Manchester United: Season ticket price rises for older fans branded a ‘total disgrace’

A Manchester United fan group says the season ticket price rises faced by some of the club’s older supporters are “a total disgrace”.

United announced on Monday that most prices will increase by about 5% for the third successive year, with a price freeze for under-16s, but some senior citizens face bigger hikes.

A 50% discount for some of those fans has been halved to an across-the-board 25% and will now track the state pension age of 66.

Fan group The 1958 says that effectively equates to a 57% increase for the club’s “most loyal generational fans who have supported the club for decades”.

It said in a statement: “This is the first phase of reducing the amount of season ticket holders.

“We have always campaigned the club are trying to marginalise matchgoing fans. Cutting the 50% OAP concession to 25% for those who had it is a total disgrace.”

BBC Sport’s Manchester United club page asked for reaction to the announcement. Some of those who responded called the price rises “cynical” and “insulting”, while one fan said they were “heartbroken” and could no longer afford to go.

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) said it would seek “urgent discussions” with the club and wanted any reduction in senior discount to be phased in over more than one season.

“The effect of this policy change is big price hikes for older fans and it is no surprise that now they have been announced they’re causing such huge concern,” MUST said in a statement.

Announcing the price changes, United chief executive Omar Berrada said the club “worked hard to come up with a pricing package that is fair and reasonable” and stated that the new changes are being made “to offset continued rises in operating costs”.

United have implemented a number of cost-cutting measures in recent times, with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe saying these have been “necessary to put Manchester United back on to a stable footing”.

United consulted with their Fans’ Advisory Board and said season ticket prices remain lower than a decade ago when adjusted for inflation and are comparable with other clubs in north-west England, with prices frozen for 11 consecutive seasons up to 2022.

The club said the reduction in senior discount removed an anomaly from which some fans benefited from a 50% reduction and others 25%, allowing United to preserve concessions for all senior tickets.