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For football fans, there are few experiences that match that of watching a live match from the stands. For followers of Premier League teams especially, there is now the opportunity to watch an abundance of football on TV, whether you’re at home or at the pub. However, no matter whether you support a Premiership or Championship club or a team from the rest of the Football League, being in the stands and part of the atmosphere is a crucial part of the match experience.

The increase in the amount of footy on TV and the rising price of football tickets has led to many fans having to think twice about putting their hands in their pockets, though. Supporting your football team is becoming an increasingly expensive activity and you cannot blame fans who stay at home to save money, especially when vast travel distances are involved. However, attendances across English football would seem to suggest that fans are still making the effort to watch live matches when they can.

Here on FootballFanCast.com we are running a survey to find out just how many of you watch live football matches and how many you take in each season. So, let us know how often you’re in the stands below…

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UEFA president Michel Platini has admitted making a mistake by setting a high price for tickets for the Champions League final.Tickets for Wembley’s showpiece event on May 28 start at 176 pounds, and many fans feel they have been marginalised by UEFA’s decision.

Speaking at a trophy handover ceremony on Wednesday, Platini admitted the price may have been too high, but said it was tough to please everyone with such high demand.

“I already responded that it was a mistake,” Platini said.

“It was not good but take care, it is not easy to decide the price of the ticket in the final of the Champions League because now we have received 200,000 requests for this price of ticket.”

“Now, if you want to buy this ticket off the black market, it is 10 times the price that we decided.”

“So, it is not so easy. Perhaps in the future we will have a new category for families that are less expensive, but if they put that on the black market….that is not easy.”

The Champions League trophy will be on display at 13 sites across London between now and May 21, including Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Trafalgar Square and Heathrow airport.

There is still a chance the trophy could remain in England after the final, with Premier League club Manchester United one of four teams still alive in the competition.

Lille moved four points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Nancy on Saturday.A goal from Eden Hazard in first-half additional time was enough to separate the two sides and put Rudi Garcia’s side in a good position to claim the title.

Second-placed Marseille face a blockbuster trip to Lyon on Sunday and need a win to keep the pressure on Lille.

Hazard, 20, struck in the second minute of first-half stoppages and Lille kept their composure for a 1-0 win.

Nancy remain in the relegation zone after the loss, still one point from safety.

Monaco continued edging further from the drop zone after playing out a 1-1 draw with third-placed Paris Saint-Germain.

Brazilian defender Adriano Pereira had given Monaco a surprise lead on 25 minutes, but they could only hold out until early in the second half to settle for their second-straight draw.

Attacker Mevlut Erdinc levelled six minutes into the second period and PSG had to settle for a point, leaving Lyon the opportunity to leapfrog them if they can take at least a point against Marseille.

Monaco moved into 14th but they are not yet safe, with Nancy only two points adrift in the relegation zone.

Sochaux scored four times in the opening half an hour in a 4-0 thrashing of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux manager Jean Tigana stepped down from his role following the loss, citing fan abuse directed at his daughter as the reason.

A brace from Ideye Brown, to go along with goals from Damien Perquis and Ryad Boudebouz, handed Sochaux a blistering lead after 30 minutes.

The win kept their hopes of claiming the Europa League spot alive, while ninth-placed Bordeaux are out of contention.

In other games, a goal from attacker Roy Contout gave Auxerre a 1-0 win over Montpellier to move into 12th and four points clear of relegation.

Saint-Etienne stayed in eighth after a 1-0 win over the relegated Arles.

A 33rd-minute penalty from Alejandro Alonso was all that was required for victory, particularly after Arles defender Dianbobo Balde was sent off two minutes later.

Nice broke a three-game losing run after recording a 0-0 draw at Brest, while Lorient and Toulouse also finished scoreless.

Lens remain eight points from safety after having to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw at Caen.

Raphael Varane’s 37th-minute goal cancelled out Mbaye Niang’s first-minute opener.

Scudetto winners AC Milan will set out to ruin Udinese’s Champions League qualification bid on Sunday, according to Massimiliano Allegri.Already crowned Serie A champions for the first time since 2004, there is nothing at stake for Milan when they face Udinese away from home in the last round of the season.

The same cannot be said for the hosts at the Stadio Friuli, who come into the match in fourth place, two points clear of Lazio in fifth.

Udinese will be desperate to beat Milan and crown an impressive season by securing a berth in the Champions League qualification rounds.

But if Allegri has his way, Francesco Guidolin’s side are unlikely to find the visitors in a charitable mood, despite their comfortable situation.

“We’ve got nothing to lose, so we have to play a great game,” Allegri said.

“Udinese will be very motivated, but we are Milan and cannot afford to embarrass ourselves.”

“They have great players like Antonio Di Natale, Alexis Sanchez, Gokhan Inler and Cristian Zapata, so the Champions League is a huge achievement for them, but we aren’t going there to facilitate their party.”

The visitors will be farewelling long-serving midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who is set to move to Juventus in the close-season after 10 years at Milan.

Fellow veteran Clarence Seedorf could also depart the San Siro in the close-season, but his future is yet to be determined.

“Juventus have made a great signing by bringing in Pirlo,” Allegri said.

“It was a mutual decision from all parties, so our paths have separated, but I’m sure he’ll do wonderful things at Juve.”

“I still need to talk to Clarence Seedorf and will wait until the end of the season.”

“Considering the rapport I have with everyone, I will honestly answer every question he has for me. Once we have spoken, I’ll tell you our decision.”

Allegri also assured supporters that whoever arrives in place of Pirlo will be of the highest quality, as the team attempt to mount title challenges on multiple fronts next season.

“Our objective is to win the Champions League, the Scudetto and the Italian Super Cup next season,” he said.

“Pirlo’s replacement will be world class.”

CSKA Sofia have claimed their first Bulgarian Cup in five years with a 1-0 win over rivals Slavia Sofia on Wednesday.A goal five minutes before the interval from midfielder Spas Delev gave Milen Radukanov’s team victory.

The goal capped off a remarkable achievement from Delev, who found the net in every round of the competition.

Slavia ended the game with 10 men after Brazilian defender Josias Basso was sent off in the closing stages.

Delev finished smartly for his goal in the 40th minute, placing home from six yards.

Slavia striker Nikolay Bozhov should have equalised two minutes later, only to be denied by a good save from CSKA goalkeeper Ivan Karadzhov.

There were several chances in the last 20 minutes and CSKA should have gone 2-0 up when Gregory Nelson was played through, but he missed his chance.

It nearly proved costly as Karadzhov spilled a shot soon after, but Radoslav Dimitrov missed in the goalmouth scramble as CSKA lifted the cup for the first time since they beat Cherno More Varna 3-1 in the 2006 final.

Liverpool director of football Damien Comolli said the signing of young gun Jordan Henderson is just the start of a busy off-season.The capture of 20-year-old Henderson from Sunderland – reportedly for 20 million pounds – was Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish’s first signing since his permanent appointment as manager of Anfield in May.

He did, however, secure the services of strike duo Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in January while operating in a caretaker capacity after the sacking of Roy Hodgson.

And now Comolli has said Henderson will not be the last of the new faces to arrive on Merseyside in the transfer window.

“We wanted to make a signing early,” Comolli told The Daily Mirror. “The earlier the better, because we can then re-adjust our strategy or decide we aren’t going to do any more – which won’t be the case now.”

“I’m very pleased, because Jordan was one of the big targets we had. When you get your first target it’s always a good sign because you think the others will come through as well.”

Comolli said the club was targeting primarily British talent, especially those with English Premier League experience. The Reds are reportedly keen on Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam, who they offered 12 million pounds for in January.

“If a player is English, or British or has played in the Premier League, we’ll look at that over someone abroad,” Comolli said.

“We go for a player because he ticks all the boxes. It’s what we need at this time in this window, and we have seen that with Henderson.”

South Korea’s K-League has handed lifetime bans to 10 players found guilty of match-fixing at a hearing on Friday.In the toughest penalty ever handed down in South Korea’s top-flight, prosecutors revealed that the players had been paid by several gambling brokers in exchange for helping their teams lose two matches in April.

Eight of the players came from the Daejeon Citizen team, with one player found to have received US$110,000 dollars and shared it with seven teammates.

Another player caught up in the scandal was found dead in a hotel room in May, with a national news agency reporting a suicide note discovered at the scene referred to the match-fixing ring.

An 11th player, Pohang Steelers midfielder Kim Jung-Kyum, was handed a five-year ban for betting on a game after a tip-off from another player.

The players could face jail time if found guilty in court.

The K-League resumed on Saturday after halting action in May, when the allegations emerged.

State-run sports bookmaker Sports Toto has stopped taking bets on games at the request of K-League club owners, while the government has threatened to terminate funding.

“This is an unacceptable incident. There were some players acting against pure sportsmanship during the process (match-fixing),” Korea Football Association director Kim Jon-Kook said.

“Also, some innocent players were involved in those illegal matching-fixing due to pressures around them.”

The league has urged players to own up to their involvement in return for reduced punishments.

The players’ clubs have not escaped their own punishment, with Daejeon to lose 30 percent of its share from the sales of Sports Toto. The loss will amount to around US$250,000, while Gwangju FC and Sangju Sangmu Phoenix both lose 10 percent of their shares.

The KFA is now looking to adopt the football governing body FIFA’s early warning system, which alerts authorities to unusual online betting activity and is aimed at stopping match-fixing.

FIFA have blocked the golden opportunity to see the workings of goal line technology after vetoing its use at this weekend’s Emirates Cup. It is a decision that leaves everyone in the game bemused and a sign that the governing body is set to turn a blind eye to progress once again.

In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Beckham being sick at England’s failed World Cup bid; Petr Cech questions the hiring and firing at Chelsea, while Tottenham put a £9m fee on Peter Crouch’s head.

*

Beckham ‘sick’ over failed bid – FFC

Barton rules out United move – FFC

Given tips Ireland revival – FFC

Wenger wants action on tapping up – FFC

De Jong: Balotelli must change his ways – Guardian

Cech questions Abramovich’s hiring and firing – Independent

Wenger foiled by goal camera ban as FIFA rules out technology at Emirates Cup – Daily Mail

Ferguson admits United are unlikely to make more signings – Guardian

He’s yours for £9m! Spurs willing to let Crouch leave in latest reshuffle – Daily Mail

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McCarthy warning for ‘twits who tweet’ – Guardian

Pardew unimpressed with Enrique Twitter rant – Independent

Aguero set to complete £40m Man City switch tomorrow – Mirror

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When title-chasing Chelsea make a improved £27million bid for your star player most clubs could be forgiven for admitting defeat and accepting the inevitable. But when faced with the Stamford Bridge side’s pursuit of Luka Modric, Tottenham and Daniel Levy have stood firm. Is this an admirable resistance from the Spurs chairman or a big mistake?

Tottenham have long been dreaming of a regular place in the top four and the Champions League. The obvious way to increase their chances of competing at the top is to keep your best players and few have been as impressive in a Spurs shirt as Luka Modric. The Croatian playmaker was one of the players of the season across the Premier League last term and such form has seen Chelsea make two failed bids (of £22m and then £27m). Despite reports that Chelsea will make a fresh bid for the player and include Yossi Benayoun in a swap deal, Tottenham look like having a good chance of holding onto their wantaway star.

Chelsea’s approaches for Modric have always been met with the firmest of rebuffs from their London rivals. Despite the player making it clear he wanted to leave and even claiming that Spurs had gone against a verbal agreement, Levy has insisted that Modric will not be sold at any price. But is Levy right to take a zero tolerance approach?

It is a risky approach but Levy’s stance shows a firm commitment to the cause at Tottenham. Spurs will never develop if the likes of Modric are sold and especially if the midfielder only moves across London to close rivals and league opponents. Modric’s ability to dictate games in pockets of space was influential to Spurs last season. The fact that he only scored three goals and assisted another three in 32 league appearances doesn’t tell the whole story as to how important Modric is to Spurs. Their resistance also sends out a message of intent to the footballing world that Spurs are building a team ready to fight for honours over the next few years.

There are also factors of loyalty and business to consider. Back in May 2010 Modric signed a new six-year deal, whereby he committed himself to Spurs and in the return the club put their faith (and money) into the fact he would continue to perform successfully for them over many years. To demand a transfer only a year later raises serious questions over why he put pen to paper on such a long deal (even with the reported verbal agreement made to consider any bids from bigger clubs when he signed the deal).

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With Spurs looking likely to turn down any further approaches and still have Modric at the start of the season, should other clubs follow suit? Many clubs are faced with the prospect of their players demanding moves to bigger clubs but should the likes of Carlos Tevez at Manchester City or Samir Nasri at Arsenal show a sense of loyalty and be prepared to fight for their clubs in the new season? When faced with an under-contract star kicking up a fuss, chairman and managers could follow Levy’s example at Spurs and not let one player dictate the transfer dealings or seasons plans at a club.

But is it a good plan for clubs to realistically follow? By insisting that Modric stays Levy is risking the player losing all interest and focus on the pitch and suddenly a £27million packet in the bank balance would look a long way off if this transfer saga effects his form. Arsenal have taken a similar approach for years with their influential captain Cesc Fabregas. Their insistence that the World Cup winner stays at the Emirates may have meant that the club has kept hold of their best player but this transfer saga has slowly worn away at the club and Fabregas’ return to Barcelona has now become inevitable. If the talk of a move to Chelsea continues then how long will Levy let it have an effect on the pitch?

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Tottenham are playing a risky game but Levy and Spurs can be commended for trying to keep hold of their best players. If Modric can commit to the club and put all the transfer talk behind him, then their resistance will be a fantastic move for Tottenham and set an example for clubs across England.

Should Levy let Modric go or continue to reject any approaches? If you want to read more of my bite size, 140 character views and thoughts follow me on Twitter @jennyk5

Inter chief Ernesto Paolillo says a big bid for Wesley Sneijder will be considered, as speculation over the midfielder’s future rumbles on.Netherlands international Sneijder, 27, is still believed to be keen on joining the English Premier League champions, but it seems his wage demands have been a major stumbling block.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson tried to cool talk of their interest in the player after saying he knew nothing of negotiations between the clubs, while Inter manager Gian Piero Gasperini has intimated the Serie A outfit still relies on him

But Inter chief executive officer Paolillo has said a top offer from England will be evaluated and did not close the door on Sneijder leaving if United submit a suitable bid.

“If an offer we cannot refuse arrives, whether for Sneijder or other players, then we will start to think about a replacement,” Paolillo told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Sneijder is a reference point for our club, but then football always evolves and anything can happen.”

“But there are no talks, and so we are not thinking of changing.”

Sneijder is likely to play for Inter in Saturday’s Supercoppa Italiana clash against city rivals AC Milan in Beijing.