In repsonse to the BBC survey on the price of football, Town boss Mark Cooper believes the high price of watching football is a sign of the times.

In the survey it was revealed that the average cost of the cheapest matchday ticket in League One has risen by over 30 per cent.

Swindon Town recently reacted to criticisms of their own prices by unveiling new ticket packs for six and eight games that see the cost go down to as little as £14.37-per game for the Town End.

Admitting that a family day out at the football is an expensive business, Cooper insisted ticket prices were simply what was required for clubs to break even.

“It is expensive to watch a team play, especially if you’ve got family and you want to have a day out with them,” said the Town boss.

“That’s the economy at the minute, everything’s expensive at the minute isn’t it? You go for a coffee in London and it costs you an arm and a leg. That’s just the times at the moment.

“If you’re going to run a successful business or a business that breaks even then you have to charge the right amount of money. There’s no beating about the bush football is an expensive thing to watch.”

A major factor of the debate has been the comparisons made between the prices in England and elsewhere in Europe. For example the cheapest Real Madrid season ticket costs less than the cheapest season ticket at today’s hosts Yeovil Town. It was a comparison Cooper thought was unhelpful.

“They (Real Madrid) know they’re going to get 100,000 people coming. Whereas in England if you made the tickets that bit cheaper how many more are you going to get? Three or four hundred.

“Borussia Dortmund know that they could put a 100,000 tickets on sale and they could sell them.”