Sir Jim Ratcliffe holds ‘robust’ talks with Manchester United fans over ticket prices after the Ineos chief warned of the need to raise funds amid the club’s financial issues
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has held robust talks with Manchester United fans over ticket prices after the billionaire warned of the need to raise funds during a meeting at Carrington on Thursday.
Ratcliffe, 72, met with the Fan Advisory Board to hear supporters’ views as the club considers their approach over season tickets next season. Fans are concerned costs will rise following the controversial decision to increase the price of seats for certain matches to £66 and axe concessions in the middle of the campaign.
United’s financial issues have led to Ratcliffe and Ineos axing 250 jobs at the club and Mail Sport reported last week that another 100-plus staff are set to be made redundant to free up money for first-team spending.
The problems have also sparked fears of further hikes for the 2025-26 season and Mail Sport understands that, while no concrete decisions were made, the fan representatives were firm in their views to Ratcliffe over the issue of ticket pricing.
The FAB were keen to stress how pushing through major decisions on tickets without consultation – as happened with the rise to £66 – would be counter-productive and of the need to engage with fans.
It is understood the Ineos chief took the opinions of the 13-member FAB on board, while the supporters listened to Ratcliffe’s views on the financial challenges posed by the club but robustly argued it would be counter-productive to plug the revenue gap with increased prices.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has held robust talks with Man United fans over ticket prices at Carrington
Man United fuelled ticket price rise fears having admitted the need for ‘difficult decisions’
The meeting was the second between the FAB and Ratcliffe, who has injected £241million into the club since his investment was confirmed in December 2023, after they held face-to-face talks last year. Dialogue is expected to continue before United announce the renewals process for next season.
Relations between match-going United fans and Ratcliffe have considerably worsened in recent months following the mid-season £66 hike and the removal of concessions for children and pensioners.
Supporters are frustrated at being asked to pay more as the team continues to struggle, with Ruben Amorim’s side 13th in the Premier League table.
During United’s win at Fulham last month, the away end voiced their anger at Ratcliffe, calling him a **** and comparing him to the much-reviled Glazer family.
In December, Ratcliffe sparked fury in the fanbase following an interview he gave to the United We Stand fanzine, where he explicitly stated United should not charge less for tickets than Fulham.
