The Guardian today reports news that will surprise no Manchester United fans bar the gullible: the Glazer family is planning to hike ticket prices for next season. The family, unmoved by mass fans’ protest, recently boasted of its ability to increase prices this season when 19 other Premier League clubs froze or reduced admission.
Ticket prices have risen by an average 48 per cent for standard seats at Old Trafford during the five-year Glazer regime, which is by far the highest in the Premier League. The rises outstrips inflation, which stands at just fourteen per cent during the same time period, by more than a third.
“Manchester United are giving strong consideration to increasing season-ticket prices to help with the club’s enormous interest payments, despite being acutely aware such a move would increase the sense of animosity that has led to fans protesting against the ruling Glazer family,” claimed The Guardian today.
“The Glazers have begun discussions with the club’s England-based directors about next season’s prices, with an official announcement due in the next month, and the early talks have been geared towards United continuing their habit of making supporters pay more every year since the Americans took control in 2005”
The club has also changed the mix between executive and standard seats, with relatively fewer cheap seats available, especially since the opening of the North East and West quadrants in 2007. It’s a move that has the Glazers to increase matchday income by 65 per cent in the past five years – a £109 million “Glazer tax”, according to financier Andy Green.
Indeed, prices at Old Trafford, which range from £27 behind the goal to £49 in the North and South stands, are now comparable to those at Chelsea and Arsenal despite regional income differences. Tickets are also up to £10 more expensive for Champions League matches, with no discounts for less popular Carling Cup fixtures. That is to say little of the hated Automatic Cup Ticket scheme.
The refinancing has also placed pressure on the family to continually increase revenues, with up to 79 per cent of each pound spent by fans at Old Trafford disappearing in interest payments, management fees and dividends associated with the Glazers’ ownership of the club over the next seven years.
“While other Premier League clubs have experienced a flattening or reduction in ticket prices in response to the economic downturn, we were able to increase aggregate ticket prices for the 2009-10 season by 2.5%,” boasted the Glazers’ recent bond issue prospectus of the family’s ability to raise ticket prices in the face of global economic downturn.
Indeed, the family’s Payment-in-Kind (PiK) loans will cost an eye-watering 16.5 per cent interest per annum from August, increasing its determination to remove cash from club coffers. Up to £70 million in the next financial year.
Anger at the Glazers’ management of the club, together with increasingly expensive tickets, is likely to mean thousands of fans will give up their seats for the forthcoming season, even if an official boycott is not called.
While Red Knight Keith Harris recently called for supporters to place pressure on the family by refusing to buy season tickets, a recent Virgin Money survey concluded that up to 60 per cent of United fans will not renew next year.
With prices set to rise anyway, it’s a scenario that seemingly has little effect on the Glazer family. The question is – if it comes down to walking away for the club, even for a short time, to force regime change at Old Trafford – will you?
Gave up my season ticket this season (2009-10), travelling and ST cost from the Home Counties to OT just became too much money for me and my friend. it makes me laugh when I see the advertising hoardings say ‘join the season ticket waiting list’ I didn’t think there was one, the club handed them out like confetti this season….
u all shld not attend the match at home.. price surely will rise.. more protest glazer still dont even care’ the only way is stop attend and make glazer loss !!!
the way things are going there will only be one way to rid these parasites from our club. i will spell it out for our day trippers and unsure fans BOYCOTT.yes from the end of this season the only way is to cut them off completly,this will involve the non renewal of season tickets and match memberships,along with the continuing campaign.It does involve sacrifice and commitment but it is the only language our so called owners will ever understand. It shows thier level of contempt to even think of price rises in the present climate, never mind make them public. this is the only way.
Perhaps you are right, the only way to get rid of them is to starve them out. But I can’t help thinking that most fans will renew and those who do not will find that someone else simply gets there seat. I reckon a boycott works in theory but with Uniteds huge appeal they ground will probably be filled anyway by fans who normally don’t get the chance to go. Thats what I think anyway.
I worked for united for 15 years and had two adult season tickets, which were used by my kids (as the club would not allow chidrens prices in K stand), but I gave it all up last season due to costs and politics inside the club. The only way to get the vermin out of our club is to starve them out. As an organised group of fans we MUST use our collective power to ensure the next owners share our beliefs. We may loose our team and manager, it may take two years, but the end game is to have our club back for future generations in Manachester. In the meantime I will put my voice behind FCUM, MUST, LUHG. Die Die Glazer Die Die
Yes, fine, but therein lies the conundrum that every diehard is faced with.
What guarantee that IF they give up their ST, for the cause of a possible takeover this next season, they will be able to get it back at a later date.
If the takeover were successful and if the promise of future price reductions were put in place, then demand for United STs would, probably, once again soar.
With the first batch of renewals about to go out, guaranteeing price freezes for those who renew pronto, I would wager that there will still be few seats with no bums on next season.
If, on the other hand, I am wrong and our beloved home resembles a morgue then on-pitch results could well suffer and should a slump then result it may well make some of the Knights reconsider their options.
Decisions, decisions. Probables and possibles. IFs and IFs.
Hell, I can’t sleep at night now pondering over whether we’ll bag title number 19 in next month followed by trip to Madrid and whether, IF, we do I’ll get ticket, let alone whether I should renew! Help.
Still at least I don’t have to worry about my Channel 5 reception.
You know Ed, not being cynical, I hope all this isn’t a ruse by ex-United ST holders, now defected to FC Utd, who would welcome takeover and thereby means of getting their old STs back into OT on backs of cheaper prices and increased availability (should loads now not renew and knights then take over).
After all, if they are steering all this from within, they are in a prime position.
No surely not. Much too cynical.
I know.
Get the Knights to invest even more cash and build the South Stand over the railway line with a fourth tier.
All problems solved.
Now I can get to sleep.