The good vibes around Manchester United after some good news off the pitch was accompanied by success on the pitch has received a cold reality check.
Man Utd’s plans for a new stadium were followed by Ruben Amorim’s men winning two games on the trot with good performances.
Then came the dreaded announcement and the reality check, as Ineos announced a ticket price increase for next season, the third consecutive time it has happened.
Needless to say, the move has raised some consternation among Man Utd fans but it might well be a strategy to overwhelm with one bad news so an even worse one goes under the radar.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Man Utd ticket price rise announcement
So far, like a quintessential billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s actions haven’t matched up to his words in every sense of the word.
Ratcliffe recently batted for affordable ticket prices for United fans, especially in the new stadium, but if the prices are being raised constantly in the old one when the team is struggling, the hypothetical is scary.
What happens when the club moves to a state-of-the-art stadium and, fingers crossed, the team finds form?
The news has undoubtedly dominated the headlines but United have snuck in another decision, an even worse one, in their ticket price rise announcement.
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From next season, United are converting the general admission seats directly adjacent to home and away dugouts into hospitality seats in an effort to raise more revenue.
With that, they’ve taken another blow to the famed Old Trafford atmosphere that Ineos seem remarkably tone-deaf towards.
Old Trafford’s stripped soul affects Ruben Amorim’s team
Ratcliffe has always said to take care of the pennies and the pound will take care of itself and with actions like these, the ownership group is doing exactly that but in the negative connotation.
Small decisions like raising ticket prices, increasing hospitality seats, and making re-selling difficult, among others, all contribute to stripping the soul of Old Trafford which resides in the matchgoing fans.
The fans constantly being made to feel unwelcome, and asked to carry the brunt of the mess caused by the Glazers is a bad look that will carry over to the atmosphere on matchday at the Theatre of Dreams.
Ruben Amorim has praised Man Utd fans countless times for their passion and unwavering support, they’re constantly being pushed out for casuals who spend more but don’t bring quite the same passion.
It will affect the performance of the first team in the long run, and that’s the bigger picture the ownership group are failing to, or worse still, refusing to realise.