Manchester United recently celebrated consecutive victories, creating a sense of optimism, making it an opportune moment to announce the season ticket prices for 2025/2026.
On Monday, the club disclosed the ticket prices for the upcoming season, which appeared reasonable at first glance. Most season ticket prices saw a five percent increase, while the prices for Under-16 tickets remained unchanged. However, a closer examination reveals that pensioner supporters have been significantly impacted.
In previous seasons, pensioner season tickets enjoyed a 50 percent discount, but United has now confirmed that this discount will be reduced. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is facing criticism from fans regarding this decision.
The senior concession discount has been cut in half, now offering only a 25 percent reduction instead of the previous 50 percent. Additionally, the eligibility age for senior tickets will be adjusted to align with the state pension age of 66.
Club representatives indicated that “a few thousand” season tickets would be affected by the reduction in pensioner discounts. However, the widespread backlash on social media and numerous complaints sent to the Manchester Evening News suggest that the actual number may be higher.
United has contended that the continuation of the 50 percent discount is “not justifiable” given the increasing number of season ticket holders in the senior category. They also noted that those who received a pensioner discount during the 2022/23 season were only granted a 25 percent reduction.
Ultimately, many pensioners facing a reduction in their discount may choose to forgo their tickets. Some will be unable to afford the new prices, while others may find the increase unacceptable.
Tony Christian, a supporter who has been attending matches at Old Trafford since 1962, is among those contemplating whether to renew his season ticket. He expressed his “disgust” at the decision to cut the pensioner discount, which will result in ticket price hikes of approximately £300 for some fans next season.
“I’m in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand and near the halfway line. They’re really good seats and there are loads of people around me who have the 25-year name badges on their seats,” he told the MEN.
“I was speaking to someone at the game a few months back and I said raising tickets to £66 is testing the water. I said he’ll cherry-pick what he can get away with and we’ll be in the firing line because we’re getting a price that you could get double for if getting rid of every old person.
“I think he’s done data analysis and looked at how many people are old-age pensioners who are getting the seat for half the price. He’s thought, ‘If I could persuade them to pay a lot more, great, but if they drop out, I’ll get full price. We’ve got an eight-year waiting list, and that could fill them up’.
“It’s almost like Ineos accountancy euthanasia. He talks like a ruthless businessman and not about anything to do with the supporters and why the club has been successful in the past because of that loyalty, and the fact that for 12 years since Ferguson retired, we’ve had crap managers and crap teams, and it’s still full every week.
“I’ve got George Best’s debut programme since 1963 and I’ve got the programme from the ’68 final at Wembley, but if I look back, it wasn’t all fun and games. The fans have stuck through thick and thin.”
Numerous local supporters express the sentiment that United is indifferent to their needs. They have charged the club with showing disregard for its foundational fan base, asserting that it prefers to sell tickets to tourists at inflated prices.
In the past year, Ratcliffe’s alterations have faced significant backlash, with fans deriding his frugality, especially given that the 72-year-old has committed multi-million-pound errors in the boardroom.
Christian remarked, “Imagine that 10,000 fans are impacted by this situation, and they increase ticket prices by £300 each. This results in an additional £3 million, which equates to 10 weeks of Casemiro’s salary and is less than the £4 million needed to settle Dan Ashworth’s compensation after only five months in his role.
“I believe many Premier League clubs, including United, raise ticket prices because they know they can sell them. For instance, last season, Spurs did not provide a discount for pensioners, and I expected Ratcliffe to notice this and adopt a similar approach.
“This is a gradual erosion of the club’s identity. By implementing these changes, they risk losing the essence of what the club stands for. The strategy with junior fans is that if you have a child aged 11 or 12, they will be paying full price in just four years.
“They freeze the prices, collect payments from parents, and create a lifelong attachment to United for the juniors, similar to my experience with my father, ultimately leading to full-price tickets. They have likely analyzed the pensioner demographic and understand that many will continue attending matches for years to come.
“A full pension amounts to £844 per month, and now a single ticket costs as much as a month’s pension for some individuals. I have a stable job and can manage the expense, but I still find it appalling. I told my wife that if they continue with these underhanded tactics, I will not renew my membership, especially after enduring poor performances in recent seasons.
“Ratcliffe should not have retained Ten Hag as manager last summer, nor should he have extended his contract, as this only increases the cost of termination. Additionally, allowing him to acquire more players during the summer transfer window has contributed to this financial mismanagement.”
They were then compelled to buy out Amorim. Considering the circumstances and the need to finance a new stadium, it could lead to four or five years of instability; he is unlikely to want to pay Mainoo, which means they will likely sell him along with Garnacho.
He has refrained from criticizing the Glazers and is undertaking various initiatives to enhance his share value, yet he is damaging the core of the club. There are many elderly fans nearby; the man in front of me is 72 years old.
In his youth, he would hitchhike from Lincoln, but now he takes the train. I have seen him at semi-finals during the 1990s and in Barcelona for the Champions League final in 1999. He now mentions that he is spending £180 to attend the game, which is unaffordable for many individuals on a standard pension.
Christian added: “Ratcliffe is unlikely to change his stance, as that would indicate weakness. However, his actions are merely financial maneuvers, and they should disclose the precise number of fans over 65. I was unaware last year that fans who had just turned 65 were only given a 25 percent discount on their season tickets, while we continued to receive a 50 percent discount.
“They view us and think, ‘We know you’ve paid full price for 40 years, but we don’t want you to have a 50 percent discount for the next 15 years, and we are indifferent because we have a waiting list for tickets.’ This was quietly introduced when it was announced this week.
“And this is for a stadium that is showing its age in many areas. They are simply taking advantage of the supporters now.”
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