Man Utd now charge fans £125 for ‘one-of-a-kind’ Old Trafford memorabilia in latest cash grab

Manchester United fans have been handed the chance to own a tiny piece of the old Old Trafford pitch after the club relaid the surface for the first time in 14 years.

The catch is that each 7cm by 7cm chunk of turf comes in at a hefty price of £125.

Man Utd fans get chance to own piece of Old Trafford pitch

United have cut up sections of the previous Old Trafford playing surface and preserved them inside small display cubes, giving supporters the chance to own a physical piece of the stadium.

The club offered season-ticket holders and members ‘exclusive' early access to the product, which has been marketed as a ‘one-of-a-kind' collector's item. Each piece comes in a black box alongside a photograph of Old Trafford.

The club says the turf can be displayed on a desk or in a cabinet and describes it as a keepsake from one of the most famous pitches in football.

United previously sold pieces of the old surface when the pitch was replaced ahead of the 2012-13 season, with the club claiming the initiative proved popular.

Around 96 per cent of the Old Trafford pitch was natural grass, with artificial fibres making up the remaining four per cent.

The idea is not unique, with Barcelona previously selling sections of the Camp Nou pitch for up to around £360 during its redevelopment, while Arsenal sold one-square-foot pieces of the Highbury pitch for £25 ahead of their move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006.

The latest sale comes as United prepare for a major stadium transition, with the club having acquired land for a proposed 100,000-seat replacement around 350 metres from Old Trafford.

FGG says: £125 for a piece of Old Trafford turf feels like a steep price for nostalgia

There is certainly a novelty factor to owning a piece of Old Trafford, particularly for supporters who have spent decades watching matches on that pitch. It is also understandable that the club sees an opportunity to turn a small piece of stadium history into a collectable.

But £125 for a 7cm by 7cm piece of old grass is an eye-catching price, especially when supporters could argue that the sentimental value should not need such a substantial price tag attached to it.

With United already generating huge revenues and preparing to spend billions on a new stadium project, this is inevitably going to look to some supporters like another example of the club finding ways to monetise their passion.