Season ticket prices at Old Trafford are set to rise by five per cent next season, marking the third successive year that Manchester United have hiked their prices.
Although under-16s will see prices frozen, all other categories are to suffer a rise of around £2.50 a match, with chief executive Omar Berrada saying the club had little option but to raise prices given the increase in operating costs.
Senior concessions will now all be offered at 25% off, rather than some getting a 50% discount as in previous years, while the age of a senior ticket will now be moved in line with the state pension age of 66.
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Supporters will face further hits to the pocket with members now charged £10 to re-sell their tickets to the club if it is within 14 days of the game. Members will also face the introduction of match-by-match pricing for Premier League games based on which category they are in for the first time, although concession rates for these games will remain.
“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," said Berrada.
"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 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.
“Our overall strategy is to price tickets at levels that keep every seat filled for every game, maximising support for the team, and providing a variety of options for different fans, including concessions for our young and elderly supporters.”
United worked with the club's Fan Advisory Board (FAB) to come up with a pricing structure for next season, although supporter representatives were not in agreement with some of the decisions made by the club and wanted a price freeze for all tickets.
“While they did not agree with all the decisions, we would like to thank the members of our FAB for their tough but constructive advice throughout the consultation process," added Berrada.
"We believe that, taken together, these measures represent a fair and balanced outcome for fans, while generating additional revenues to strengthen the club.”
A spokesman for the Fan Advisory Board 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.
“We also shared our concerns over policy changes and advised against any immediate changes without consultation including those to minimum usage, match categorisation, concessions and relocations. However, 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.”
Match tickets near to the home and away dugout are also set to be turned into hospitality tickets next season, with United insisting that would reflect the "high value of this unique location."
"We understand that moving a limited number of season tickets from seats around the dugouts will be unpopular with the affected fans, and we regret that disruption," said a United source.
"However, these are the most valuable seats in the ground. In many other clubs, these seats are the most premium and high-profile hospitality. Converting these seats will allow us to generate significant additional revenue, which helps us to minimise increases to season ticket prices, including the U-16 freeze."
