Man Utd were quizzed about youth game ticket prices and the rising cost of food and beverages at Old Trafford.
United fans are unhappy with the rising prices.(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
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Manchester United have blamed rising food and beverage costs for the increase in prices at their kiosks.
Fans were stung by increased costs from the start of the season, with the price of a bottle of Carling (500ml) increasing by 30 per cent and a pint of Madri increasing by 51 per cent.
Over the last few years, locals have argued they are being priced out of attending matches at Old Trafford, and United received intense backlash over ticket prices last term.
The rising kiosk costs were discussed at the latest fans' forum. United were asked why prices had risen without fan consultation, which was out of line with previous years.
United said: "For the past two seasons, we have trialled discounting beer in response to fan feedback. Unfortunately, this has coincided with significant increases in food and beverage costs —around 25–30% in the last three years — since kiosk prices were last reviewed holistically.
"To reflect rising operating and supply costs, we are not able to continue offering this discount for the 2025/26 campaign, and some kiosk prices have therefore increased.
"The most notable changes are Carling (500ml) rising from £3.80 to £4.95 - which remains below the price charged three years ago - and a pint of Madri increasing from £3.80 to £5.75.
"While these adjustments represent an increase on recent seasons, our prices remain competitive. A pint of beer at Old Trafford is still below the Premier League average of £6.
"It is also beneath the average cost of £6.29 at five local pubs commonly used by fans on matchdays. Based on publicly available data, Old Trafford will continue to offer the 9th cheapest pint in the Premier League."
United were also asked to explain the reason for them increasing the ticket prices for the Under-21s' game against Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford.
The Manchester Evening News highlighted that adults were charged £10 to attend, while tickets for children were priced at £5, which represented a significant price increase from 2024.
In November, United charged £3 for adults and £1.50 for children to watch the Under-19s against AZ Alkmaar at Old Trafford. That meant the total cost for one adult and one child to attend that game was £4.50, yet the same tickets for the clash with Bilbao cost £15 - a 233% increase.
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The club said: "The price for the youth game v Athletic Bilbao was higher than some previous youth games to help offset the significant costs of staging a fixture at Old Trafford, including staffing, stewarding, and safety requirements.
"Similarly, for the U21 fixture this season, ticket prices were set at £5 (juniors) and £10 (adults). While this is higher than the U19 game last year, it still represents a reduced price point compared to first-team fixtures, and we remain committed to ensuring these games are as accessible as possible.
"We also continue to explore opportunities to distribute free tickets to local schools and community groups. We know how special it can be for young supporters to attend these matches, and feedback like this helps us as we review both pricing and community access for future youth fixtures."
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's regime has prioritised cutting costs since gaining control of football operations.
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