OFT red card for Manchester United over season tickets

[Catriona]

Manchester United has agreed to change its season-ticket terms and conditions to make them fairer for fans after being shown the red card by the Office of Fair Trading – but many fans will be disappointed the consumer watchdog did not order more radical changes.The world's richest football club is...

OFT red card for Manchester United over season tickets (external link to Guardian Consumer Affairs)

[Witch consumer]

If you read this article, it shows they have changed very little, fans are still being out-priced, pity these people have forgotten who helped them to these dizzy heights in the first place.

[Jorumian]

I'm afraid that this was inevitable. A few years ago, United, like Liverpool and Everton and indeed Manchester City, were amongst the best value for season tickets in the country. They seemed to realise that their fan base didn't live in the most affluent areas and priced their season tickets as such.

However since the takeover at United, which saddled the club with enormous debt, Season Ticket prices have been hiked hugely to enable the club maximise the revenue to service this debt. This was partly why many United fans were so against the Glazer take over. It is also happening, though to a lesser extent, at Liverpool too with the Hicks / Gillette takeover and I am sure that eventually it will happen at Manchester City as well, if it has not already.

It's scandalous when you consider what many fans already pay to support their club in the form of TV subscriptions (from which the club receive many millions each season). But while owners sidle the club with debt to try and make a quick buck or two, it is always going to be the fans that are left to foot the bill.