Fans warn of Old Trafford boycott at report of ticket price rise
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-06-10 21:57

Manchester United fans say they could be ``leaving in droves'' following reports that new American owner Malcolm Glazer plans to raise ticket prices by 54 percent over the next five seasons.

The Times of London also reported in a front-page story Friday that the cost of tickets for Champions League games next season would go up by 25 percent.

Glazer, the owner of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, became majority shareholder of Man United on May 16. He owns a 76.2 percent stake as part of a 790-million-pound (US$1.47 billion) takeover -- most of it borrowed money -- of the world's richest soccer club.

Glazer is offering to buy out the remaining shareholders and hopes to take the club off the stock market by June 22.

The Times based its report on ``previously unseen documents'' outlining Glazer's plans for the club.

According to The Times, Manchester United will stage exhibition games in Tampa each year, raising 2 million pounds (US$3.62 million; euro2.98 million) in revenues.

The price of an average United home game ticket is currently 30 pounds (US$54.6, euro44.7). Under Glazer's plans, that would increase to 46 pounds (US$83.72, euro68.54) by 2010, the Times said.

The 2010 prices would still be just below the current cost for a ticket at Chelsea, the most expensive in the league.

But Man United fans' groups, which have fiercely opposed Glazer's takeover, said the prices will be out of their reach.

``People are so disillusioned with the massive increases they are being asked to pay, it will just turn more and more fans off,'' Nick Towle, chairman of Shareholders United, told BBC Radio Five.

``And how is (Glazer) going to fill an expanded stadium when people are leaving in droves? It's very bad for his business plan.''

The club has already announced plans to expand Old Trafford stadium from 67,800 to 76,000 within the next two years.

``The drive for commercialization is becoming too much for most fans,'' Towle said. ``It's really beginning to create a big problem, and that's just before fans stop buying the products and merchandise, which will also increase in price.''

Glazer has appointed his three sons -- Joel, Bryan and Avram -- to the United board.

Reacting to The Times report, an unidentified spokesman for Joel Glazer, who is also an executive vice president of the Buccaneers, told the BBC that nothing had been finalized.

According to The Times, manager Alex Ferguson will be limited to spending a maximum of 25 million pounds (US$45.5 million, euro37.25 million) per season on recruiting new players. That's well short of the 30 million (US$54.6 million, euro42.6 million) he paid last season for just one player, England striker Wayne Rooney.

Glazer also hopes to raise annual turnover from a current 173 million pounds (US$315 million, euro257 million) to 246 million (US$448 million, euro336 million) by 2010.

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