Fans' representative Malcom Clarke has warned rising costs may drive supporters away for good after a survey found the average follower of a Premier League team spent £1,331 watching their side in 2007.
Research by Virgin Money, who polled 2,000 fans across the country, shows supporters across all divisions spent around £1,080 on tickets, merchandise, programmes, food, alcohol and travel while one in eight Premier League fans fork out £3,000 on match tickets alone.
According to these figures, the cost of attending matches has risen by 9.28% in the last two years while the consumer price index - a measure of inflation - has increased by just 4.9% with the costs of tickets, petrol and replica shirts the main reasons behind the increase.
Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters' Federation, warned that clubs are in danger of alienating fans.
Clarke said: "How can football possibly justify more than doubling ticket prices in real terms at a time when the game is swimming in television money?
"A time will come soon when football will look around at all the empty spaces in the stands and ask itself, 'where did they all go?' That is a real worry."
Fans of Premier League sides spent on average £251 more for tickets and match-day essentials in 2007 than followers of Football League clubs with the former forking out on average £614 on tickets and £358 on travel in comparison to £474 and £286 for the latter.
While some clubs have frozen the costs of tickets in response to falling crowds and the Football League have introduced initiatives to encourage youngsters to attend games cheaply, some top-flight sides have increased match-day prices.
Clarke believes such a move is inexcusable given the amount of money that comes into the game through television.
He said: "We applaud those clubs taking action to bring down ticket prices.
"We also welcome the Football League's 'Fans of the Future' initiative.
"However, these clubs, particularly in the Premier League, who have put them up this season like Manchester United, Spurs and West Ham United should hang their heads in shame.
"With the huge new broadcasting deal what possible excuse can there be for making football even more unaffordable.
"In the 1991/2 season the cheapest seat at Arsenal was £10. In today's money that is £15.44 or £16.70 adjusted for rising wages.
"The cheapest seat at Arsenal this season is £32. That goes up to a whopping £46 for the big European and derby matches as well as United and Liverpool."
Virgin Money spokesman John Franklin added: "2008 will be a real struggle for football fans regardless of the team they support.
"While it's true that some clubs have made efforts to reduce ticket prices in an effort to attract more people to match days, the majority of regular football fans will be hard hit by the cost of going to games.
"And while 2007 saw some tough financial conditions, the outlook for 2008 is potentially even worse meaning people's expenditure on football will eat into their disposable income even further.
"Football is a passion and regular fans will not sacrifice their love of the game even in a tough financial climate."
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