Expert - Man United ticket prices to 'carry on increasing' after latest reveal

Manchester United believe they can still put ticket prices up further due to high demand from their fanbase.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, after the club announced it had increased season ticket prices by 5%.

It will be the fourth consecutive year that season ticket prices have increased at Old Trafford, with the cheapest season ticket now set to cost £646.

The move will increase revenue at Man United, with the club also on course to return to the Champions League next season to boost their finances.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe under ‘pressure’ amid price hike

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – sympathises with the Man United fanbase over the increase in season ticket prices.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness believes ticketing is a “very difficult issue” to get right.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Yeah, look, I do sympathise with the fans because I believe it’s the fourth year running that there’s been an increase there. 

“When I was in charge of pricing, look, it’s always a very difficult issue, as we know, because the fans do want to see the money spent, but they don’t want to see their prices increase. We understand that.

“But still, I think if you looked at the lowest level ticket at Old Trafford now, since the 2022-23 season, it has gone up 100 pounds. Now that’s a pretty big increase. I tried to give it a rest, so you’d actually have an increase maybe every third season, and that was more acceptable because you gave people a break. 

“I’d love to see something tied to performance in terms of that sort of thing with fans as well. It’d be great if they had a really bad season, they got something back for their money and that would really put the pressure on the owners to get things right.

“Of course, we’re never going to see that, but still, I think, the Ratcliffe era and the Glazer era believe there’s a market and while there is always going to be a market for Man United and Old Trafford seats, they’re going to carry on increasing, and they still don’t believe they’ve probably maxed out where they need to be. But yes, it’s a big increase.”  

Man United face £1bn+ issue

Wyness told Football Insider that Man United’s increasing debt must be sorted to avoid any financial issues in the future.

Man United’s latest financial accounts recorded the debt to be at nearly £1.3billion, much of which is transfer payments owed to other clubs.

The club have plans to build a new stadium, whilst a return to the Champions League will mean an increase in their wage bill.

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