Manchester United have sparked outrage among fans after setting ticket prices at £66 and axing concessions – a decision branded a ‘disgusting low blow’ by a supporters group.
In a hugely controversial move – the latest move in Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos’ ongoing drive to cut costs and increase revenues – the Premier League club has achieved eye-watering increases for the remainder of the season.
United say only three percent of supporters will be affected as 97 percent of tickets for all remaining matches have already been sold. And officials are confident nothing has been decided yet for next season.
However, the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust attacked the club for providing ‘zero consultation’ over the staggering increase, claiming they were being asked to pay for the mistakes of the Glazer family’s majority owners in what is an ‘offensive’ act .
Prices started at £40 for adults and £25 for children, but tickets will now be charged in the highest category, A, regardless of where they are in Old Trafford.
“There is a risk that this is just the opening salvo of what will surely be a huge push to implement a significant price increase for next season,” a MUST spokesperson said. ‘Once they get used to charging £132 for a parent and child to come to OT, will they really go back to the old price level for next season?’
Manchester United are challenging the club’s decision to increase ticket prices for members to £66
Tickets that previously cost £40 for adults and £25 for children will now cost fans £66 – and concession prices have been scrapped for the rest of the season
The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust fears the club will add ‘a significant price increase’ for the 2025-2026 season
A separate United fans group, The 1958, also struck, announcing a planned protest before United’s match against Everton on Sunday.
In an email to United chief executive Omar Berrada, they wrote: ‘This is a disgusting blow from the club and we will be campaigning through our members, fanbase and all our media contacts to have this removed.’
In a statement, they added: ‘We are outraged by the latest price increases for a whole host of reasons. This goes far beyond just ticket prices. It’s an attack on football, it’s an attack on heritage and rivalry. The beginning of an erosion of the fabric of football culture in our country.
“We will be protesting as part of the #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign as an associate member of the Football Supporters Association. This was at the request of other members who felt our fan base was not being represented nor given the focus of other groups. We are going to change that.’
Fans were informed of the increase at a forum on Tuesday evening, the same day the club announced their figures for the first quarter of the financial year, which showed a loss of £6.9m and revenues down across the board thanks to a lack of Champions League football.
A series of drastic cost-cutting measures have been implemented since the arrival of co-owner Ratcliffe and Ineos in January.
As Mail Sport revealed, 250 staff have been made redundant and, as this newspaper also reported, the club is considering halving the annual budget for the Disabled Supporters Association, from £40,000 to £20,000.
United said the move, which comes into effect after the vote on Arsenal and Manchester City matches, was a ‘difficult decision following recent changes at the club’.
A group of United fans called the decision a ‘disgusting blow’ in a letter to Omar Berrada
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They believe the increased revenues, believed to be in the region of millions, will contribute to the club’s efforts to operate more efficiently and will ‘support the investment in the team and contribute to its footballing success’.
Age and location discounts will continue to apply for future cup matches.
The MUST spokesperson added: “We fans have done everything we were asked to do. We encouraged the players even despite the underperformance. We went to games and adhered to the new ticket usage rules. This year we have implemented a price increase. This is in addition to the hundreds, even thousands, of loyal fans who pay to follow United home and away.
‘We have objected to this action in the strongest possible terms, both because of the action itself and because of the complete lack of consultation, which is a step backwards from the process we agreed with the Club prior to the arrival of INEOS.
‘In the coming days, MUST will seek urgent discussions with the Club to ensure they listen to fans’ concerns about this policy. United fans sucked a lot. We will not remain silent on this issue and we must be prepared to resist attempts to further increase ticket prices.”