Sir Jim Ratcliffe has increased ticket prices at Manchester United once again, this time for an academy fixture.
Adults hoping to watch United’s Under-21s take on Athletic Bilbao in the Premier League International Cup at Old Trafford next week will be charged £10, with tickets for children priced at £5.
It will therefore cost a father and his son, for example, £15 to go and watch the Red Devils youngsters – a shocking increase of 233 per cent on ticket prices for academy fixtures last year.
Only back in November, when the Under-19s took on AZ Alkmaar at the first-team’s home, United charged £3 for adults and a measly £1.50 for children to attend.
Tickets for fixtures at the Under-21s’ usual home ground of Leigh Sports Village have however remained free of charge this season.
The latest increase comes after Sir Jim sparked fury in the Red Devils fanbase last season after the decision to raise prices for first-team games was announced.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has announced another increase in ticket prices at Manchester United
Adults will be charged £10 and children £5 to watch the club’s Under-21s take on Athletic Bilbao next week
The club revealed midway through last season that match-goers would have to fork out £66 for a seat at Old Trafford, prompting protests outside the ground.
Defending the decision, the co-owner argued that it ‘doesn’t make sense’ for tickets at United to cost less than those at west London club Fulham.
When asked about supporters’ anger at the hike in prices, Sir Jim told the United We Stand magazine: ‘I understand that. I was brought up on a council estate in Manchester, I absolutely get that.
‘I don’t want to end up in a position where the genuine local fans can’t afford to come, but I do want to optimise the ticketing. We need to find a balance. And you can’t be popular all the time either. Here, we’re talking about three per cent of the tickets. That’s not the issue.
‘The issue, as you say, is whether this is the thin edge of the wedge. I don’t think it makes sense for a Manchester United ticket to cost less than a ticket to see Fulham.’
The club however later announced further changes in ticket prices and guidelines, making the decision to raise the cost of season tickets by five per cent in March.
It was a move once again met with backlash, with the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust expressing their disappointment that the club ignored calls to freeze all prices.
MUST raised concerns over plans to relocate fans sitting behind the dugouts at Old Trafford and sell their seats at higher prices in a new VIP area, and also charge non-season ticket holders more for premium games using a match categorisation model.
The United co-owner was in the stands on Sunday as his side took a 3-0 thumping from Manchester City
Defending his decision to raise prices last year, Sir Jim argued ‘it doesn’t make sense’ for United tickets to be cheaper than those at Fulham
They also challenged United over an increase in the season ticket holder minimum usage requirement to 16 of the 19 Premier League games, the decision to impose a £10 charge on fans selling their tickets back to the club less than two weeks before the game, and a 15 per cent increase in car parking charges.
United chief executive Omar Berrada 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.
‘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 (fans’ advisory board) 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.’
The latest ticket price hike comes amid a difficult start to the first-team’s season under Ruben Amorim
The latest decision to increase prices comes amid a hugely disappointing to start to the season for Ruben Amorim and the Man United first-team.
Having been knocked out by Grimsby Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup, United sit fourteenth in the Premier League table after their opening four fixtures.
With pressure mounting on the United boss, their latest loss came on Sunday at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola’s Man City fired three past the struggling Red Devils in the derby.
United now face a difficult home fixture against Chelsea at the weekend.
