Stoke City supporters are paying significantly more to follow their team on the road in the Championship than fans of Premier League clubs, with no price cap in place for away tickets. The total cost for the Potters' first six away fixtures this season came to £193, which is at least £13 more than the cost of watching any six away games in the top flight.

Owner John Coates has offered free coach travel to all away games since 2013 and has frozen season ticket prices since 2008, but he admits these affordability measures clash with the need to generate income under the league's new financial regulations. "The Squad Cost Rules are better for us but you have to bring in revenue," Coates said. "Income is one of the issues we’ve got."

Price disparity across the league

Ticket prices have varied widely at different grounds. A trip to Wolves saw adult tickets priced at £35.50, while over-65s paid £25. At Southampton, adult tickets were £30 or £29 for a restricted view. Cardiff City offered the most affordable standard adult ticket at £26, with a £4 discount for wheelchair users. In contrast, the Premier League's £30 away ticket cap, extended for two more seasons in March, does not apply in the second tier.

This financial backdrop exists as Stoke sit 12th in the Championship table with 10 points from seven games. Their recent form includes a 2-1 win at Watford last week, with goals from Jack McGlynn and Eric Junior Bocat. Top scorer Ethan Galbraith, who has three goals this season, was on target in the 4-1 defeat at Wolves in August, a game where the club took a full allocation of 2,557 fans despite the £35.50 ticket cost.

Balancing the books

Coates's comments highlight the difficult balance clubs must strike. The owner wants to keep supporting the club accessible but recognises that every pound not raised through tickets or merchandise is a pound less available for the squad under the Squad Cost Rules. "If I say to Simon that I don’t want season tickets to go up, I want our shirts to be reasonable and I want to offer free coach travel, all those things don’t sit well with any of the financial rules," he explained. "But I feel we are in a better place with these rules, as you can see from some of the business we’ve done."

The team's current injury list, which includes Aaron Cresswell and Svante Ingelsson, is detailed on our injuries page. Stoke's next challenge is a home match against Sheffield United on 19 September, where they will look to build on their mid-table position. The debate over ticket pricing, however, is one that will continue long after the final whistle.

The original report is at The Sentinel