JOHN Williams fears the Premiership’s ‘golden years’ are reaching breaking point as the credit crunch threatens to destroy football fans’ traditional allegiances.

The Blackburn chief believes almost every top club in the country will be feeling the pinch of the UK’s economic slowdown and warns the effects could soon be seen on the terraces.

Williams was quick to point to Rovers’ efforts to provide some of the cheapest match day tickets in the league as proof of their commitment to keep football available to the masses – but knows the game is increasingly fighting a losing battle.

Dwindling attendances would spell less money for squad rebuilding but, as the everyday fan is forced away from football, Williams admits everyone will have to “cut their cloth accordingly”.

He said: “The economic situation is a worry for a lot of people. Football is a luxury but the reality is we are competing for that leisure pound.

“I am sure there will be a breaking point, when it really hits football, and I don’t think that will be too far away.

“It will be the corporate hospitality that is hit first, but finally it will have to spread to the terraces as well. Away attendances will certainly be hit because of all the extra costs involved in travelling to games.

“Don’t get me wrong, the Premiership is still an attractive proposition but fans are starting to have to make choices and football clubs have to be very sensitive of that.”

A recent fans survey, carried out by Virgin Money, suggests Blackburn are one of the clubs with the least to worry about, but with one in five still suggesting they will cut down on football, it is becoming an increasing concern.

Williams said: “I think that is evidence of our attempts to try and provide some of the cheapest prices in the league. We cut our prices the year before last and held them for ‘the early bird’ in the summer.

“Everyone has to be conscious of what is happening. The reality is though if people stop coming in through the gates, we won’t have the revenue to give to the team.

“In our part of the world, the earnings are not in the top bracket and we are extremely conscious of that.

“I think it will invariably lead to a shift from the family back to the individual as it has become a real struggle for someone to fund their whole family coming to football.”

Virgin’s research showed costs of being a football fan have increased 21 per cent in the past three months, taking the cost of a match day for an individual to £106.21.