“When you first walk into that ground at the age of five or 10, you fall in love with that team running out in that red shirt, in that great stadium,” the Bury-born Gary Neville once said. “And it’s an addiction you have for life.”
That sense of allure seems to be failing away outside Old Trafford, where its grandeur and appeal have waned in recent years.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was supposed to be the man to turn things around by bringing unity to those disaffected by the malaise that had set in but he is already the target of ire. There are financial problems, Manchester United posted net losses of £113.2m for the 12 months ending 30 June and, as Ratcliffe puts it, “difficult and unpopular decisions” are required.
The minority owner is receiving criticism from supporters for increasing ticket prices mid-season and removing concessions for children and seniors, making the starting point to watch the club £66 when previous starting prices were £40 for adults and £25 for children and pensioners. The unconvincing defence being: “I don’t think it makes sense for a Manchester United ticket to cost less than a ticket to see Fulham,” as Ratcliffe told the United We Stand fanzine.
From purported saviour, Ratcliffe has already earned the moniker of “the Monaco Manc”, a man who lives a different existence to those who want to attend matches. Generations have attended Old Trafford, but those traditions are at risk on account of the desire to put the club “on a stronger financial footing”.
That process has led to 250 staff leaving, Sir Alex Ferguson’s ambassadorial role is coming to an end and fans are facing the thin end of the wedge, although the greater fear is this mid-season increase is setting a dangerous precedent.
“It just does not make any sense,” says Steve Crompton from The 1958 supporters group of the price increase. “You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. We get that the club is in a financial mess, but that debt is the club’s debt, it’s not the fans’ debt. They need to be mindful of that. Since the £66 thing’s come out, there’s not a day when I’ve not woken up angry.”
There were protests, organised by The 1958, at Old Trafford last Sunday when the message was clear: “Stop Exploiting Loyalty” and a banner at the Forest match on Saturday read “£66 Your Debt Not Ours”.
Modern major Premier League clubs are rarely too concerned about having a returning cast of supporters, the greater profit is to be made from those attending single matches and fancy popping into the megastore in order to acquire some expensive branded tat. Who wouldn’t want a £180 Manchester United Paul Smith pyjama set?
“If they’re going to be raising the single match-day prices, you can only see that there’s going to be an increase in the season ticket price as well,” says United fan Ste Thom, who brings his eight-year-old daughter. “She loves coming, she loves the full day out, and I fear kids are going to be the ones who are priced out of it.”
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In a world where the latest Premier League broadcast deal is worth £12.25bn, there seems little realisation that full stadiums and passionate supporters are part of the product being desperately sold to the highest bidder. Tickets for Forest’s visit were available the day before, potentially the first sign fans are not keen on extending themselves when finances are tight for many. “For the amount of money they’re going to gain from this, it’s so insignificant in the grand scale of things,” Crompton says.
“It seems the craziest thing. When have tickets ever gone on general sale at Old Trafford for a Premier League game? It doesn’t happen.”
United are not the only ones, especially in the top half of the league, pushing out once die-hard supporters. Football without fans is nothing and making owners realise this might be the final option. “I’m very cognisant that we have to look after the community because it’s the community’s team, but equally I want to optimise the revenue from people who can afford it,” Ratcliffe said.
The risk is the club is becoming less Manchester and is a long way from being united.
