A building project I was working on involved a long journey by road. Once a week I would drive across the Pennines to visit a construction site in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Towards the end of the project it became a twice-weekly visit. One day I drove past a remote lay-by up on the moors, and there was an old Citroen BX parked up, with a flat rear tyre.
I thought nothing of it until a few days later I went past the same spot and all the tyres on the car were flat, windscreen wipers were missing and the headlights removed. By the next visit the windows were smashed and the doors open. It was no longer secure and was open to the elements.
Over the next few trips I noticed other bits of the car gradually went missing; wing mirrors, bumpers, seats, dash board, and eventually the whole car was overturned on the grass verge. It was just an empty shell. What once had been someone’s pride and joy now lay abandoned to its fate, unable to function. It was incapable of righting itself, an ugly sight, reflecting an ugly scavenging process over a relatively short period of time.
Maybe the owner had driven it too hard and the engine just seized up. Maybe it was down to a lack of maintenance, constant failure or inadequate resources to keep it going. Maybe the owner just got fed up with the constant failures and disappointments and eventually abandoned the car.
I’ll be honest, I know relatively little about car maintenance. What little I thought I knew has been superseded by electronic components which, when faulty, either must be thrown away or need a specialist to repair them. What I do know is that if you don’t look after the heart of the car, the engine, eventually it will cease to function. It might look ok on the outside, but it’s the condition of the inside that determines how long it will keep going.
The abandoned car served as a visual reminder for me. I remembered that when I’m struggling and falling apart, when I’m angry and frustrated, when I feel a failure or have been let down, I don’t have to park up in a lay-by somewhere, or give up, or accept defeat, and abandon myself to an unknown future. There’s another choice I can make.
A couple of weeks later I went past the lay-by again, wondering what else might have happened to the car. Instead the car had gone completely, removed, no doubt, to that great scrapyard in the sky.
Don’t lose heart. Choose to believe that God has a plan and a purpose for you. He will never let you down. He never abandons us. He doesn’t consign us to the scrapyard, but instead offers us a hope and a future.
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as a Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he will soon be joining the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: Jo Swinney was a new name to me, but this is her third book, she has also written God Hunting and Through The Dark Woods but this book sounds a little different. Simply called Home – The Quest To Belong. This is not a tie-in with the Dreamworks animation but instead looks at our yearning for somewhere to call home, even for those who don’t actually base themselves in something permanent and solid.
Part of this book is relating the author’s own experiences finding what makes ‘home’ for her. From what she explains here, she is quite qualified to expand on the understanding of home. For some of us home is just the place we find ourselves living, we’ve lived with parents, maybe had some college experiences, travelled but settled in to the work/home life which we currently enjoy. For Jo it was a little different, born in England, but moving to Portugal early in life, moving around through a few homes before her parents settled somewhere, but due to the nature of their job there was a constant community of people coming and going through the property. Then being sent back to boarding school in England, before going to university and then moving to Canada, via a gap-year in Zimbabwe. Then moving back to England with her new husband and moving into houses tied to his job role. It sounds exhausting just thinking about it. In among all that transience, Swinney lost her sense of what home was, before eventually rediscovering it. Through this she has realised that it’s not just the homeless who don’t really know where home is.
At the beginning of the book Swinney seems a little bit apologetic that she is going to look at this subject, not just from her own experience, but also from a faith perspective. Having said that she explains that it is the worldview she holds so it makes sense to write from that. She explains that although the ultimate ‘home’ maybe in a relationship with God, she is not necessarily expecting her readers to agree with her, but it makes up part of how she sees the world.
In addition to her own story, Swinney explores the quest to belong which she has encountered while reading her Bible. She looks at one of the most well-known characters, David the Shepherd, Giant Killer, Refugee and King. As Jo relates his story in relation to her subject she brings new life to this story, and she definitely doesn’t gloss over his mistakes and pitfalls, but reminds us that David was very human in his thoughts and attitudes. She writes about his story in a very clear and, at times, amusing fashion, outlining the relative parts of the story. Needless to say she struggles to say much positive about David when looking at home in relation to marriage, but instead uses his bad example and restlessness to hold up a mirror to our own relationships.
Each chapter looks at a different aspect of what people call home. The feeling that somewhere else is home, through to home in family, culture, country, community and many other things before getting to home in things that are closer to home, your actual property, your job and your past. With a gentle humour the author relates the aspects from her life, from her friends and others while gently nudging the reader to consider what aspects of life would make them feel at home. It’s not just any one thing, at least not in this life, there is a little discussion about the idea of Heaven as our home, but she rejects the notion that we cannot feel at home here on earth.
In the back of this book there is a series of ten questions to get you thinking further about the notion of home if you have a book group or study group which chooses to read this together. I have quite enjoyed this trek through the idea of home, it’s not a question that I have really thought about until now. Although having shaken up my ‘home’ life somewhat this year it’s perhaps become more important to consider this idea. What makes home, home? This book may well be able to give you the gentle guidance that you need to begin to feel at home in yourself and your circumstances, or to know what to head towards so that you feel truly at home.
International Christian Development Agency The Leprosy Mission has set up eleven Hubs of Hope in Cabo Delgado, the most northern province of Mozambique. The residents have lived amid escalating violence since 2017. More than 4,000 people have been killed. The United Nations states that almost a million people have been forced to flee their homes.
The Hubs have been built as a result of the Unconditional Campaign in 2021, which was awarded UK Aid Match funding. This meant every pound donated was matched by the UK government. The appeal raised £4.4 million, including £2 million from the UK government.
The Hubs of Hope are often the only place in a village with electricity and an internet connection. People once banished from their communities because of leprosy are welcomed in the hubs. Members of the community have been trained as Leprosy Changemakers. As a result more than 1,300 people have been cured of leprosy since the project began. This has happened because 43 government health workers have received leprosy training. Leprosy Changemakers refer people to these vital health workers. The training ensures no leprosy case is misdiagnosed or missed through ignorance.
Chief Executive of The Leprosy Mission England and Wales, Peter Waddup, said: “I am incredibly thankful to our amazing supporters for changing the lives of tens of thousands of people in Northern Mozambique for the better. And we are only halfway through the roll-out of this incredible project!
“I am also in awe of my tenacious and selfless colleagues in Mozambique. The fact that this project has been able to go ahead, let alone be so successful, in such circumstances is nothing short of miraculous. Not only have they risked their own lives by working in areas of violent attacks, but they have also sacrificed their own family time. Since the project began, many staff families have left Cabo Delgado for safety as the insurgents moved south towards Pemba. Yet Leprosy Mission teams have remained resolute and steadfast. Their bravery and sacrifice have provided a lifeline to people who have been through unspeakable trauma. I am so thankful for and inspired by the hope radiating from these special Hubs seven days a week.”
Not a lot. All we see these days are tiny petrol units connected to electric motors and, apart from that, an entire market dominated by 2.0-litre four-cylinders.
But maybe we shouldn’t be so sure. Why? Because Mazda has just gone and done something utterly ridiculous.
It has unveiled the fresh and beautiful CX-60 – with an all-new 3.3-litre diesel engine involving mild-hybrid technology.
Yes. You heard that right.
It does, indeed, sound bonkers. But when you see Mazda’s theory put into practice, suddenly, it’s the Japanese automaker execs in Hiroshima who are the ones guffawing.
You would imagine that, on a mid-size SUV like the CX-60, it’ll be returning under 40mpg. But it doesn’t. The Mazda manages 56.5mpg in its lower-powered form, which produces 200PS, while the more powerful 254PS variant of the same engine does 53.3mpg.
The secret sounds simple: a bigger engine needs fewer revs to get performance out of it, so you save fuel. But there’s more to it than that; otherwise, everyone would’ve been doing the same for years.
There is an alternative plug-in hybrid (PHEV) too, which produces 327PS and looks even better on paper. But it makes the SUV’s already firm ride even stiffer. Plus, its all-electric range isn’t enough to provide the biggest savings for company car users when compared with some of the competition.
The focus is on the diesels, then. And they’re available in three trims.
The Exclusive-Line sits at entry level with 18-inch alloys, two 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and digital instruments, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, navigation and a DAB radio. It also features a head-up display, dual-zone climate control and black leather upholstery with heated front seats.
The Homura grade gets black 20-inch wheels, electric-folding door mirrors, a Bose sound system and electrically adjustable front seats with an adjustable driver lumbar support. It also vaunts heated outer rear seats, ventilated front seats and an automatic tailgate.
Finally, the Takumi edition tops the range with silver and black 20-inch alloys, a white maple wood interior décor and white Nappa leather seat trim.
The top two grades also feature the Mazda Driver Personalisation System, which includes facial recognition. So, the latest CX-60 will automatically adjust everything for you when you get in, which is convenient if you share the driving with others.
The focus of this car review is on the Homura and Takumi trims. But bear in mind that the entry-level model is well-equipped, and it’s a significant price jump even to go for the mid-range Homura grade.
In addition, the ride is firm enough without the extra two inches of alloy wheel you get if you pick either the Homura or Takumi trims.
Under the bonnet, the 200PS diesel has plenty of shove and should suffice for most people’s needs. For example, it reaches 62mph in 8.4 seconds, whereas it’s 7.4 ticks of the clock in the 254PS version.
I would stick with the lower-powered edition. It is more than capable enough, although it is rear-wheel drive, whereas the more powerful version is all-wheel drive.
Those with bad backs might not appreciate the hard ride, but driving enthusiasts will love it, as the stiffer suspension helps the handling.
While no SUV will ever handle like a sports car, the hybridised oil burner performs excellently around bends, limiting body lean well. The steering is direct, and the wheel provides excellent feedback, fuelling your confidence around bendy B-roads.
One of Mazda’s fuel-saving tricks is shifting up through the gears early, which can make things a tad jerky. With an eight-speed gearbox, that means it’s more noticeable unless you’re thundering down a motorway continuously in eighth.
Nevertheless, it’s a minor gripe and isn’t enough to rain on the parade. Furthermore, such is the excellent handling that the all-wheel drive of the 254PS version only adds a little extra grip over the 200PS rear-wheel drive model.
Step inside, and you’ll probably agree with me that the cabin belongs at the premium end of the market. The 12.3-inch ultra-widescreen infotainment system peers over the top of the dashboard, and it’s awe-inspiring in terms of clarity, looks, menu layout and responsiveness. The digital instrument display is equally impressive, although the lack of customisability is a hindrance.
It looks nice, feels great, and it’s comfortable. The forward visibility is excellent, and all models get a reversing camera to aid your rear view, although a 360-degree camera is an optional extra.
There is plenty of space in the front, but the rear does lack a bit of legroom. And even though it’s a reasonably hefty-sized SUV, the Mazda still isn’t quite wide enough to comfortably seat three adult passengers on longer journeys.
The interior has lots of storage spaces, a notably large glove box, a sunglasses holder and reasonably sized door bins.
The boot’s capacity is 570 litres, but it’s reduced to 477 litres in the hybrid. However, Mazda quotes a figure of 1,726 litres for both once you fold the rear seats down in a handy 40/20/40 configuration. Plus, there’s no boot lip, which is even more convenient.
Safety-wise, the CX-60 was awarded a five-star rating from Euro NCAP. It scored 88% for adults, 91% for children, and 76% for safety assists, which include driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning with lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring.
The only safety feature not included across the range is a separate driver monitoring system, which is found in both the Homura and Takumi models, but not on the entry-level Exclusive Line.
Tax-wise, the lower-powered diesel emits 129g/km of CO2, with the 254PS model producing 138g/km of CO2.
The PHEV, meanwhile, returns 188.3mpg, emitting just 33g/km of CO2, thanks to a 17.8kWh battery.
A full charge of the PHEV takes just under eight hours from a domestic socket, while a dedicated 7.4kW home wall box will do the same in around two and a half hours.
Overall, the new CX-60 e-SkyActiv D is a big surprise – and not just because of that superbly economical yet power-hungry diesel engine.
It is a car for those who want to enjoy driving, as Mazda prioritises handling over comfort.
There are a few minor gripes, but they’re not enough to ruin what is, essentially, a fabulous vehicle.
Fast Facts: Mazda CX-60 [e-SkyActiv D MHEV 254PS in Takumi trim, as tested]:
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m so pleased to welcome Rev Peter Crumpler as our Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. I first met Peter at a training event in London when I was a Communications Officer and he was the Communications Director with the Church of England. He was so knowledgeable, yet so kind and humble! Peter has been working in and with the media for more than 50 years. He is the author of ‘Responding to Post-truth’ and a keen advocate for Christians engaging with the media.
Peter writes: Where do you get your news? And what’s your favourite TV series, podcast or social media platform? How do you keep up to date with the football team you support, or get the latest update from international sporting events?
We rely on the media, in all its forms, to tell us about our world, from our doorstep to events on distant continents. We take it for granted that we can glance at our smartphones or tablets and be up-to-date with news that affects us, and videos that make us laugh.
Media matters. The media shapes our worldview and impacts how we respond to events and developments around us.
That’s why I and other members of Christians in Media, a community of Christians working in and with the media, are encouraging all churches and Christians to join in a National Day of Prayer for the Media on Sunday October 29th.
We are urging people to pray for everyone and anyone who works within media. From broadcasters, journalists, social media managers, church communicators, influencers, podcasters, radio hosts, camera operators, photographers, creatives, and so many more.
The National Day of Prayer for the Media is for the people behind each post, each news item, each story that we see on our online phones and other devices.
What might we be praying for? How about:
Giving thanks for all those called to serve God in the media.
For opportunities to build positive relationships with your local media including sharing stories of how your church is serving the community.
For wisdom and creativity for those in your church who manage their social media platforms, that through their content they may engage people.
That Christians who serve in the media may flourish in their faith and be channels of God’s love, grace and compassion.
That they may stand up for, and demonstrate, integrity, kindness and generosity of spirit.
That they may be messengers of hope, not fear, be light in the darkness, call out injustice, hold those in power to account and be a voice for those on the margins of life.
For strength and wisdom for journalists who face persecution in many parts of the world, as they seek to bring truthful facts and information.
For a young generation of Christians called to enter and lead this industry, through their passion, innovation and unique giftings.
Christians who work in the media have been submitting prayers for the National Day of Prayer for the Media. ITV News journalist and presenter Julie Etchingham, wrote:
Lord Jesus You are the word made flesh You are both the great communicator and the great communication.
Lord, we thank you for all those you have called to serve in the world of media. We recognise the strategic and important role that media has in our world.
Lord grant to each one:
Discernment to hear your voice Wisdom in what to share, Integrity in how to share, Creativity in their sharing Courage to stand for truth Grace in serving you and others
May your peace, presence, light their way. In the amazing name of Jesus.
Amen
In a world of post-truth and disinformation, the role of reliable, trusted media is vitally important. Christians have a key role to play by being involved in and with media; by encouraging and challenging the media; and by praying for its flourishing.
The National Day of Prayer for the Media on October 29th is an important opportunity for churches and Christians to get involved. Christians can also join in an online Prayer Breakfast for the Media at 8am on Thursday October 12th with Christians in senior media roles leading the prayers.
There’s more information about the National Day of Prayer for the Media, including prayer resources and ideas, at Christians in Media
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and in support of this cause, the NHS Property Services’ (NHSPS) Executive Team participated in a unique charity event.
The business took part in a ‘Race to the Home’ relay race to raise funds for its charity partner, Young Lives vs Cancer. NHSPS decided to partner with this charity in 2021 and pledged to raise £150,000 for its Homes from Home service over three years.
Thanks to the dedication and hard work of NHSPS’ colleagues, £120,000 has already been raised. Previous fundraising activities have included climbing Mount Snowdon, completing Tough Mudders, and conquering the Three Peaks.
The latest challenge was a relay race that took colleagues in the north from NHSPS’ Stockport office to Jack’s House, a Young Lives vs Cancer Home from Home in Didsbury, Manchester. Meanwhile, staff in the south will travel from NHSPS’ Canary Wharf headquarters to Paul’s House, a Young Lives vs Cancer Home from Home in London.
The relay race participants used different modes of transport, including running, cycling, walking, public transport, and even NHSPS vans, where they passed the baton over at one of four NHSPS property pit stops in their area.
Young Lives vs Cancer has ten Homes from Home close to specialist treatment centres in eight cities nationwide. These help families avoid the additional financial burdens of travel, food, and accommodation. They also enable young cancer patients to be close to their loved ones at an incredibly challenging time.
The NHSPS Executive Team has a fundraising target of £10,000, which would make a world of difference to the young people supported by Young Lives vs Cancer.
Rhea Horlock, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at NHSPS, said: “I had the opportunity to visit ‘Billy’s House’, a Young Lives vs. Cancer’s Home from Home in Nottingham recently. NHSPS has been in partnership with the charity for over two years now, and in that time, our colleagues have raised an incredible £120,000 to help fund these sites.
“It was great to see what a warm and welcoming environment the Homes are, and you can really feel how this bit of normality would make such a difference at a very difficult time.”
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as our Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he will soon be joining the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: Those who have been immersed in the UK Independent Christian scene for a while might be familiar with the name Olwen Ringrose. In 2004 she recorded Live at the Chapel Royal, an album of the songs that she had been writing across the previous decade or more. She followed this in 2006 with an album called Daughter of the King and this release caught the attention of music lovers and critics alike and then in 2009 she released an EP called Hardly A Day. It’s been 13 years since her last release but in that time she has made time to raise her family, but also to lead worship in her local church. In 2018 she returned to writing and now she has rolled out this new recording called Parables which is a little bit different to much of what is on the market at the moment. You can find this album on streaming services and it features five tracks inspired by some of the parables of Jesus. What marks this out as properly different is that there is a version of this available through Bandcamp, which allows you to buy a version with ten tracks, the other five tracks are spoken word poems which set the scene for the song and parable that is to be visited next on the album.
The first spoken word poem opens the album, setting the scene reminding us of the oral histories of culture and how Jesus came with new original stories about the Kingdom of Heaven described as Nuggets of Wisdom. These parables are not just stories, they point us to God. It is the Kingdom of Heaven that is the subject of the first track as Olwen skips through some of these well known illustrations from Jesus about what the Kingdom is like, a mustard seed, yeast, great treasure. There is no real desire here to give any theology, but more a reminder of the parables as pictures of something we won’t ever really understand. In the middle of this we are treated to an extended musical interlude that capitalises on the folk music aspects of this release.
Coming Home is a nice introduction from the Son’s perspective in the parable known as The Prodigal Son. As the rather upbeat folk music intro starts for The Prodigal’s Return we find that the perspective has been flipped to the Father waiting and looking constantly for his Son to return. These familiar stories continue with one of the best known of all the parables, The Good Samaritan. Interestingly the spoken-word that accompanies this talks about tribes and sticking within our social, cultural or theological bubbles, and it very much sounds like our world today.
The Two Sons is a simple introduction retelling the parable of the same name. The song Actions Speak Louder uses its piano and cello backing to emphasise that we need to really turn up. In this song there is a lovely bit of saxophone which interacts with the brushed drums and cello which is a pleasure to listen to. The album then moves onto it’s final parable of The Pharisee and the Tax Collector, the opening poem reminds us that God is “unimpressed” with empty noise. The last song is simply entitled The Pharisee and the Tax Collector and looks at the differences in the types of prayer as Jesus outlines in the story.
After 13 years Olwen has something to say, and a lot of it is actually in the unsaid between the spoken word and the songs. As a project this is a little different, and I always like different, particularly when it is as well executed as this is here. I would say as a listener taking this project from beginning to end it was sparking thoughts about how we treat people, how we look at love and failure, as well as how we approach prayer and worship. While these parables are 2000 years old there are still fresh applications for our lives and the clever language used in both spoken word and song subconsciously brings those thoughts to the surface.
Olwen has a pleasant vocal and between her and the producer they know how to put together a moving track. Not all of these are the standard definition of folk music, there are elements of other styles sprinkled throughout. There is a brilliant smattering of different instruments through these songs, the piano leads on many of these but the addition of saxophones, cello and others into the mix really make this an album worth listening to. Olwen has come back with something new and different, we may have to make room for it in the market because it deserves some space. If you can, buy this directly from There Is Hope | Olwen Ringrose (bandcamp.com).
The seven seas, and the adventure they promise, has been the basis of much intrigue throughout history and the location for many thrilling fictional stories. There are some of us who feel drawn to experience life at sea. Operation Mobilisation’s (OM) Ship Ministry allows Christians to join people from every nation, with diverse backgrounds to serve God, as discovered by four young people who shared their stories.
Hyunsoo, a 20-year-old from New Zealand and South Korea, joined OM’s Ship Ministry because of someone’s recommendation. Hyunsoo boarded Logos Hope and after onboard training, he was allocated to the bookfair department, affectionately known on board as the bookfairies. Hyunsoo said: “I was so happy, but also, I knew God put me in bookfair to grow me. Talking to visitors was especially challenging because I wouldn’t know what to say to them. Before the ship, I stayed in my comfort zone, now I’m learning to connect with people and build relationships. I think the Ship Ministry is for anyone who wants to challenge themselves or change their environment.”
Moises, who is 22 years old and hails from Panama, joined Logos Hope during the pandemic. He thought to “use this time for something more significant”. Moises was placed in the ship’s cleaning department, known on board as the Angels. He planned to stay for three months for the Short-Term Exposure Programme (STEP) but stayed longer because of the ship’s community. “I’d never experienced such a close community of people who wanted to get to know you, genuinely cared for you and were there in your life. I felt integrated and a part of the community. And despite all the differences, we could work together in the same way towards a common goal. I like this unity in diversity.”
In Botswana, Wawa, aged 31, worked as an assistant teacher in a primary school and was a football coach for teens. Wawa explains that he “knew nothing about sharing God’s love with others”, but once he got involved in OM, he “learned about the great need for God’s love around the world.” He felt God was leading him to join Logos Hope: “I saw the ship as a place to be trained and equipped for the future, to be exposed to a different environment, to a different community and to be taken out of my comfort zone”. Wawa serves onboard as a Short-Term Exposure Programme (STEP) coordinator. Every few months, new crewmembers join the ship for STEP and Wawa prepares the programme and walks the journey with them. He says, “As a bonus … when the sky is clear, there’s no better place than a ship to see the stars at night.”
Based in the US, 25-year-old Katie, and her husband Eric, prayed about how they would serve God. Katie and Eric ended up joining Logos Hope’s crew in February 2021. “Leaving your family, your home, your culture, everything, to go to a ship full of people from everywhere is a scary thing. But the ship community is very welcoming.” After a year, Katie became the business services department head, leading the finance, business, and travel teams. “We handle the onboard income and expenses, administration work and travel for people leaving the ship. The first team I led included people from Brazil, Japan, Germany, and China,” Katie explains. “My husband and I play games with people in the dining room or staff lounge [when we have free time]. I love reading, so I like the library on board. And we’re always visiting interesting countries, so we enjoy going out, learning about the local people, and experiencing what each port has to offer.”
Katie spoke of the importance of the Ship Ministry and her part in it, saying “We know our goal is to share knowledge, help and hope. But it can’t happen without all of us working together. The bookfair shares knowledge by selling books, but without finance behind it, there wouldn’t be a bookfair. Without people to clean the ship, we couldn’t have guests on board. Without the kitchen team, we wouldn’t have food to eat. We are all needed for this ministry to function effectively.”
Do you have an interest in living out your dream, experiencing what it would be like to live on a ship and travel the world’s oceans? With OM’s Ship Ministry, everyone can play a part regardless of background or training. If you would be keen to get involved in OM’s Ship Ministry, please visit uk.om.org/about-om-ships.
Main Photo Credit: Courtesy of Operation Mobilisation
Digital Editor’s Note: Huge thanks to the team over at https://seatpick.com/ for commissioning and sharing the following analysis with Sorted Magazine readers. They hope you find it useful!
Amid reports that 17 of the 20 Premier League clubs have raised their ticket prices for this season, up from 11 clubs in 2022-23,SeatPick were keen to identify the Premier League clubs with the most expensive ticket prices for fans.
To achieve this, the experts analysed changes in ticket prices for the 2023/24 Premier League season and compared these with the average wages per city, calculating the number of working hours required for fans to afford either a matchday ticket or a season ticket.
Here are the Premier League clubs with the highest rise in season ticket prices:
Team Name
2022/2023 Season
2023/2024 Season
Ticket Price % Change
Cheapest Ticket
Most Expensive Ticket
Cheapest Ticket
Most Expensive Ticket
Cheapest Ticket
Most Expensive Ticket
Fulham
£460.00
£1,050.00
£595.00
£3,000.00
29%
186%
West Ham United
£299.00
£1,025.00
£310.00
£1,620.00
4%
58%
Bournemouth
£550.00
£760.00
£590.00
£1,026.00
7%
35%
Brentford
£419.00
£549.00
£419.00
£740.00
0%
35%
Newcastle United
£417.00
£811.00
£600.00
£1,055.00
44%
30%
Aston Villa
£531.00
£752.00
£610.00
£869.00
15%
16%
Everton
£465.00
£625.00
£600.00
£690.00
29%
10%
Burnley*
£319.00
£455.00
£335.00
£500.00
5%
10%
Wolverhampton
£590.00
£786.00
£525.00
£844.00
-11%
7%
Nottingham Forest
£385.00
£550.00
£465.00
£585.00
21%
6%
Manchester City
£350.00
£980.00
£385.00
£1,030.00
10%
5%
Crystal Palace
£420.00
£755.00
£545.00
£790.00
30%
5%
Brighton
£545.00
£860.00
£565.00
£895.00
4%
4%
Arsenal
£927.00
£1,839
£973.50
£1,895.50
5%
3%
Sheffield United*
£404.00
£515.00
£418.50
£528.50
4%
3%
Luton Town*
£500.00
£500.00
£510.00
£510.00
2%
2%
Liverpool
£685.00
£869.00
£699.00
£886.00
2%
2%
Tottenham
£807.00
£2,025.00
£807.00
£2,025.00
0%
0%
Chelsea
£750.00
£940.00
£750.00
£940.00
0%
0%
Manchester Utd
£532.00
£950.00
£559.00
£950.00
5%
0%
*Refers to teams that were promoted from the Championship to the Premier league for the 2023/2024 season. For the full dataset please see the methodology.
Fulham season ticket prices have increased the most
SeatPickcan reveal that Fulham, who finished tenth in the 2022/23 Premier League season, have almost tripled their most expensive season ticket from £1,050 to £3,000, where fans will be seated in the redeveloped Riverside Stand. This averages at £157 per game, which is almost three times the cost of the most expensive standard ticket at Craven Cottage (£55). Surpassing Tottenham’s priciest ticket of £2,025, the extensive price rise makes it the most expensive ticket in the Premier League without hospitality. In addition, the club’s cheapest season ticket will set Cottagers back an extra 29%, now at £595 compared to £460 last season, meaning Fulham’s most budget-friendly option will demand an average of 27 working hours to become affordable. Given the ongoing impact of the cost of living crisis, it’s unsurprising that fans are expressing dissatisfaction with this substantial price hike.
West Ham United have seen the second-highest price increase for tickets. This is despite star player Declan Rice leaving the club to join Arsenal, with the most expensive season ticket for the Hammers seeing a 58% increase from £1,025 to £1,620 for the 2023/24 season. These premium seats, situated in both Billy Bonds stand and West stand, are almost double that of London rivals, Chelsea (£940), who froze prices from last season. Although prices have increased 4% since last season, the Hammers’ cheapest season ticket continues to be the lowest in the Premier League (£310), which would take less than 14 hours of work to afford (13.96 hours). This is just under half what would be needed for a ticket at Fulham, which would take 27 working hours. For fans of the Hammers who are unable to attend every game, standard ticket prices have been frozen again this season ranging from £30 to £100 – the second-highest amongst all Premier League Clubs.
Ranking third is Bournemouth, whose premium season ticket prices increased by 35% for the current season, costing £1,026. This is the club’s first price rise since the 2015/16 season and their first in the Premier League. The most affordable option at the Vitality Stadium will set Cherries fans back £590, 7% more than last season (£550), and over double the cost of a season ticket at Premier League champions, Manchester City. Despite this, the Cherries are able to purchase standard match tickets at reduced prices this season, with the most expensive option now costing 4% less, down from £55 to £53. Not only this, the cheapest ticket now costs £28, a 13% decrease from the 2022/23 season (£32).
Newcastle United’s cheapest season ticket rises 44%
Following a very successful 2022/23 season, Newcastle United fans were faced with largely increased season ticket prices. The cheapest option at St James Park will now cost fans of the Magpies £600, marking a 44% surge from the previous season (£417). This increase is the steepest among all Premier League clubs, amounting to almost five days worth of work (35.13 hours). Standard ticket prices have also changed, with the most expensive option increasing to £70 (previously £67) and the cheapest having decreased to £32 (previously £36). However, the club’s new ballot system introduced for the 2023/24 season now means those successful will be allocated a seat at random and have no choice of price.
Liverpool have the cheapest match day ticket at £9
Despite a 2% increase in both their most affordable (£699) and premium (£886) season tickets compared to the previous season, Liverpool lead the way by offering the most economical match day ticket at just £9 for the cheapest seats. This remains consistent with last year’s most affordable match day ticket, and is a staggering 83% cheaper than their Merseyside rivals, Everton. Notably, Everton has increased their cheapest ticket prices from £40 to £55 (a 38% rise), despite narrowly avoiding relegation last season. As a result, Everton’s cheapest matchday ticket now ranks as the second most expensive in the Premier League, trailing only 5% behind treble winners, Manchester City, who have set their minimum price at £58.
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m excited and proud to welcome Rob Allwright as our Guest Writer here at the Sorted Magazine website. Rob brings a wealth of experience and is one of the most respected Christian reviewers in the UK. The energy Rob devotes to supporting and encouraging Christian creatives is staggering. His review show One Man In The Middle is broadcast by Branch FM, Heartsong Live and Hope FM. And I’m just a teensy bit excited that he will soon be joining the wonderful peeps at the Manchester based broadcaster Konnect Radio!
Rob writes: As a young Christian, I loved to read inspirational stories and autobiographies like Run Baby Run and The Cross and the Switchblade and many others. Having matured, I now realise how encouraging it was to have strong Christian parents and a Church that taught me the Bible. Taming of a Villain by Allen Langham is a story of the remarkable change that happens when someone searches and finds the truth of Jesus through their brokenness.
The story of Allen Langham is one of trouble from an early age. His Father and Mother were not married and his Dad left when he was just 18 months old. Life was tough and Allen was regularly disciplined to ‘toughen him up’ with a stick and then at just fourteen years old his Mum died of a cerebral haemorrhage. This is something that haunted Allen through much of his adult life. From this point on Allen struggled with anger and rage which he would use sometimes to stand up for women and sometimes to pick on those weaker than himself.
Some things were going well for him and his natural sports talent were starting to show, initially in football but then this developed into a love and skill in Rugby League. This turned into a small job before he signed a contract with the Sheffield Eagles for £3000. While life seemed to be taking an upwards turn Allen found his comfort clubbing, fighting, selling and taking recreational drugs. It wasn’t long before his gangster life caught up with his professional life and at the age of 18, he was sent to prison for the first time for a few months for Actual Bodily Harm after attacking four police officers on a night out. This was the end of his time with the Eagles and the beginning of his descent into Heroin addiction and 15 years in and out of prison for escalating charges to do with violence.
As with many of these stories, there is quite a bit of time spent describing what life was like. Some of these books can be guilty of making that past, and that life attractive and glamorous, that is not the case for this story. It is a very slippery slope that Allen gets onto and his life swirls out of control. At no point in reading this did I wish that I was living this lifestyle of drugs and violence, it seems to be told and shown that there was a lot of despair in his life. At times Allen does throw something about his life now into the mix that is relevant. He also signposts some of those things that were clear pointers towards what God was going to do with his life, long before it happened. Most times that Allen went to prison he finds himself gravitating towards the chaplaincy and reading and learning about different religious traditions, clearly, he was seeking for something to help him change.
It is no secret that in a book like this there is an experience with God of some kind when someone reaches out with the message of hope. I don’t want to ruin this story by giving too much away. What I do like about this story is that Allen’s life didn’t suddenly become perfect straight away. For Allen, there was a sudden change, a change in the desires that he found within himself, but it didn’t change the situation that he had left himself in overnight. Suddenly though Allen was open to the love of Jesus, he lessened his need for other things to support him, but he still had to deal with his habits and even those habits that some would describe as good, such as his zeal in telling other people about Jesus, which got him into trouble with some people in the churches he had been attending.
There were other things that also had to be resolved in his life. Some issues surrounding his childhood, his mother’s death, his family and the damaged relationships there, all these things needed to be dealt with and you can’t just say “I’ve changed” and expect everyone to see it and understand it straight away. As we get to the end of the book, we can see there is a growing maturity to his faith, as he has through the years dealt with the issues, and even in the writing of this book has discovered new things that had to be dealt with.
This is an inspiring story which God is using, as Allen is given a platform to share it personally. It isn’t the most eloquent book, it feels like it is Allen himself talking to you about his life for much of it and that conveys his personality. I also noticed that there are some issues of typesetting which were a little odd for a book like this, with punctuation dropping down to the next line and even at one point the final line of a chapter being printed above the next chapter heading. All in all, this is a captivating story and for me, it shows that no one is too far gone to be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ, and sometimes, like the Prodigal Son, we have to get to our very lowest point before we see the Father’s overwhelming love and grace for us.
