The first rule of being a Leeds fan is that things can always get worse.
In 2001, they were competing in a Champions League semi-final. Now they are simply trying to avoid dropping back into League One.
After a decade and a half of mismanagement, this might be the final straw with the news that the club are charging an additional £5 meal deal surcharge on tickets for Elland Road’s South Stand.
The ‘pie tax’, as it has become known among Leeds fans, forces South Stand supporters to purchase a meal deal voucher alongside their ticket, which they can then use to purchase hot food and a drink in the stadium.
But fans are not happy with the charge, saying it is simply a way for Leeds – which already charges some of the highest ticket prices in the Championship – to bypass Football League rules and increase ticket prices mid-season.
The additional £5 charge means that fans who wish to see the clash between 17th place Leeds and 18th place Preston North End on December 20 will have to pay £37 for a ticket which was booked in advance, or £42 on the day of the game.
Unsurprisingly, fans are not happy.
@LUFCTickets Pie'gate' back I see. Please can I have a response to how you justify charging Leeds fans £37 to sit in the south against PNE?
— Keiron Whiteley (@keironw22) November 30, 2015
@julesat123 @dave_easby I think that 37 quid is with the pie tax, but still… £32 to watch Leeds v Preston at christmas. It's just wrong.
— PG (@HarteandSoul) November 30, 2015
https://twitter.com/chrisabbott1/status/671836804287471620