Manchester United have announced ticket price rises ahead of next season less than a week after unveiling plans to build a new £2 billion ($2.6 billion) stadium.
United are set to increase the cost of season tickets by around 5%.
Tickets for supporters under the age of 16 have been frozen, but some senior ticket concessions have been removed.
The club have also opted to turn some seats around the Old Trafford benches into hospitality tickets in a bid to increase revenues.
Last week, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said United would have run out of money “by Christmas” without his investment and a number of cost-cutting measures including making 450 staff redundant.
The British billionaire, 72, announced a day later the club’s intention to build a new stadium that is set to cost £2 billion.
“We appreciate the loyal and patient support of our fans, and particularly our season ticket holders who represent the core of our match-going support base,” CEO Omar Berrada said in a statement.
“We understand the importance of their backing for the team and have worked hard to come up with a pricing package that is fair and reasonable.
“After 11 consecutive years of price freezes, we increased prices by 5% for the past two seasons and intend to do the same for next season to offset continued rises in operating costs.
“Prices remain significantly lower than a decade ago when adjusted for inflation, and at similar levels to peer clubs in the north-west of England.”
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In January, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) called on Ratcliffe to freeze all ticket prices.
It came after the club — which has posted losses of more than £300 million over the last three years — were heavily criticised by fans for their mid-season decision to increase tickets prices to £66 per match with no concessions for children or seniors.
“We understand that any price rise is unwelcome, especially during a period of underperformance on the pitch, and we listened carefully to the strong arguments put forward by the Fans Advisory Board in favour of a freeze,” Berrada said.
“However, the club has decided that it would not be right to keep prices unchanged while costs rise and the club continues to face financial issues.
“We have kept the increase to the lowest possible level and protected our youngest season ticket holders from any rises, while ensuring the club remains financially strong enough to invest in improving the team.
“Our overall strategy is to price tickets at levels that keep every seat filled for every game, maximising support for the team, and providing a variety of options for different fans, including concessions for our young and elderly supporters.”
In a statement released in response to the club’s announcement, MUST branded the price rise as “frankly offensive.”
“The idea that fans should pay for the Glazers ownership and errors on top of the thousands that we already pay to loyally follow the team is frankly offensive,” the supporters’ group said.
“We argued United should implement a price freeze not just because of this, but for business reasons too.
“We were convinced that a freeze, accompanied by a rallying call showing we’re all in this together, could be a galvanising force to lift spirits and propel the team forward, and that the money ‘lost’ from not increasing prices would be more than compensated for by the greater revenue from a higher finish in the table.”
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