Ticket price hike for M-League inevitable - MFL

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Football League (MFL) will not stop any team from raising the ticket prices for Malaysia League (M-League) matches although there have been calls for the prices to be maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic period.

MFL chief executive officer Datuk Ab Ghani Hassan said the increase looks inevitable due to the extra costs teams have to bear when fans are allowed back into stadiums beginning April 1.

He said team expenses would increase as they have to deploy more workers at stadiums and provide various facilities to meet the standard operating procedure (SOP) for maintaining the sports bubble concept.

"They cannot afford to let spectators in and run at a loss. Teams need to increase ticket prices because they have to absorb the extra costs for providing hand sanitisers, gadgets for checking body temperatures, and other equipment.

"Prices of goods have also increased, so I think a ticket price hike is inevitable. What is important is that fans support, because what they spend will go towards the teams and indirectly help them,” he told Bernama today.

Ab Ghani said MFL had asked the M-League ticket vendor to provide workers and equipment like QR code scanner at stadiums to help ease the burden of teams.

"This matter is being studied; I believe the ticket vendor appointed by MFL will provide these facilities, so that teams would not have to bear any other costs,” he added.

On Monday, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican suggested that ticket prices be maintained but said it was up to MFL as the M-league administrator to decide.

"Personally, I support the (minister’s) proposal in view of the current economic situation, but then the teams need to increase ticket prices for certain reasons,” Ab Ghani said.

Ab Ghani said he would ask all teams to submit their proposals on ticket price hikes to MFL.

News reports have said that fans might have to pay an additional RM5 to RM10 each when they return to watch matches at stadiums next month.

-- BERNAMA