in other entertainment… pic.twitter.com/B9sGWqDs4B
— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) November 4, 2025
West Brom fans call for boycott after being left raging at ‘disgraceful’ Coventry ticket prices
Back in 2023, he spoke on increasing season ticket prices: “I think I’ve made it clear that we need to get revenues up.
“Revenues are going to help us invest in the squad and pay for the players we want to retain and get us to where we want to go.
“It’s a journey where I do stuff and I’m doing stuff and other people have to do stuff. I think that is clear.”
He added: “I want to make it clear this isn’t a freebie, it’s not a free ride.
“This is our city, we want to get to where we want to get to and somebody is going to have to say, ‘For an extra couple of quid a week, do I want to sit there or do I want to sit in the family zone?
“Maybe I have to sacrifice a bit of something else to do that and be part of hopefully taking us into what we want to make our era.’”
This is what Twitter users are saying as Coventry City owner Doug King speaks out in defence of ticket price hikes…
@HLTCO: For me, as soon as you start comparing the price of “other entertainment” to football fandom, you’re fighting a losing battle. The loyalty and commitment fans show to their clubs year on year isn’t replicated in any other form of “entertainment”; it’s something which should be respected and understood as a unique aspect of our sporting culture, not explained away as if it’s the equivalent of a concert.
@_AsWeJourneyOn: How about making a like for like comparison to other football clubs ticket prices instead of unrelated “other” entertainment prices not related to football? 😂
@gjpusb82: He’s got this one wrong. City play 23 away games if a fam of 4 went away based on his price it would cost £3680 before they’ve started the car. Plus approx £1700 for season tickets + petrol lunch etc. that’s min £10k per season £833 a month after tax,pricing the working class out
@welshgaryevans: £15 quid extra for adults for the Swansea game. Its also now over £30 for under 18s which is scandalous. It can’t be right that away fans are having to suck up those price increases
@t8cov: Doug, I couldn’t ask for a better owner than you and you’ve got most things right, but you’ve got this wrong. This is nowhere near comparable to other entertainment. Football is different and is about going up and down the country to watch your team play not £150 on one concert.
@OUFCGoldenBoy: He’s comparing it to a trip to the theatre or a theme park isn’t he. You don’t tend to do that every week or every other week though do you!? What a deluded man.
@DominicR26: People don’t go to other forms of “entertainment” every week though do they Doug you greedy wanker? A one off concert isn’t the same as football
@CFCJohnnyB: Non-football people in football. This is what you get. Wait till the number of American owners crosses the threshold to be unstoppable in PL votes… Then we’re all fucked.
@hovetiger: No such complaints about my club, Hull City. Prices are brilliant for a Championship club. On the other hand, we’re being charged £39 to go to QPR…it’s ridiculous for that tinpot stadium #hcafc
@Jacob97106277: How about comparing to other football clubs charging less for tickets rather than coming up with some wank comparison between completely different forms of entertainment just to try and justify your actions?
@kevevs1908: I’m a Swansea fan and I feel for West Brom, Coventry and our fans facing these prices. We’ve got Coventry away Boxing Day and after sorting the family out for Xmas i simply done have the cash to go. Hope our fans don’t go and non Cov ST holders stay away too, price is ridiculous
@swigger67: What happened to football being the working man’s game? It’s not feasible to compare it to other forms of entertainment that you attend perhaps 2/3 times a year. No longer affordable to take your family to a footy match regularly due to the greed of people like you! 😡
@wurzelofoz: Another fucking owner who believes going to football 30 times a season is equivalent to a trip to the theatre or to watch a movie one or twice a year.
@ChansiriOutOwl: Same shit chansiri spouted. Careful now.
@ThomasRadburn:
“They wanted everyone to feel sorry for them and now they do this.” The words of dribblers.
1. It’s the owner, not the fans.
2. Home fans pay the same.
3. We got little sympathy and mainly had to put up with “pay your rent you tramps.”
Go to the game or don’t, it’s a choice.
@AllenjaAllen: If an agreement can’t be reached, then surely the answer is to charge likewise, then the pressure for change can be made by those affected. Away fans are usually the hardcore who have the biggest pull to force clubs to see sense. Boycotts work @swfc fans showed it does 👍
@_W00KS_: Hes talking like teams are visiting the Bernabeu 😂😂 Its a concrete bowl on a scabby industrial estate ffs 😂😂
@theinspiredkiln: It’s too much. 1 adult and 2 kids comes in at over £100. Is that fair? Absolutely not, and it’s pricing out grassroot fans and working class families. Really sad to see
— Ian Parfitt 🏴⚫⚪ (@IanParfitt) November 4, 2025
