Ticket price rises ‘kick in teeth’, say Man Utd fans

After announcing matchday ticket prices could reach £97, Manchester United fans have accused the club of giving fans a “kick in the teeth”.

Last season, Old Trafford’s matchday tickets cost £66, which was the highest price.

This comes after the club’s worst domestic campaign since 1973-74, when they were relegated.

The club introduced price categories for the roughly 20 000 tickets available for each game despite finishing 15th last year.

The lowest category is reserved for “some” cup games, out of four.

For the two category C games against Sunderland and Wolves, the lowest-priced ticket for a Premier League game is $37. For games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham, the highest priced tickets in category A cost £97.

According to club officials, less than 1% of the tickets are available because of the £97 fee.

Premier League games at Old Trafford started at $40 last season, with a new starting price of $40 for matchday tickets. However, that policy was changed to a flat £66 price in the middle of the season without any discounts for tickets that weren’t already sold. That would indicate that the highest price for a matchday ticket would be £66.

Following discussion with supporters, according to United sources, the new prices were lower than the original plans.

However, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) completely reject the notion that any kind of consultation was being conducted and expressed their shock at United’s announcement.

We might have anticipated that the club would reconsider its plans for this new ticketing system, which will see eye-watering price increases for supporters who purchase tickets match-by-match, said MUST.

For Manchester United fans, this is a “fresh kick in the teeth.”

We urged the club to keep the majority of matches at current levels, apply the highest price category to a small number of the biggest games, and lower prices for games with lower demand, as they announced they would be introducing this new model.

They have once more consulted with any fans’ representative bodies regarding the specifics of the decision, and they are making those decisions against the wishes of both the fans and, in our opinion, the club as a whole.

After the disastrous defeat of last year, Manchester United desperately needs a united fanbase and club. The team needs a united fanbase and club on the pitch.

In a season when the team needs it more than ever, “this match categorisation model will do a lot of harm and undermine the atmosphere in the ground.”

Head coach Ruben Amorim urged fans to “stick together” with the club if they were to advance after their final game of the year.

And United CEO Omar Berrada described the implementation of the £66 decision as “not good” in a lengthy interview with United We Stand that was released on Wednesday.

However, club officials insist that balancing finances requires a key component of raising revenue from ticket sales, and that almost all of their Premier League rivals follow this advice.