Source close to West Ham board questions Newcastle status as category A game after Champions League qualification

A source close to the West Ham board has questioned Newcastle United’s status as category A game after their Champions League qualification.

West Ham came within one win of qualifying for the Champions League back in 2020/21.

But Newcastle United went one step further by breaking the so-called “big six” monopoly last term and finishing fourth.

Expectations at both West Ham and Newcastle have risen dramatically in the last couple of years.

But on West Ham’s side it seems the club have got a touch carried away with Newcastle’s resurgence under Eddie Howe.

Source close to West Ham board questions Newcastle status as category A game after Champions League qualification
So much so a source close to the West Ham board has questioned Newcastle’s status as a category A game after their Champions League qualification.

Each fixture is given a match category status which varies club to club but the Hammers traditionally have Cat AA, A, B and C. The categories are essentially based on the expected level of demand for tickets, profile of the game, stadium capacities, security arrangements and club rivalries.

The higher the category the more expensive the tickets.

And it seems Newcastle United have impressed the Hammers hierarchy as they have now been made a Category A fixture.

That means adult tickets for the match start at £45 and go as high as £85. Even a children’s ticket in Band 1 for West Ham’s Premier League home game against the Magpies on October 8th will set fans back a whopping £75.

Now Sean Whetstone, who is a confidant of vice-chair Karren Brady and co-owner David Sullivan, has hit out at the decision.

‘What happened to affordable family football?’
“When did Newcastle United become a Catergory A game for West Ham at home meaning no concessions for bands 1-3?” Whetstone said.

“A child in band 1 will cost £75 for a general admission ticket while a kid in band 3 will set you back £65 for general admission.

“These category AA and A categories seem at odds with the Hammers claims of affordable family football at the London Stadium.”

It is not clear what category West Ham fall into for Newcastle, but one suspects it won’t be cat A.

Although Newcastle have also come under fire from their fans over ticketing recently.

Popular Newcastle website The Mag has slammed the club over ticketing for their Champions League games labelling it a ‘shambles’.

The site even claimed the club’s handling of tickets for their return to Europe’s top table has ‘turned a dream into a nightmare’.

Whether West Ham review Newcastle’s category A status for next month’s clash in light of the criticism remains to be seen.