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After facing a call to sell the Red Sox, Fenway Sports Group moved to quell protests from Liverpool fans by backing planned ticket price increases.
Liverpool said on Thursday it had changed its mind about inflationary price rises planned over the next three years.
The Premier League champions had been accused of greed by fans who refused to spend money on drinks and food at the club’s Anfield Stadium in protest.
Thousands of fans held up yellow cards during a recent game against Crystal Palace with the message “Warning: Anfield’s soul at risk.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – APRIL 25: Liverpool fans protest against the club’s ownership, John Henry and FSG regarding ticket price increases ahead of the Premier League match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace at Anfield on April 25, 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
The unrest came at a time when Red Sox fans have also expressed anger toward principal owner John Henry and Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Last week, a plane towing a banner imploring ownership to sell the team flew over Fenway Park during batting practice.
While Red Sox fans have been angered by a poor start to the season, which resulted in the sacking of manager Alex Cora on April 25, Liverpool supporters have accused the hierarchy of “disregarding” fans over price increases.
They welcomed the reversal, which will now see an inflationary rise next season and prices frozen the following year.
Fan group Spirit of Shankly thanked those at Liverpool who “listened to us and engaged with us, not all club hierarchy would have done the same.”
In February, Liverpool announced record revenues of more than $952 million for the year to May 2025. According to Deloitte, it was the highest-placed Premier League team in terms of revenue, trailing only Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain in Europe.
That only added to the anger of fans when price increases were announced in March. The Spirit of Shankly said at the time: “We must not be fooled into thinking that it is normal for prices to rise every season. This is a choice LFC is making and a choice driven by greed.”
While fans have acknowledged the success achieved under FSG – including two Premier League titles and the Champions League – they said the price increases were “tone deaf and worrying.”
Liverpool said on Thursday they would “seek long-term alternative solutions” and “explore commercial ideas with the Supporters Board” to try to avoid future ticket price increases.
But it added that “without broader progress on alternative solutions, future inflationary increases may still be necessary.”
Report from the Associated Press.
