As a Manchester United season ticket holder, I knew this day was coming. The season ticket renewal email always drops around this time of year, so when it landed in my inbox this morning, I was prepared for what I might find inside.
After getting through the usual spiel about how much the club supposedly appreciates my loyalty and support, I, like 50,000 others, saw that a 5% increase was on the way.
A dangerous pattern is emerging at Man United
On the face of it, a 5% increase may not seem too bad. For reference, my cost per game has gone from £40 to £42, and while I can stomach that, it's the fourth season in a row that season ticket prices at Old Trafford have risen.
During the 2021/22 season, the total cost of my season ticket was around the £650 mark. Fast-forward four years, and it now stands at £798. So, the club can dress it up as a 5% hike all they like (which is still the highest increase in the division), but the reality is, my ticket has gone up by 22% over the last four years.
This is unacceptable on any level; however, when it has coincided with the worst football I have personally ever witnessed from a Man Utd team, it is a bitter pill to swallow.
What makes the whole debacle particularly crass is the fact that immediately prior to this 22% increase, Old Trafford was decked out with flags that read ‘football without fans is nothing' during the Covid pandemic.
Unfortunately, the club can get away with it, and they know it. All season tickets will be sold ahead of the new season, which will only empower them to do the same again this time, next year.
#mufc have announced their 2026/27 season ticket prices, with a 5% increase across all areas.
— utdreport (@utdreport) March 6, 2026
United sources say this equates to just over £2 per game for adult season ticket holders and £1 per game for U16s. The lowest adult general admission season ticket at Old Trafford will… pic.twitter.com/yeVH3laByM
Some minor wins for the Man United fans
It's important to acknowledge that the renewal email also revealed that match-going fans have picked up a few small wins over the club.
Ahead of United's expected return to European football next season, the club have revealed that they will bring back collections for European away tickets.
Two seasons ago, during the club's run to the Europa League final, INEOS elected to scrap these collections as part of their largely pathetic list of cost-cutting measures.
This was met with outrage from matchgoing supporters, and for good reason. These collections are the only way to police the club's European credit system, and without them, the whole process effectively just became a closed shop for supporters with the highest number of credits.
With no need to pick up tickets, fans were just applying and purchasing tickets (to pick up more credits) without any intention of travelling to the match.
The club also confirmed that the overall season ticket usage requirement would stay at 16/19 matches, and they have also committed to start publishing ticketing data for away matches again.
What's to come for Man United?
The sad reality is, I can already predict what is going to happen in the coming months. Fan groups will come out and lambast the price hikes, and the club will clap back, stating that they are necessary. Beyond that, there may be a few protests, but these have now lost all direction, meaning and impact.
In the long-term, I have serious concerns about where the football club is heading. If my season ticket now costs £798, what will it cost at the new stadium after the club has plunged itself into an extra £1bn of debt? Double? Triple? Honestly, I wouldn't rule any figure out.
What ALL football fans should remember, though, is that this isn't a Manchester United-only issue. It's happening across the Premier League, and if we haven't already passed the point of no return, we soon will.