Holstein Kiel has been promoted, but there is trouble all around. Because season tickets for the new Bundesliga club have become significantly more expensive in some cases.

Holstein Kiel is Schleswig-Holstein’s first Bundesliga team. But after the big promotion party comes the hangover – in the fans’ wallets. Because season tickets have become significantly more expensive in some cases. The active fan scene has therefore criticized the board of directors in an open letter.

First of all: it was the first price adjustment by the club since 2017. The Storks promise that there will still be no top match surcharges. But that’s not enough for the active fans.

“Instead of an increase within the announced ‘moderate’ framework, there was actually a significant increase in day and season ticket prices of 39% on average for day tickets and 45% for season tickets. In view of such drastic adjustments to the price structure, there can be no question of a moderate increase,” writes the “Block 501” association.

Above all, the fact that under-14s have to dig deeper into their pockets is a source of irritation for the alliance. After all, it is these young fans who need to be inspired by Holstein and given access to the club.

“A children’s season ticket for a seat costs a whopping €480 in the east stand and as much as €640 in the north stand. In view of such prices, attending a KSV soccer match quickly becomes a luxury item that many people and especially children from low-income households and families are denied. An affordable stadium experience for young people? Difficult to realize for many young people in Kiel,” it says.

And further: “Of course, even critically-minded soccer fans understand that professional soccer costs money and that a Bundesliga club cannot finance itself on air and love, but nevertheless no sections of society should be excluded from the popular sport of soccer. In the interests of society, but also in the interests of soccer itself. With KSV Holstein’s new pricing policy, however, this circumstance is being recklessly brought about.”

The “Block 501” also criticized the fact that the prices of season tickets are rising more sharply than those of day tickets, “which means that loyal and long-established fans, some of whom have already supported the club in the Oberliga or Regionalliga, will have to dig deeper into their pockets. Season tickets, which give the club planning security, are hardly worth mentioning for the fans.”

Reduced-price tickets would also increasingly fail to achieve their purpose of relieving the target group of generally school pupils, students, trainees, pensioners, severely disabled people, the unemployed or club members. “The children sitting in the family block today are the full-payers of tomorrow,” concludes the letter.