Football clubs have announced season ticket price freezes in a bid to combat the possibility of declining attendance rates during the economic downturn.

Several Premier League clubs have even applied price cuts to encourage increasingly price savvy fans to continue to support their teams and promote matchday revenues.

Paul Rawnsley, director of Deloitte's sports business group, said: "The key for clubs is to set prices that deliver strong value for money for fans which will help attendances stay healthy. More than ever, clubs need to understand the price perceptions of their fans so they can decide on sensible price strategies.

"In the current economic climate, supporters are looking for value for money from their season tickets. Clubs can ensure attendances hold up if they consider price points carefully.

"Offering deeply discounted tickets for children is becoming more common and this can help fill any empty seats, nurture the future fans of the club and provides assistance to families who buy more than one season ticket."

Deloitte's recent Football Money League table nevertheless indicates that despite the bleak economic situation, many individuals would rather cut their expenditure in other areas in order to retain their season ticket fix owing to the high emotional connection between football fans and their club.

Exceptional levels of customer loyalty has meant that five of the six English clubs featured in the research have maintained capacity utilisation rates of over 95 per cent this season.