Sir Jim Ratcliffe at OId Trafford ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leicester City at Old Trafford on November 10, 2024 in Manchester, United Kingdom
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come under fire from the Old Trafford faithful
Almost two thirds of Manchester United supporters are “unhappy” with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers’ running of the club as the co-owners come under renewed pressure to abandon their controversial mid-season ticket-price hikes.
Fans have secured a small victory in their fight against the decision to charge members a flat price of £66 for remaining matches this season, with the club confirming branch allocations of members that tickets would not be subjected to the huge cost increases.
The issue was discussed with the club at a meeting of the fans’ advisory board on Monday and supporters’ groups are continuing to lobby the club to abandon the move altogether.
A new survey of fans by the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) has revealed the extent of the anger and ill feeling towards Ratcliffe and the Glazers over the matter.
A total of 65 per cent of fans are said to be “unhappy with the ownership and management of the club” and 97 per cent believe the changes will “alienate the next generation of fans”. It follows protests against Ratcliffe and the Glazers at Sunday’s 4-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford.
More than two thirds of fans – 68 per cent – said they “will attend fewer games, one way or another”, and only three per cent were said to be “understanding” of the decision. Ninety-nine per cent of fans said it was “important” the club consult properly with supporters before making any future changes to ticketing.
Manchester United fans express their opposition to a ticket-price hike at a protest outside Old Trafford before the Everton game
United fans express their opposition to a ticket-price hike at a protest outside Old Trafford last weekend
More than 4,000 fans participated in the survey, with MUST revealing that the most common words people associated with the decision were “disappointed”, “angry” and “exploited”. The club has been approached for comment.
The £66 flat price applies to kids and seniors’ tickets as well as adults, wherever they sit at Old Trafford, and means that in many cases, kids’ tickets have more than doubled in cost. Attending a match for a parent and child will now cost £132, roughly double what it was before.
“The recent hike in member ticket prices, particularly for children, is by far the most unpopular decision the club has made since the partial ownership change earlier this year,” MUST said in reference to Ratcliffe acquiring a minority stake in the club in February. “It has created a significant rift with the fanbase and the club must act urgently to repair the damage.”
Fans turned on Ratcliffe during protests about the ticket-price rises at the Everton game, with many directing abusive chants at the Ineos chairman. The demonstrations were in support of a campaign by the Football Supporters’ Association, with fans holding up a “Stop Exploiting Loyalty” banner.
‘Price increase is short-sighted’
Ratcliffe is understood to have addressed the ticket-price hike in a 36-minute interview with the United We Stand fanzine, which will be available before Saturday’s game at home to Nottingham Forest.
Branch allocations account for approximately 1,000 tickets per home game, although with applications done 12 weeks in advance, the branches are set to be impacted for the final four home games for which they have not yet submitted applications.
Members who already applied for tickets in ballots at the start of the season will not be affected by the price changes this term, but resold tickets returned by season-ticket holders will be subject to the rises.
However, sources believe the move is likely to backfire against the club because members will resent the pricing and not buy tickets while more season-ticket holders may seek to transfer tickets directly to members rather than return to the club for resale and resentful fans may opt to reduce discretionary spending.
MUST said it has “pressed hard on the effect on all fans in the discussions” it has had with the club but that United were “standing firm in its position”, except for agreeing not to apply the price changes to branch allocations of members tickets.
“While this is a huge relief for branches, the core problem remains,” MUST said. “We strongly disagree with the rationale behind this price hike. While we recognise the financial pressures the club faces, seeking additional funds through ticket-price increases is short-sighted and risks doing more harm than good, both in the short and long-term.
“This is not just about fairness — it’s about the long-term sustainability of the club’s relationship with its fans. Pricing out children harms the pipeline of future supporters and ultimately undermines the club’s commercial interests.
“If fans feel the club is exploiting that loyalty through ticket-price rises, they can quickly destroy the huge, added value of supporter loyalty at the stroke of an accountant’s pen. Then a short-term revenue increase becomes a much greater long-term loss.”
MUST also said it was concerned the ticket hikes could be the “thin end of the wedge” and there was “the risk of worse to come”.
United are on a drive to cut costs and boost revenues having posted losses before tax of £312.9million over the past three seasons.