Manchester United has confirmed it is freezing ticket prices next season. There has been criticism of the Glazer family for price rises since their takeover 5 years ago and many fans have joined a fast growing green and gold protest against the owners. As recently as this month there had been speculation that further increases were in the pipeline but the club has now announced that prices will be kept on hold for the 2010/11 season.
The club said the price of attending a match at Old Trafford for members and season ticket holders would remain priced from £27 to £49. Fans aged over 65 will continue to pay half the adult price, capped at £20, with junior tickets staying at £10. Season tickets have gone up by an average of 48% since the Glazers took over in 2005 by as much as 69% in some areas of Old Trafford much to the anger of sections of the club’s support.
Debt at Manchester United is £716.5m and a number of wealthy United fans – the “Red Knights” – want to wrest control of the club away from the Glazers. Working with the “Red Knights” is the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (Must) which is running a vocal campaign to bring about a change of ownership. The trust was successful in recruiting nearly 150,000 members and the fans’ group presented the ticket price freeze as their first “victory”.
“This clearly demonstrates the power supporters have when they come together as a unified group” said Must chief executive Duncan Drasdo.”We know from sources inside the club that the Glazers are very concerned about the growing Green & Gold campaign which has seen the membership counter on the Manchester United Supporters Trust website increase from 36,000 two months ago to 145,000.The campaign is only two months old but this is an incredible victory at such an early stage and will undoubtedly be a huge boost to supporters.”
United were the only club in the Premier League not to reduce or freeze season ticket prices for the current season. Instead, the Premier League champions asked their 55,000 season-ticket holders to pay an extra £1 for each match. The Glazer family have said they have no intention of selling the club while United chief executive David Gill has said he is happy with the club’s current business model.
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