Manchester United to increase season ticket prices by around 5

LONDON – Manchester United announced plans to raise season-ticket prices by 5 per cent for the 2025-26 campaign on March 17, defying calls from supporters groups for the move to be frozen.

There will be no rise in the cost of tickets for under-16 fans, but the club are introducing a new game categorisation for non season-ticket holders, to allow for different pricing structures for higher-profile fixtures.

United fans have routinely protested at Old Trafford in recent months after the decision in November to scrap concessions to children and over-65s, with all remaining tickets for this season priced at £66 (S$114).

A fan advisory board (FAB),which met with the club, had pushed for a freeze on ticket prices.

Season tickets at Old Trafford have also increased by 5 per cent in each of the past two seasons after an 11-year price freeze.

United chief executive Omar Berrada said in a statement: “We understand the importance of their backing for the team and have worked hard to come up with a pricing package that is fair and reasonable.”

The club’s co-owner Jim Ratcliffe claimed in a series of interviews last week that the English giants would have run out of money at the end of 2024 but for a series of cost-cutting measures and the hike in ticket prices he has overseen.

United have suffered cumulative losses of £410 million in the last seven years after a series of expensive mistakes in the transfer market and in managerial hires. They sit 13th in the English Premier League, with the Europa League their only shot at silverware.

“We listened carefully to the strong arguments put forward by the FAB in favour of a freeze. However, the club has decided that it would not be right to keep prices unchanged while costs