RESEARCH into what fans pay to watch football has unearthed some shocking figures.

While the cost of living is on the up, the cost of loving the beautiful game is three times the level of inflation when it comes to Premier League teams.

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BBC Sport’s ‘Price of Football’ study has found that the average season ticket for top flight football comes in at a staggering £508, with Arsenal’s cheapest at £1,014 keeping that figure high. The Gunners’ most expensive season ticket is almost twice as much.

On that basis alone is it any wonder there were rumblings of discontent towards Arsene Wenger’s lack of silverware before last season’s FA Cup win.

The cheapest season tickets for Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham are £710, £750 and £765 respectively.

Burnley, in comparison with the rest of the Premier League, come out of the survey favourably.

They have the second cheapest season ticket at £329, bettered only by Manchester City at £299.

Refreshments are reasonable. A programme, pie and cup of tea are among the cheapest of the 20 clubs.

It is the cheapest matchday price category where the Clarets fall short.

The minimum price of £35 is more than £6 above the Premier League average and £20 more than the Newcastle United’s cheapest price.

In fact, you can gain entry at FOURTEEN other top flight grounds for less.

In terms of matchday prices the Clarets can argue their case this season, being back in the Premier League. The town wants to be a part of it. But longer term, should they survive this season and establish themselves at English football’s top table then you cannot envisage the masses continue to pay these inflated prices. Not when you consider the demographic.

In 2013 the average wage in Burnley was £473.30 per week.

The Clarets’ cheapest matchday experience, according to the survey, comes in at £42.30. That is made up of the cheapest matchday ticket (£35), programme (£3), pie (£2.50) and cup of tea (£1.80).

One game equates to roughly nine per cent of a weekly income. It eats into the household budget.

On Twitter I asked how price increases had affected how fans followed their team. The responses were disheartening.

One said: ‘I simply cannot afford to go to football with my son. Never felt more alienated from #burnleyfc’.

Another replied: ‘I used to go everywhere but only do home games and a couple away now – costs too much for me and 2 kids to go away.

‘Feels like kids missing out on what I experienced in my younger unmarried days. The thrill of an away day’.

The club could argue that a season ticket represents value for money, but not everyone can afford that lump sum.

Structured payment methods have been introduced, but there were deadlines for those.

The club is trying to co-operate with the fans, but if Turf Moor is to become a fortress then the entrance fee has to be more feasible.

The best way of getting bums on seats and keeping them there, is making those seats cheaper.