Jim Ratcliffe hasn’t quite been the saviour many people had hoped he’d be at Manchester United.
Ratcliffe was supposed to lead something of a revolution at Old Trafford to stop the malaise under the Glazers, but, if anything, Ratcliffe has proven to be just as bad as the Glazers.
The INEOS regime has made some very unpopular and decisions recently, Alex Ferguson was sacked from his ambassadorial role, there have been mass redundancies among the club’s staff, while Erik ten Hag’s new contract and subsequent sacking was baffling.
Dan Ashworth left Manchester United over the weekend, while there was another controversy at the club as ticket prices were substantially increased to £66 per match.
United stand to make a profit from ticketing in the coming years as they plan to redevelop their stadium, but, for the local fans, that’s a real kick in the teeth.
Speaking on BBC 606, Chris Sutton has been discussing United’s new ticket pricing, and it’s fair to say he’s not happy.
Chris Sutton, former professional player and pundit looks on prior to the Viaplay Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden Park on February ...
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Chris Sutton slams Manchester United ticket price change
The pundit made his verdict on this situation very clear.
Sutton called United’s ticketing policy absolutely shocking, claiming that he really doesn’t get why the club have done this.
“At Old Trafford. The increase in tickets for kids at Old Trafford has gone up from £25 to £66 for tickets for kids. Come on, Robbie,” Sutton said.
“That is absolutely shocking. You know, in the day and age we’re in, how are kids going to afford to go to football? I just do not get it.”
What has Jim Ratcliffe said about ticket price increases
Jim Ratcliffe has been criticised heavily for this decision, but he’s not backing down.
Indeed, Ratcliffe has gone on the offensive with his recent comments about ticket prices, via The Athletic.
“I understand that. I was brought up on a council estate in Manchester, I absolutely get that,” Ratcliffe said.
“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.”
United don’t stand to make a fortune from this price increase.
An increase from £25 to £66 is significant for a fan, but it’s not so significant for the club.
Indeed, with 50,000 season tickets sold and around 3,000 seats per game allocated to away fans, only around 22,000 extra tickets per game are sold by United.
Best case scenario, if all 22,000 tickets are purchased by fans who previously would have paid £25, United are going to make an extra £902,000 per matchday, and over 19 games in a season that’s just over £17m.
Is it really worth alienating your fanbase over £17m? Bear in mind this is a club that has spent around £600m on new players over the past few years, most of which haven’t worked out in any case.
Finances in football are a funny thing, but the loyalty of your fanbase shouldn’t be used to make up for money you’ve lost signing dud players who can’t justify their transfer fees.
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