Government Urged To End United’s ‘Unfair’ Advantage
NOTW: ANGRY Manchester United fans have called for the Government to intervene in their continuing battle to control soaring ticket prices.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust have written to Minister of Sport Gerry Sutcliffe, who recently launched an outspoken attack on the ‘obscene’ wages players are paid and the cost to fans of watching their teams.
The 32,000-strong pressure group want their concerns to be referred to the Office of Fair Trading, claiming the clubs have an unfair monopoly on match tickets.
MUST chief executive Duncan Drasdo has written to United fan Sutcliffe urging the Government to put a cap on admission prices.
In his letter Drasdo says: “We believe the time has come for the Government to intervene over ticket prices because club owners have been given ample time to put their own house in order and bring prices under control. Yet price increases have actually accelerated to unprecedented levels.
“A cap on ticket prices could protect the supporter whilst having a deflationary effect on players’ wages. Each football club is a discrete monopoly having complete control over the supply and pricing of tickets for their games.
“You can’t buy the product — Manchester United tickets — from anyone else and there are no effective substitute products available elsewhere.
“As a United supporter you will know that tickets for Manchester City would not be an acceptable substitute. The clubs know this too and they are exploiting it to their commercial advantage and to the detriment of the consumer.”
United’s season-ticket prices have increased by 50 per cent in the last three years and fans have argued the club’s owners, the Glazer family, are forcing costs up to finance their £660million debt.
The fans’ group are also angry about a Compulsory Automatic Cup Scheme implemented by the club which forces season-ticket holders to buy cup tickets even if they do not want them. Concerned supporters are also expecting a big season-ticket price rise next season.
The suggestions are it could be as high as 15 per cent.
But a club spokesman and the Glazers’ spokesman both told Sport of the World this week those claims were ‘rubbish’ and that no discussions had begun over possible increases.
Supporters Trust spokesman Oliver Houston believes more price rises are inevitable and accuses the Glazers of ‘craven money-grabbing’.
He said: “After three consecutive seasons of eye-wateringly huge price hikes, totalling a staggering 50 per cent rise since this debt was needlessly piled on to our club, many loyal fans will recoil in horror at the prospect of yet another turn of the screw.
“Even by the shockingly poor standards set by the Glazers since their takeover, this is craven money-grabbing.
“We also know they are looking to borrow against future ticket sales, tying up the club’s income streams for many years to come.
“So perhaps amidst the increasing uncertainty of the global credit crunch, the banks are forcing their hand.
“There is now a compelling case for the issue of ticket prices at all clubs to be looked at by regulators — for the long-term health of our national game.”
