‘Man United protest expected’ – fans erupt after controversial move
Manchester United protests could now be on the cards as fans have erupted after a controversial move at Old Trafford.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come under fire following his efforts to cut costs, having taken over the Premier League side’s footballing operations last year.
Ratcliffe made 250 members of Man United’s staff redundant last summer in a bid to “return the club to profitability”.
Chief executive Omar Berrada informed staff in February more redundancies were on the way at Old Trafford, with up to 200 more people set to lose their jobs.
The Manchester giants employed 1,140 people before the redundancies last summer, with the latest move taking that figure down to around 690 as club chiefs continue to streamline the business.
Ratcliffe previously claimed United would have gone “bust by Christmas” if it wasn’t for his cost-cutting measures, which have included charity cuts and halting benefits for ex-players.
Meanwhile, fans protested against a mid-season ticket price hike after matchday rates were increased to £66 per game last November, with no concessions for children or pensioners.
Man United fans to feel the pinch after ticket price hike
United fans are set to feel the pinch again next season as ticket prices are set to rise.
The club announced their matchday prices could reach £97 next season, while the lowest priced ticket for a top-flight game is now £37 for the category C matches against Sunderland and Wolves.
United are also among several Premier League clubs to have increased their season ticket prices by up to 5 per cent for the 2025-26 campaign.
It appears as though the planned move into a new stadium is only going to see prices rise further in the years to come.
Football Insider revealed in March United’s season ticket prices could rise by hundreds of pounds ahead of the club’s move to their new stadium.
Man United consider controversial new stadium move
United have announced plans to build a 100,000-seater stadium as part of the government’s regeneration of the Old Trafford area.
The Mail reported on 24 July the club are considering charging fans up to £4,000 for the right to buy a season ticket at the new facility.
The newspaper said a highly controversial introduction of a ‘Personal Seat Licence’, which is commonplace in the US but not yet seen in the Premier League, was one of several proposals presented to fans by Minnesota-based consultants CSL International.
However, United officials have stressed no final decisions have been made and they are only at an exploratory stage as they consider implementing the system.
The news has gone down terribly with the club’s supporters as frustration continues to grow following a series of controversial decisions from Ratcliffe.
It would be no surprise to see more protests on the way as United fans haven’t been shy in publicly expressing their displeasure towards the Old Trafford hierarchy.
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