One of the biggest clubs in football and the most successful club in England, Manchester United, are increasing their ticket prices for the first time in eleven (11) years.
Via an email sent to season ticket holders of the club on Monday, Manchester United disclosed the information of a five (5) percent increase in ticket prices for next season.
Manchester United have stayed put with a particular price for the past eleven (11) campaigns but circumstances have made them shift their ground in the midst of challenging match day cost increases.
The English giants explained that over the course of the past five (5) years, ticket prices have skyrocketed by forty percent (40%) and eleven (11%) in just the past twelve (12) months.
Fans of Manchester United have been left puzzled by the increase in ticket prices by the present owners, The Glazers, who are also embroiled in a takeover process which would see the club sold to any top buyer.
A Qatari led bid from Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and a rival bid from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe are the two front runners presently in pole position to acquire the club.
Manchester United statements on the hike in ticket prices
Manchester United in a statement on the club website stated: “We know fans are facing a tough time too with the increased cost of living, so it is important to us that we don’t just pass that increase directly on to you,”
“We are covering as much of the cost as possible and keeping the increase to season ricket prices to an absolute minimum.”
The season ticket cost are being increased by five (5) per cent for every game, which based on the price of a ticket, could see increases of £1 or £2 a ticket per match.
Manchester United have stated that they are covering more than 50 per cent of the aggrandizement cost of the ticket.
“The modest increase in price for the 2023-24 season is necessary to allow the club to operate on a sustainable basis,” the club owners said.
One of the bones of contention for Manchester United fans who hold season tickets is the lowest specified attendance limit to keep their seating arrangements.
It was initiated as an experiment for this season which is something Manchester United consider as being successful on present ground with a fifty percent (50%) compulsory attendance.
It is being increased to seventy-five (75) per cent equating to fourteen (14) of the nineteen (19) home Premier League games for next season.
Manchester United are going this route to avoid a possibility of having empty seats at Old Trafford
Manchester United are trying every avenue possible to avoid empty seats at their home turf which is the reason behind this move, although the increase in ticket cost has not been welcomed by some fans.
This initiative also caused wrangling at the start of the campaign, with the club even going the route of fans putting on a certain wear with a description that could help prove they were at home match venues, but this move was later dropped due to the bashing it got from supporters.
Attendance for these matches does however include season ticket holders calling off, giving out or sending to a member for a Premier League encounter, which lessens the reason for a fan to attend in-person.
Manchester United season ticket holders who are over the age of sixty-five (65), will also see the compulsion to personally be at fifty percent (50%) percent of home matches removed.
The European heavyweights are also scrapping a £20 cap on over sixty-five (65) tickets but they have stated they will put a caveat on any hike to £3 per match every season.
