A £45 away ticket price for Coventry City vs West Bromwich Albion has prompted calls for a cap across the EFL, with supporter groups branding the charge “exploitation”.
The fixture at the CBS Arena on November 22 has become a flashpoint in the wider debate over affordability, with travelling West Bromwich Albion fans facing £45 for adults, £40 for over-65s and under-21s, and £35 for under-18s.
It follows a season of rising costs across the Championship, even as some clubs push to mirror the Premier League’s £30 cap for away supporters.
The most expensive season ticket prices in the EFL (based off the lowest price at each club) 🎟️
(Via: @LowerTiers) pic.twitter.com/0rr9mADyQL
— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) June 8, 2023
Fan anger grows and political pressure builds
Reaction from West Bromwich Albion supporters has been fierce, with calls to boycott the trip to Coventry City and frustration that loyal fans are being priced out. The Independent Supporters’ Trust described the situation as exploitation and urged clubs across the EFL to protect regular match-goers rather than test their limits.
The episode also lands amid a stalled attempt by Championship clubs to agree a division-wide cap, an idea said to have near-unanimous support before being vetoed in an EFL vote.
There is growing political scrutiny. Luke Charters MP, who has campaigned for the Premier League’s £30 cap to be rolled out to the EFL, argues that match-going costs have to reflect the reality of travel and living expenses. He insists higher-placed clubs do not need the marginal gate revenue, while lower-league teams should consider the burden on local communities.
The call is clear: fans want a simple, universal ceiling, not piecemeal pricing that shifts week to week across the Championship.
“No club from the Premier League to the National League should be charging more than £30 for an away ticket. Fans work hard all week, saving their money to follow their teams, often spending significantly on travel, food, and drink.”
How prices compare across the division
The picture is mixed. Stoke City supporters have already paid £39 at Queens Park Rangers, with other trips priced at £35 for Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday, £30 at Southampton, Millwall, Portsmouth and Oxford United, £29 at Middlesbrough, and £28 at Blackburn Rovers.
Coventry are charging WBA fans £45 for away tickets next month.
For context, Stoke are charging Coventry fans £30 for an away ticket at the bet365.
Disgraceful that Championship away ticket price cap was vetoed in the summer. https://t.co/rr0s0nJ95V— Pete Smith (@PeteSmith1983) October 29, 2025
At home, Stoke City have set a maximum of £30 for away fans visiting the bet365 Stadium, applied to Birmingham City, Bristol City, Derby County, West Bromwich Albion and Wrexham, with Norwich City charged £25 and Charlton Athletic £20, reinforcing that a cap is workable for many Championship clubs.
For travelling West Bromwich Albion fans, the Coventry City price point sits above that landscape and well above the Premier League’s fixed limit. The risk for the EFL is reputational as much as financial. If the league wants full away ends, noisy atmospheres and national-stadium-level spectacle in May, then predictable pricing helps.
Clubs need revenue, but transparent, capped structures can balance income with accessibility, especially at a time when supporters already shoulder transport and day-out costs across the Championship.
The debate will not fade quickly. Until a formal cap is agreed, pricing will remain a club-by-club negotiation, and flashpoints like Coventry City vs West Bromwich Albion will keep the issue in the headlines.
The message from fans and campaigners is consistent: set a fair ceiling, protect loyalty, and keep away days part of the lifeblood of the EFL.
