Manchester United supporters are
facing ticket price rises of up to 14% next season.
The Old Trafford outfit have released details of pricings for the
2007-08 campaign, which could yet see them defending the
treble.
While a range of measures have been introduced to effectively cut
the cost of concessionary tickets, meaning an adult with two
children will pay less next season than they did this, full price
tickets have risen sharply.
The biggest increases are in the lower tiers of the North and South
Stands, which will rise from £665 to £722, while the most expensive
seats in the stadium are the upper tier of both stands, which rise
over 12% to £836.
In addition, all season ticket holders not currently a member of
the club's automatic cup scheme, which forces fans to buy tickets
for cup games whether they intend to watch the game or not, will be
required to join.
Junior tickets in the Family Stand will be frozen at £190, while
all junior tickets in other sections of the stadium will be £10, a
48.7% reduction.
Over 65s will pay £20 or half the cost of an adult ticket in the
appropriate section of the stadium, whichever is the lower.
Despite those initiatives, United are sure to be condemned by fans'
groups, who warned of hefty increases in ticket prices once Malcolm
Glazer completed his controversial takeover two years ago.
However, United officials can argue their move - which bucks the
trend of other north-west clubs such as Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan
who have cut the price of tickets - is justified given Old Trafford
continues to sell out for virtually every home game.
The lowest crowd for any Red Devils' first-team game this season is
61,325 for the recent FA Cup sixth round replay with Middlesbrough,
while all 18 Premiership home games have had attendances topping
75,000.
Chairman of the Independent Manchester United Supporters'
Association (IMUSA), Mark Longden, blasted the price hike,
insisting there is 'absolutely no justification' for it.
He told PA Sport: 'Clearly, it flies in the face of the thinking
all over the country, from Bolton to the Emirates (Arsenal's
stadium).
'They have all frozen prices and in some cases reduced them.'
In particular, Longden believes it is hard to justify any price
rises given the mammoth new television rights deals sealed by the
Premier League in recent months.
'It's just slightly strange with the new money that is coming in
from the TV deal - the club is getting £30 extra per seat across
the board for the next three years,' he added.
'For every person that goes through the turnstile they could give
them £30 back and not be any worse off, so surely there must be
some scope for reducing prices or at least freezing them.
'There is absolutely no justification for putting prices up.'
The linking of season tickets to the automatic cup scheme will also
prove highly unpopular with fans, Longden claimed.
'If they are tying tickets to going in the automatic cup scheme,
that is going to be a step too far for a lot of people at Old
Trafford.
'Every time there is a price rise people don't renew but they seem
to be able to find new people to fill those seats - but whether
that happens this time remains to be seen.'
The reduced prices for concessions were to be welcomed, Longden
added, although he dismissed the cuts as 'just a bit of window
dressing' in an attempt to appease angry supporters.
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