Premier League Season Tickets

Had a few beers with a Man U fan last night and said I was surprised at the attendance last week. Said in a nutshell they have to commit to buying all cup tickets as a condition of getting a season ticket.

Also said if his ST doesn't get "used" at least 17 out of 19 home games it gets revoked next season. "Used" can mean going yourself, passing to a mate (who have to be a paid up member at United) or passing back to club for resale on their portal- he said games he did this for last season had tourist fans in his seats who had clearly paid Man U top dollar for them. Seems outrageous to me - surely it's your seat you have paid for and you can do what you want with it? Anything club make on top is reselling an already paid for ticket.

Also said his area now safe standing which he struggles with as he is in his 60s. No consultation and only offer of moving was to seats nearly double the price. Couple he knows had had ST since 1968 and now don't go anymore as they can't afford to move and clearly can't stand up for 90 minutes.

Not often I feel sorry for United fans but I do in this case......

 

Clubs are a business. They want a seat full as often as possible. That's how they make money, draw in sponsors, new players etc.

I don't see the big deal. It's not that difficult to find someone who would use your ST if you cannot go. They have tens of thousands on a waiting list for a season ticket. When they get their 100,000 New Trafford built it will be sold out every week. It doesn't make commercial sense to have an empty seat.

 

Pretty sure they are automatically charged for cup games as well even if they don't attend

 

I bought none refundable theatre tickets the other day for a Westend show (Fawlty Towers for those interested). I had to verify I was going a few days before the performance, and had I selected I couldn't make it, I am fairly sure they'd have re-sold my tickets, making double bubble. So not unique to Man United, but I agree, it's wrong.

 

Did he say what the crowd figure was for our game because I’ve not seen it anywhere?

 

Just short of capacity I believe

 

True. Supply and demand I guess. Out of our 23 matches per season I reckon I get to 18-19 most years. Be bloody annoyed if that got my ticket revoked though.

 

I had resale Corprate hospitality tickets in the home send and was sat next to our old chairman.

Last time I saw him at an away game was Man City in the FA cup. Not sure if it’s me or him but a 12-0 aggregate score suggests one of us is a bad omen!

 

Think that would only happen if we always had demand in excess of supply, and we're nowhere near that level of support!

 

I remember in the old days clubs were keen to report how much they made from big cup ties. We will never know, of course, but I’d love to hear a rough estimate of what the club banked from this one

 

In the 70's Man Utd was a very cheap ground to go to a game at. Similar prices to Barnsley. Football ticketing prices have gone mad, Like all big sporting & music events. They have no interest in "proper fans". I only go to fairly grass roots music events & Barnsley matches. They are affordable. Watching the "big clubs", or "big artists" is not anymore. It's just the way it is. I saw most of the great bands I love for very little & I'm grateful of that. Ah well...

 

I can relate to all of that. I’ll probably never see a big name on stage again because of the ludicrous prices. I went to old Trafford in 1971 to see them play Sheffield united, not having any idea how hard it would be to get in. You could pay on the gate in those days, even to see wonderful players like Best, Law and Charlton. The gates were locked though, ground full, but I got in. I’ve told this story on here before but here it is again!

I was in an absolute crush outside pressed tightly against one of the Manchester United player’s wives who had obviously underestimated the crowd as well. Her husband was centre half Steve James. I somehow got talking to her and, helping each other, we forced our way to a manned players or officials gate and she dragged me in. She escorted me to the top tier of that stand where the cameras are and told me I’d be alright there, standing in the rear gangway - and I was. I saw the whole match.

I wrote to her c/o Old Trafford thanking her for her kindness and apologising for being a stupid young airman. In her reply, with a match day programme, she said she thought I was a uniformed man but that I must be in the police, not the RAF. I’ll never forget that day!

 

They do not have to buy cup tickets to keep their premiership season tickets. The 17 out of 19 applies. But there are options if you dont attend games personally. Eg sell your seat back to the club. Family members etc. As you rightly say.

They can apply for cup season tickets based on competition. (Carabao. Fa and european cups separately, it used to be a condition to apply for all three ) But to keep that they have to purchase a ticket to every game in the competition played at home. Or lose the privilege.

That's how I read the latest rules.

 

A lad I know got very disillusioned under ETH last year that he didn't want to watch anymore. But he didn't want to risk losing his ticket (better times would come etc) and he didn't want to put money into Glazers pockets either.
So he went to OT as normal, hour or so before kickoff for a few beers that served as warm-up for an afternoon sesh round Mancunia with mates.

 

All clubs would do the same, even Barnsley.

 

Some clubs have similar rules. But not all follow the same guidelines to the exact letter.
Man utd have circa 50k season ticket holders. (Around 2 thirds capacity ) But liverpool circa half that (less than 50% capacity) and use it to their advantage.