I feel your scepticism Silverfish, but believe it or not, that is the going rate for teams at Stafford Rangers level! We were amongst the cheapest in our league last year, and certainly won't be the most expensive next season.
Oxford charged £17 last season! The cheapest was Salisbury at £10, but that is going up. The average was probably £13-£14 pounds. It is a very expensive business running a non-league team. Only one team made a profit our league last year! Our team relies on the generosity of it's directors, it's sponsors, and yes, ... its fans.
The fact that kids go free next year is brilliant, and the £5 for under 18's is a big improvement for most young people.
Non-league teams walk a precarious tight rope. They have to be able to attract the best players they can whilst avoiding pricing out their fans.
Non-league has been subject to the wage inflation of footballers in this country. As the top flight earn huge money, so this inflation filters down. I know that Steve Bull couldn't believe what Rangers part-time players were earning. There will be full time teams in Rangers league next year, and in order to compete with that, we will have to make sure we have the best local part-timers we can.
I think this is a pretty good deal for fans, most of us expected no change.* A family visit (myself and two lads) costs £21 next season, and I actually might see us score a few, and win some home games! Our unofficial forum has generally welcomed this news.
I suppose it is about being blinkered by fanaticism. My lads went to the last Arsenal game at Anfield, probably the best domestic game of the season, with an unbelievable atmosphere, but they wouldn't have swapped the experince for Stafford's win in the promotion play-off at Burton in 2006. I have the Boro' drug, I doubt I'll ever kick it; there are certainly more highs than lows; but when the highs come, they are all the higher because of the lows. Whether that justifies spending thousands over the season's who can tell? The Venerable Mrs Seed just shakes her head.
*In relation to what else other clubs at our level charge. If you follow the Bundesliga, or some other European leagues, you might rightly raise your eyebrows.