JOSE Mourinho is never far from the headlines, and he made the news again on Saturday, when he criticised the lack of atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.

Speaking after Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over west London rivals QPR, the Blues boss told the press that the ground felt empty, despite the fact that more than 40,000 people watched the game.

“At this moment it’s difficult to play at home because playing here is like playing in an empty stadium,” he said. “When we scored was when I realised ‘woah, the stadium is full. Good’.”

As a Chelsea fan myself, I understand what he means, but a lack of atmosphere is the price many top clubs are paying for charging so much for tickets.

I obviously work on Saturdays, but I try to get to one game a year, generally a cup tie, for which ticket prices are normally reduced.

Rather than choosing a seat behind one of the goals, where the most vociferous fans gather, I try to secure the best view I can for my one annual visit.

The atmosphere is pretty much always flat, largely because the crowd is made up of people like me. I’m 32-years-old, and my days of shouting myself hoarse are sadly behind me.

I normally go with my wife, who gets thoroughly embarrassed if I start yelling, let alone chanting. I also doubt that any of the people around us would join in, which would make me that strange bloke singing on his own.

Last time we went, I sat next to a man and his young son, who couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. In fact, the whole affair had a family feel to it, which is probably a good thing and most likely because of those reduced ticket prices I mentioned earlier.

League games have the same problem, but for a different reason. Families and normal folk like me cannot really justify forking out upwards of £50 for a ticket, but neither can many other people.

In general, I’d imagine that the fans who create most atmosphere are young men in their late teens and early twenties. For the most part, only the most hardcore fans in that bracket have several hundred pounds a year spare for a season ticket.

Ticket costs mean that the portions of the stadium not taken up by corporate guests are full of people like me, just more successful types who can afford the high prices.

It’s starting to sound like I’m just another supporter moaning about ticket prices, but that’s not the case. Clubs are businesses at the end of the day, so they have the right, and indeed a duty if they have shareholders, to make as much money as they can.

If the stadiums are full, then they clearly aren’t charging too much. It’s simple supply and demand economics.

However, they can’t have it both ways. More matchday revenue means fewer vociferous supporters roaring the team on.

If managers are seriously worried about a lack of atmosphere, then maybe clubs should offer drastically reduced prices for people under 30 sitting in the lower terraces at each end.

The more I think about it, the more that seems like a good idea. But would Mourinho be worried enough about the lack of atmosphere to suggest to his bosses that they take a financial hit? I very much doubt it.

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