Manchester United fans unhappy with 5% rise in ticket prices

Recently, Manchester United decided to increase the price of season tickets by 5% due to financial problems. This decision has caused dissatisfaction among many fans.

Details of the ticket price adjustment

• Season ticket price increase: an increase of about 5%, but the price for fans under the age of 16 will remain the same.
• Reduction in senior citizen benefits: reduced from 50% to 25%.
• More VIP seats: Some seats near the technical area of Old Trafford will be converted into VIP seats to increase revenue.

Ticket price changes in numbers

• Adult season tickets: The original price ranged from £608 to £1,121, and after the increase, it will range from £638 to £1,177.
• Match day tickets: The adult ticket price has increased from £40 to £66.

Manchester United’s explanation

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, previously said that without his investment, Manchester United would be broke by Christmas. He also mentioned some cost-cutting plans, including laying off 450 people. Manchester United CEO Omar Belarada explained the reason for the price increase: ‘After not raising prices for 11 years, we raised them by 5% in the past two seasons, and we will continue to do so next season to cope with rising operating costs. Taking inflation into account, the current ticket prices are actually much lower than they were ten years ago and are in line with other major clubs in the north of England.

Fan reaction

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) strongly opposes this and believes it is disrespectful to the fans. They say: ’It is unacceptable that the fans should pay for the mistakes of the Glazer family. We call on the club to freeze ticket prices, which would be good for the fans and good for business. If Manchester United can unite as a team, the money ‘lost’ due to no price increases can be more than made up for by good results.’

Manchester United’s position

Despite the opposition from fans, Manchester United maintains that price increases are necessary to ensure financial sustainability and help the team have more resources to improve the squad.