Tony Blair has backed demands for football clubs to offer lower ticket prices so more fans can afford to go to matches.
MPs including Lynne Jones (Lab Selly Oak) and Ian Austin (Lab Dudley North) have attacked British clubs for charging fans four times as much as sides in Germany, Holland and Italy.
In a House of Commons motion, they called on the Premier League league to use some of the #325 million it received from the sale of overseas television rights to reduce ticket prices.
Mr Blair said the "rows of empty seats" seen at grounds in recent years were proof that there was a "pretty clear" case for reducing the cost. He said: "Anyone who watches the Premiership can just notice, in the past year or couple of years, the rows of empty seats," he said at his monthly press conference.
"It’s something I do not recall seeing in the same way four or five years back so I think there are very sensible market-based reasons for people to make sure the ticket prices aren’t beyond the reach of the ordinary fan.
"After all, it’s the ordinary fan that really builds the club. It’s a decision for them but I think the logic of it is pretty clear."
Season tickets for Birmingham City range from #437 to #579.50.
Don Foster, the Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman, offered rare backing for the Prime Minister.
He said: "Tony Blair's hit the target on high Premiership ticket prices – they’re clearly putting fans off."
He added: "It’s simply unacceptable that football’s recent cash bonanza isn’t getting back into fans’ pockets."
British clubs charged #544 for a season ticket on average, he said. But the Liberal Democrats found the average price in Germany was just #129.
