Wigan Athletic tops Premier League - for value

The likes of Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea may sit at the top of the Premiership - but they're not leading the league when it comes to value for supporters.

New research issued today by ING Direct compares club season ticket costs with their Premier League performance, and when it comes to getting the most points for your pound it's Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa and Blackburn who really deliver.

Even recovering Tottenham didn't do enough to prevent their fall down the value league, sitting in the 'relegation zone' along with Newcastle United and Portsmouth.

Yet it's clear that Premier League clubs are already battling to improve their position in next year's value league, with the majority (17 out of 20) already announcing that they are freezing or dropping their ticket prices for next year.

And according to the research, they've made the right decision, as nearly one in 10 fans say that they wouldn't renew if prices go up - the equivalent to around 45,000 season ticket holders.

However, the current climate has forced a small number of supporters to give up their tickets regardless of price changes, with more than one in 20 Newcastle, West Ham and Tottenham followers surrendering their season tickets - twice that of the average club.

On the other end of the scale, around one in five (18 per cent) say that they'll pay out whatever it takes to follow their side, with Arsenal, Stoke and Sunderland fans most willing to stretch their finances for their club.

And while one in four fans (25 per cent) has already saved up for next year's season ticket, a significant minority of supporters (38 per cent) are forced to make serious financial sacrifices as they struggle to meet this cost.

ING Direct CEO Johan de Wit commented: "Many of our customers have dedicated savings plans in place to manage the cost of their season ticket.

"However, it's clear by the research that lots of supporters find it difficult to deal with such a large outlay at the beginning of the season, so it's good to see the majority of Premier League teams appreciate this and are not taking fans loyalty for granted."

Wigan Athletic Season Ticket are now on sale with adult season tickets frozen for the third consecutive year, starting from just £250.  Visit www.laticsseasontickets.com for more information ot to renew your season ticket now.