Manchester United fans are raging after billionaire co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has overseen yet another ticket price hike, with some prices increasing by more than 50% and other tickets costing a staggering £97
14:45, 18 Jun 2025Updated 14:45, 18 Jun 2025
Manchester United's controversial billionaire co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has overseen an increase in ticket prices again
Manchester United's controversial billionaire co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has overseen an increase in ticket prices again(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United have announced further ticket price increases after their worst season in more than 50 years - leading to raging fans branding Sir Jim Ratcliffe's decision a "kick in the teeth".
United fans protested against their controversial billionaire co-owner Ratcliffe and INEOS' ticket hikes last season - only for their complaints to fall on deaf ears. The fallen Premier League giants have categorised six Premier League home games as top-tier clashes, with tickets ranging from £59 up to a staggering £97. The big six facing the price hike are Liverpool, Manchester City, Leeds, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Newcastle.
Eleven matches next season fall under category B, with prices set between £57 and a whopping £86, while only two are considered C band (£37-£60) and domestic cup games are the cheapest at D category (£32-£52). Concessions for juniors and seniors are still available, and the new pricing only affects match-by-match ticket members, not season ticket holders.
Club insiders argue the new model mirrors the stark differences in demand for various matches and claim they've looked after their most dedicated supporters, including season-ticket holders and youngsters under 16, reports the Manchester Evening News.
But the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) has accused the club of failing to properly engage with the fans' forum and the fans' advisory board (FAB) on the changes, pointing out the cost of the cheapest tickets for most league games has rocketed by more than 50%. United reps counter that the FAB was briefed on the numbers and had called for a review.
United fans protested against ticket prices last season
Manchester United fans protested against ticket prices last season
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This move follows a previous uproar from United fans over last season's mid-campaign ticket price surge to £66. There were also protests against the club's decision to displace season ticket holders to make way for a swanky new hospitality area in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand at Old Trafford.
United suffered their most dismal season in over half a century during 2024-25, landing a shocking 15th place in the Premier League and getting beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, Spurs' first trophy since 2008.
An insider revealed that the new ticketing system has managed to keep season-ticket prices from reaching the sky-high levels United originally had in mind.
However, MUST raged in a statement: "After how last season went, we might have hoped the club would reconsider their plans for this new ticketing model which will see eye-watering price increases for 20,000 supporters per game who buy tickets on a match-by-match basis. This really is a fresh kick in the teeth for Manchester United fans.
"When the club said they were introducing this new model for members' tickets, we urged them to keep the majority of matches at current levels and only apply the highest price category for a small number of the biggest games, and reduced prices for lower demand games.
"Once again, they have failed to consult any of the fans representative bodies on the details of the decision, and once again they're making choices against the interests of fans and, we believe, the club as a whole.
Categories for opponents next season
Manchester United's categories for opponents and tickets next season
"The club's stated commitment to fan representation is fine in principle, but once again is not being delivered in practice. The structure is in place, and the fans' forum and FAB representatives are doing their job, but the club are not adhering to their previous commitment to proper consultation and that needs to change and change fast.
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"What Manchester United needs next season is a united fanbase and club, with the team on the pitch supported by loyal and vocal fans roaring it back after the disaster that was last year.
"These ticketing decisions only push those regular supporters away in favour of occasional visitors and risk pricing out the next generation of younger fans who are the very future of the club.
"This match categorisation model will do enormous harm and undermine the atmosphere in the ground in a season when the team will need it more than ever."