Manchester United have defended their decision to increase season ticket prices for a third consecutive season despite calls from fans for a freeze.
Prices for next season will increase by around five per cent – the same level by which they have risen for the past two campaigns – which is an average of about £2.50 per game. Season ticket prices for Under-16s remain frozen.
Omar Berrada, the United chief executive, said the club’s financial situation and rising operational costs had left them with little choice but to put up prices.
Liverpool and Tottenham have both frozen their prices for next season and United fans wanted their club to follow suit.
“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 [fan advisory board] in favour of a freeze,” Berrada said.
“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.”
United fans have staged a series of protests over rising ticket prices and the club’s ownership in recent months after venting their fury at the introduction in mid-season, without prior consultation, of a £66 ticket for members with no concessions.
Around 5,000 supporters marched in demonstration before this month’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford, with both co-owners the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe targeted by fans.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) believe those protests and the extensive dialogue between United and supporters’ groups led by the fan advisory board had discouraged the club from implementing bigger price hikes.
But MUST expressed concern over an array of other measures, not least plans to introduce a new match categorisation model that could see non-season-ticket holders facing further price rises for higher demand games.
“The new match categorisation model for non-season-ticket holders is a source of major concern, with fans facing additional price increases for higher-demand games,” it said.
“We call for a strict cap on the number of games that will be placed in the higher price categories with the vast majority of games remaining at the base price level.”
Unease over plan to relocate fans
Concern has also been expressed about both plans to relocate fans behind the home and away dugouts in the south stand with a view to selling those seats at premium prices and the decision to increase the minimum usage of a season ticket by one game to at least 16 of 19 Premier League home matches.
United are also increasing parking charges by 15 per cent and will charge fans £10 for selling a ticket back to the club less than two weeks before a game.
“We also need to work to understand the detailed impacts of the seat moves and terms and conditions changes being made,” MUST said.
“In particular, we fail to see any justification for the increase in season-ticket-holder minimum usage requirement. The devil is so often in the detail, and any changes of this kind should always be carried out with full consultation with those affected.”
United said fans who currently sit behind the dug-outs where tickets will be “converted to hospitality seats” given the “high value of this unique location” would be contacted individually to “ensure a suitable alternative seat is found”.
MUST had warned Ratcliffe in an open letter in January that he faced the threat of “outright rebellion” from fans over ticket pricing and that “now is the worst possible time” to raise ticket prices “with performances on the field amongst the worst in decades”. It came the day after Ratcliffe was confronted in a car by angry fans after United’s match against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
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Ratcliffe said in an interview at the weekend that he would walk away from the club if the abuse directed at him ever got as bad as that faced by the Glazers.
“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,” Berrada added.
“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.”
The FAB said: “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.”
Season-ticket holders have until 6pm on May 16 to renew for next season.
