Sir Jim Ratcliffe proposed an increase in ticket prices at Manchester United, but the plan has come under increasing strain after a coordinated move from the club’s supporters.
According to Football Insider, fan groups have united behind a national campaign calling for a two-season freeze on ticket prices, creating fresh pressure on United’s ownership over their approach to matchday costs.
United have already raised ticket prices in each of the last two seasons, a decision that has significantly hurt Ratcliffe’s standing with the Old Trafford crowd.
This season, the club are charging as much as £97 for category A fixtures, compared with a previous cap of £66 during the 2024-25 campaign.
Fans back national price-freeze push as Manchester United face backlash
It has now been revealed that United’s major supporter groups have thrown their weight behind the Football Supporters’ Association’s country-wide push to freeze home ticket prices for the next two seasons.
The issue is not confined to Manchester. Across the Premier League, 19 clubs raised prices last season, while 13 have done so again this year, fuelling wider unrest among match-going fans.
Ticket prices at Old Trafford had been frozen for 11 years before the first wave of increases arrived in 2022.
United fans protested last season, joining forces with supporters from several top-flight clubs to oppose the hikes.
While their demonstrations did not reverse the changes at Old Trafford, other Premier League sides did act. Manchester City froze season-ticket prices for the current campaign, joining Liverpool, West Ham, Brentford, Tottenham, Wolves and Burnley.
United, however, are understood to be planning further annual increases of up to five percent as part of Ratcliffe’s long-term financial strategy.
New Old Trafford plans trigger fresh fears
Ratcliffe’s ambition to build a new stadium is another factor driving concern.
United are exploring plans for a 100,000-seat venue as part of the government’s regeneration scheme for the Old Trafford area, a project that would be one of the most expensive developments in English football history.
Reports in July suggested the club are considering introducing a Personal Seat Licence system, potentially charging supporters up to £4,000 just for the right to buy a season ticket.
The model is common in the United States and was among several proposals presented by consultants CSL International.
FGG Says
The pushback from Manchester United supporters highlights a growing divide between Premier League clubs and match-going fans. Rising prices may make commercial sense on paper, but football’s emotional core is eroded when loyal supporters are priced out.
If Ratcliffe wants to rebuild Old Trafford and rebuild trust, freezing prices would be a symbolic and practical step toward restoring goodwill. United’s identity has always been shaped by its fanbase, and ignoring them now could create long-term damage that no new stadium can fix.