Manchester United have increased season ticket prices for next season, with the club pointing to the “financial issues” faced.
Prices will rise by 5% for the third consecutive year, though there is a prize free for season ticket holders under the age of 16.
From next season, matches will be categorised into different price bands for non-season ticket holders, while the minimum usage of a season ticket has increased from 15 to 16 out of the 19 Premier League matches.
Fans over the aged 66 or over will receive a 25% discount on their ticket prices.
Omar Berrada, chief executive of Manchester United, said: “We appreciate the loyal and patient support of our fans, and particularly our Season-Ticket holders who represent the core of our match-going support base.
“We understand the importance of their backing for the team and have worked hard to come up with a pricing package that is fair and reasonable.
“After 11 consecutive years of price freezes, we increased prices by five per cent for the past two seasons and intend to do the same for next season to offset continued rises in operating costs. Prices remain significantly lower than a decade ago when adjusted for inflation, and at similar levels to peer clubs in the north-west of England.
“We understand that any price rise is unwelcome, especially during a period of underperformance on the pitch, and we listened carefully to the strong arguments put forward by the Fans’ Advisory Board [FAB] in favour of a freeze.
“However, the club has decided that it would not be right to keep prices unchanged while costs rise and the club continues to face financial issues. We have kept the increase to the lowest possible level and protected our youngest Season-Ticket holders from any rises, while ensuring the club remains financially strong enough to invest in improving the team.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe had suggested that a rise in ticket prices was inevitable in a recent round of interviews, as he emphasised the size of United’s financial problems.
He claimed the club would have gone bust by Christmas this year had cost-cutting measures not been put in place, with United having lost more than £300m over the past three years.
United met their FAB as they considered the latest rise in season ticket prices, but ultimately opted against the request to freeze prices for next season.
The FAB said: “We, the Manchester United Fans’ Advisory Board, strongly advocated for an across-the-board price freeze for 2025/26 season, one we felt was justified due to the current circumstances.
“While we did not get the freeze we argued for, we are relieved that the club was persuaded to limit the increases to the same percentage rise as recent seasons, and we are pleased they froze prices for our youngest fans.”
It added: “We welcome the club's renewed commitment not to make any such future changes without consultation with fans including through MUST, FAB and the Fans' Forum.
“We acknowledge that the senior leadership of the club, including Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Omar Berrada, made themselves available throughout the process and the club were well informed of fans’ feelings when making their decisions.”
