Newcastle fans thank BVB for keeping ticket prices low: "Change from £20."
Visiting Newcastle United supporters unfurled a banner thanking Borussia Dortmund for keeping Champions' League ticket prices low at Signal Iduna Park last night.
On Wednesday, BVB boss Hans Joachim Watzke issued a statement thanking and expressing solidarity with the English fans.
Last night's UEFA Champions' League fixture between Newcastle United and Borussia Dortmund featured a large coordinated protest action from BVB supporters keen to lodge their complaints with UEFA's UCL reforms. Such protests have become commonplace in German football stadiums. Most of the Bundesrepublik's fan alliances have been open and vocal in their opposition to the forthcoming formatting changes for several years.
On Wednesday, BVB boss Hans Joachim Watzke issued a statement thanking and expressing solidarity with the English fans.
While the banners and pitch-side object throwing did disrupt the match briefly and grabbed plenty of headlines, there was also an interesting action from Newcastle's traveling support as well. The Jordie guests brought along a banner thanking Dortmund for keeping ticket prices for the match reasonably low. Fans of the EPL side were able to gain entrance to Signal Iduna for only €18.50.
Dortmund have long been adherents to the European-wide fan campaign known as "Twenty's plenty". As ticket prices for UCL fixtures rise to astronomical prices - in some cases exceeding €70 across the continent - the German club remains a strong proponent of not raising their rates at all. Newcastle supporters, not necessarily interested in calculating the currency exchange rate, explicitly thanked their hosts.
"Change from £20," a banner unpacked in the guest block last night read, "Thank you BVB." Dortmund boss Acki Watzke commented on the action Wednesday, reserving warm reciprocal words for fans of the EPL side.
"It really annoys us when our fans pay almost €70 for the cheapest ticket internationally," Watzke said, "A big thank you from us goes to the fans of Newcastle for their sporting, fair behaviour. Both in England and with us."
🏁 'THANK YOU @BVB'
— The Chronicle (@ChronicleNUFC) November 7, 2023
This banner in the away end at the Signal Iduna Park 👏#NUFC pic.twitter.com/yoR39ZUpZm