Liverpool have canned their controversial new ticket pricing structure amid severe backlash from the club's supporters.
Thousands of Reds fans walked out in the 77th minute of the Merseyside club's 2-2 draw with Sunderland last weekend in protest of the amended ticket prices which would have seen supporters paying £77 for the most expensive general admission seats.
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have since responded by releasing a statement saying they will not proceed with the new pricing structure as originally planned.
"It has been a tumultuous week. On behalf of everyone at Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool Football Club we would like to apologize for the distress caused by our ticket pricing plan for the 2016/17 season," the statement read.
"We were strongly engaged in the process to develop the ticketing plan for 2016/2017. We met directly with representatives of LFC's Supporters' Committee and along with LFC management, wholeheartedly agreed with major concerns raised, notably: access for local and young supporters; engagement and access to Anfield for local children; access to Premier League matches for those in Liverpool most challenged by affordability.
"We believe the plan successfully addressed these concerns and are disappointed that these elements have been either lost or, worse, characterized as cynical attempts to mask profiteering in the plan as a whole. Rather, we prefer to look at them as the parts of the ticketing plan we got right.
"On the other hand, part of the ticketing plan we got wrong.
"In addition to the other elements of the plan we proposed price increases on a number of tickets. These pricing actions generated growth in General Admission ticketing revenue on a like for like basis exclusive of revenue from newly added GA seats.
"However, the widespread opposition to this element of the plan has made it clear that we were mistaken.
"A great many of you have objected strongly to the £77 price level of our most expensive GA seats and expressed a clear expectation that the club should forego any increased revenue from raising prices on GA tickets in the current environment.
"Message received."
