Manchester United have confirmed that season ticket prices are going up for the 2025/26 season despite below-par performances on the pitch.
Since becoming co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been trying to grow Manchester United’s revenues over the past year. The Ineos chief revealed recently that season ticket prices would go up which immediately led to United fans fearing the worst.
The cost of attending football matches is something match-goers face every season, and it’s only getting more expensive, along with other living costs.
It won’t be easy to convince these fans that they should pay more money to watch United’s first team struggle, especially when the Reds are currently 13th in the Premier League with major doubts over Champions League qualification for next season.
United are also in the process of planning for a new stadium to replace Old Trafford. That is going to take significant funding to complete, yet it remains to be seen who is going to pay for it all.
Manchester United season ticket price increase
Manchester United season ticket holders will be hit with an extra 5% charge for the 2025/26 season, with an average increase of £2.50 per ticket per game.
The latest announcement from the club reveals that season ticket holders under the age of 16 will see their prices freeze. It comes a week after United announced new stadium plans.
This will be the third successive year United have increased season ticket prices after 11 consecutive seasons of freezes. A 5% increase was put on for season tickets in 2023/24 and 2024/25.
The writing was on the wall since November when United announced a mid-season ticket price hike that involved the removal of concessions for children and over-65s. This meant that all remaining tickets for home games during the 2024/25 season were priced at £66 each regardless of the age of the person buying them.
Another change will see the area immediately around the dugouts will be covered to hospitality and attract a premium price – as seen in stadiums owned by Chelsea and Tottenham. It allows the club to charge extra for fans who sit closest to the benches.
It seems unfair on the loyal fan, who has stood by United throughout the hard times, that they are being asked to pay more money to make up for gross mismanagement from the Glazers.
Key changes to ticketing announced by Manchester United
- A 5% price increase for the vast majority of season tickets
- A new member match categorisation model
- Over 65 discount moved to over 66
- Reduction of legacy 50% senior discount to 25%
- Relocating fans behind the dugouts to sell these seats at premium prices
- Increasing the season ticket holder minimum usage requirement to 16/19 league games
- A £10 charge for selling your ticket back to the club less than two weeks before the game
- A 15% increase in car marking charges
Manchester United Supporters’ Trust disappointed by price hike
Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) have expressed their disappointment that the club has ignored the call for a ticket price freeze.
The respected fan group has argued long and hard that United need to look at the big picture ahead of next season.
MUST stated the matter and will continue to tackle issues that concern season ticket holders.
A statement from MUST read: “For several months we have argued long and hard that the Club need to look at the big picture and freeze ticket prices for next season. Other Clubs have done that already and at United, it would have sent a powerful message about the need for everyone to pull together to get the Club out of the very difficult position it finds itself in.
“We do note that the scale of the headline increase is less than many feared and we believe the enormous amounts of dialogue that fans groups have had with the Club, alongside the public pressure exerted through the media and various protests, helped restrain the increase.
“However the new match categorisation model for non season ticket holders is a source of major concern with fans facing additional price increases for higher-demand games. We call for a strict cap on the number of games that will be placed in the higher price categories“
“We also need to work to understand the detailed impacts of the seat moves and terms and conditions changes being made. In particular, we fail to see any justification for the increase in season ticket holder minimum usage requirement. The devil is so often in the detail, and any changes of this kind should always be carried out with full consultation with those affected.”
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