The club's treated fans like crap for a good while. Depending on who you talk to, it's since Denis Hill-Wood died. They were limited by what they could do with terracing but when the seats came in, prices rose very very quickly - I'd say probably something like 700% in 15 years. It's really quite duplicitous, they're trying to convince the fans to back the club as it fights takeovers, but they haven't really earned it, have they? If Yakov Smirnoff the Oligarch pledges to reduce tickets by half, I'd be tempted to stick my two fingers up at the current Board and go with the Russian. Gooners is a name made by the fans and for the fans. Even with market stalls outside the stadium selling stuff..hey, some of their stuff is crap, but I've got some unofficial stuff that was made with a lot more love than the official stuff that's 3x as expensive in the club shop.
I cant believe Liverpool could trademark the kop. As its not the only one thogh some have gone due to new grounds and the first kop was at Arsenal.