Manchester United insist a 5% increase in ticket prices around Old Trafford next season will help in their quest to “return to the top of domestic and European football”, but supporters’ groups criticised the decision, along with moving fans to increase the number of hospitality seats.
United are third in the Premier League under their interim head coach, Michael Carrick, and are well placed to return to the Champions League after a rare season without European football. The club want to kick on and mark their 150th anniversary in 2028 with a first league title since 2013 and say increased ticket prices in the 2026-27 campaign will help them invest in football and facilities.
“We have a clear objective to return Manchester United to the top of domestic and European football,” the club said in a statement. “We want to keep investing in the team and improving our facilities so fans get the best possible experience. We also need to make sure the club stays financially sustainable, taking into account inflation and rising costs. It is within this context we have made the decision to increase season-ticket prices by around 5% across all areas of Old Trafford.”
The Football Supporters’ Association appealed to clubs in November to freeze ticket prices for the next two seasons. United say the increase equates to just over £2 per match for adult season tickets and £1 per match for under-16s. The Manchester United Supporters Trust pointed to the FSA’s campaign as the group expressed frustration with the increase, along with the relocation of 600 more fans for hospitality seats in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.
“It is disappointing that the club has ignored our call, as part of the FSA’s league-wide campaign, for a ticket-price freeze,” Must said in a statement. “Supporters are paying more and more to watch their team, and as the FSA campaign said: enough is enough. We’ve also learned that 600 more loyal fans are being moved for ever more hospitality.
“Those people will be understandably furious, and need to be better treated by the club than those who went through the same thing last year were. That said, we are pleased the club listened to some of our concerns and there are no further restrictions on season-ticket holders forwarding their tickets and no increase in the minimum usage rules. Football clubs make better decisions when they listen to fans – they should do it more!
United confirmed they would reintroduce the publication of ticket allocation and ballot data, as well as ticket collections for European away games whenever they return to continental action.
