While rivals throughout the Premier League have held or even dropped their prices over the last five years, United have increased them every season.
My season ticket behind the goal in K-Stand has gone from £22 a game before the Glazer 2005 takeover to £36. That's more than a similar seat at Chelsea, who have pegged prices for three years.
Chelsea also reduce every ticket to £25 for FA Cup games. United were the only Premier League club to ask all season ticket holders to pay more for the same seat this season. The Reds also charge extra for Champions League knock-out games and introduced the loathed automatic cup scheme where fans were forced to buy tickets for all cup games. That scheme proved to be so unpopular it was relaxed.
United are the best supported team in the world this season but where there was once a waiting list for any season tickets, the continued price rises have diminished demand.
Fans have been priced out to the point that we are now seeing empty seats inside Old Trafford for league games for the first time since 1992.
The culture of watching the team has also undergone significant changes. A decade ago, many of my friends went to every game, home and away.
Selected games
Now, most are comfortable picking and choosing matches. A few watch FC United, while more find solace in the many pubs which show virtually every United game live.
Aside from any talk of boycotting season tickets for next season, a substantial number of Reds are not planning on renewing for the simple reason that owning one is not as desirable as the club might like to think.
Before this season, if you couldn't make a game then there was no shortage of people looking for spare tickets. Now, spares are easy to come by and fans who don't want to use their tickets struggle to sell them on.
Also, a major consideration is that while a season ticket once guaranteed you a ticket for a cup final, now it merely increases your chance of one.
And then there is the growing protest against the people responsible for the price rises, the Glazers. There should have been rules in place to prevent the takeover ever happening and the Glazers burdening what was consistently the world's most financially successful club with huge debts.
The noises from the Red Knight camp about supporter representation to prevent such takeovers in the future and about future ticket prices are positive, though they should be treated with cautious optimism. Many are bankers, after all.
And far from petering out, the green and gold protest is growing every week. Buying a scarf from a swagman on the Trafford Road Bridge isn't going to change much, but the protest has shown people that the majority of fans are against the Glazers rather than a tiny minority as claimed by some.
If the Glazers think they can go on merrily hiking up prices, they would be guilty of the worst miscalculation since Howard Wilkinson decided to offload a certain maverick French player to Leeds' biggest rivals across the Pennines.
What do you think? Have your say.
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Brian, Brussels (16/03/2010 at 10:54)
Mancinitaly, Calabria (16/03/2010 at 11:00)
davmac, manchester (16/03/2010 at 11:06)
As for the Red Knights, I wouldn't trust their assurances about fan involvement a millimetre. As you rightly point out, they are bankers and businessmen. Who in their right mind would invest millions in a business only to be told that a decision made by a board they appointed did not sit right with the fans and must be reversed? My Ass!
Fans should never have a say in the running of a football club. Decisions have to be down to the board and manager. Because thousands of fans with diverse opinions effecting a change in the running of a club, either at boardroom level or managerial level, is a sure recipe for disaster.
Scholesy passed me the ball.., LU:HG (16/03/2010 at 11:17)
Mike Jones (16/03/2010 at 11:25)
I see the Stretford End Arising (16/03/2010 at 11:25)
Doc Savage (16/03/2010 at 11:32)
For the reasons set out above and also for the elimination of any transfer fund: it is a waste of time to try to trust the Glazers, David Gill and Fergie in these matters.
IMO, Sir Bobby has also looked close to upset whenever I have seen him this season: he must be aware of the family's m.o and not know which way to turn.
Love United.
The Kid (16/03/2010 at 11:36)
nas99, Stretford (16/03/2010 at 11:40)
Wish we could adopt the German model and have areas of standing but no politician would have the guts to bring this up. It’s what the public wants and can be made safe too.
Get the tissues out..., COLLYHURST (16/03/2010 at 11:51)
"We fully understand what happens on the pitch has a real effect on what happens off it," he added.
"Over the years, since the Premier League came into existence in 1992, we have had sustained success under Sir Alex Ferguson, with the great players he has coached and managed.
"It has produced significant financial returns that have been reinvested back into the team, the ground, the training ground and also the players; both in terms of new ones and new contracts for existing ones..."
No money in the pot guaranteed reading that. Does he think we are all numpties unable to grasp the concept of not paying back what you owe...it beggars belief.
Get the tissues out..., COLLYHURST (16/03/2010 at 11:53)
16/03/2010 at 10:54
What did FRank Xerox ever do for us...
I wish I was a 'Devil instead of a Canary., Tweet..........................Tweet. (16/03/2010 at 12:00)
For once why don't you all act like men and boycott your beloved club!
stevi, france (16/03/2010 at 12:03)
"And Gill keeps telling us that we have a sensible business strategy. We now have Turkish Airlines as yet another sponsor, the truth is that we will prostitute ourselves to anyone prepared to pay a buck to the Glazers. Before long there will be more sponsors names dotted around OT than supporters!"
The fact is none of the big clubs, RM, Barca etc. can survive & compete on gate revenue alone, it is a non starter and so revenue has to come from somewhere, so why not sponsorship?
stevi, france (16/03/2010 at 12:11)
The fact is we're on the verge of a fourth Premiership title, in the QF of the champions league and SAF felt and looks justified in his view that his current squad was good enough. So how do you come to this judgement "No money in the pot guaranteed reading that" ? When & if SAF says in wants a player and is told no.....he has to sell first then & only then will your comments have some credance!
Get the tissues out..., COLLYHURST (16/03/2010 at 12:13)
Alas..."the truth will set you free..." is not a true statement and whoever penned that in the bible should be ashamed of himself.
I have always been in the opposite camp. My barometer was the fans (The brave ones) who sat on Warwick Road and got a good tanking off the filth -never will there be horses on the streets after Peterloo..what a load of malarkey that was)
They were the brave and enlightened ones. The real care takers...or tare cakers as my mate drunkenly espoused after many 'Bierra' the morning after our no-show in Rome.
United fans better up the ante very sharpish. Despite what you say about the Green and Gold Andy, Old Trafford should be half empty by now. Let the day trippers muse over there surroundings googley eyed for there twice a year treat.
The business end starts with season tickets not being renewed. Who amongst us will stand up and be counted? I wonder. "When all is said and done, more is said, than done"
Midfield General (16/03/2010 at 12:13)
"but the protest has shown people that the majority of fans are against the Glazers rather than a tiny minority as claimed by some."
And the numbers opposing the Glazers will only grow, because our huge debts are going nowhere.
After 5 years, there is the first piece of evidence that our debt has been reduced - smoke and mirrors of course but lets indulge the accountants - by around £30mil in the last year.
Well at that rate, we might have paid of all of our debts in 25 years. Thanks Malcolm!
Balders!, W3106, Tier2 (16/03/2010 at 12:16)
I know many reds who make it to all Utd's big games at OT, and for finals use contacts (aka corporate friends) to ensure their tickets. Meanwhile, 'the regular' (me) is left in the dark.....literally !!
It's shambolic & as i've said before the Golden Goose, (which could be our new club emblem on the Green/gold shirts) ....is about to give up delivering golden eggs !
The next step, has to be a significant one. IF, we have already lost the EPL before the last game against Stoke (9th May)........then we could see a MASS boycott of the match ??? seems a good idea to me ???? !!!
Midfield General (16/03/2010 at 12:16)
16/03/2010 at 12:03
Really scraping the barrel there mate. You clearly didn't understand Brian's point.
MAN-KEY-UNION, MANCHESTER (16/03/2010 at 12:23)
tooth&claw, manchester (16/03/2010 at 12:24)
A lot of fans in less desirable parts of OT are looking to upgrade to better seats if there's any sort of boycott. There's also a lot of people like me, who are looking to move from buying hospitality most weeks to getting a season ticket in a good area. Even if a fair few fans do fail to renew, it won't unduly harm the club's finances in the longer term. Any STs not sold will go into the hospitality market which is 4 times as profitable and, of course, the Glazers could easily discount the unsold STs for the first year to get them all sold. The only beneficieries would be the pubs of suburban Manchester and the breweries.
Massive Floodlights and Inflatable Bananas, Manchester (16/03/2010 at 12:28)
However I will not be renewing for next season. I have been thinking about this for a while. Many people I know are doing likewise. Others have already made this decision over the past 4 seasons. Like Andy says its now £36 for a seat behind the goal, I remember in 2005 this was around £23.
And after seeing what the Glazers have taken out my mind is made up.
Hopefully we can get them out over the summer.
PS I wish I was a 'Devil instead of a Canary - maybe you could give us some tips, after all city fans are the experts on 'staying away'.
Alias Smith, over the moon (16/03/2010 at 12:32)
Midfield General (16/03/2010 at 12:40)
If 10,000 ST holders don't renew, it would mean (from 30 home games) there are a total of 300,000 seats to fill every season.
Lets assume our global fans want to visit OT once a year, that means they need to find 300,000 tourists every season! Good luck with that Malc.
barca99, Salford (16/03/2010 at 12:50)
16/03/2010 at 12:00
"For once why don't you all act like men and boycott your beloved club!"
Which by your own admission must mean that Siddy fans are all men as you have been 'boycotting' Camp Boo and Maine Rd for as long as i can remember.
SIMON., DERRY, N. IRELAND. (16/03/2010 at 12:57)
The major flaw with the green and gold protest is simple, The Glazer's can easily combat this by simply bringing out a green and gold away strip for next season! all the hard work these protestors did in buying scarves etc in green and gold automatically shows loyalty to the Glazers! It was always a stupid idea but how silly will everyone feel if the Glazer's do something like this. As for the idiots who suggested boycotting a match in protest well isn't that smart! The season ticket has already been paid for so the only thing your affecting is the TEAM you numpties.
Anyone stupid enough not to renew their season ticket next season deserves all they get too, I've got 2 season tickets in the 2nd tier of the East stand which have a fairly reasonable view but I'll be the first to take a better positioned set of seats in the stretford end or in a better positioned tier 1 area, simple as that! Is the season tickets worth the money I fork out for them? Yes and I'll happily pay more for a better view as I follow United like a religion so of course I want the best seats I can get my hands on.
Perhaps what we might see is the seats at the very back of the stands on the upper tiers being affected but these seats are the cheaper ones for that very reason and although some say there is no longer a waiting list for season tickets I'd imagine that further afield supporters will buy them and offer them to their mates as this would still work out cheaper than buying them from touts at 2 or 3 times the face value!
I think I'll continue to Support the Team and Live the Dream.....