Glazer set to hike Man U ticket prices

MANCHESTER United’s new owner Malcolm Glazer is set to hike ticket prices by more than 50% over the next five years.

Mr Glazer also intends freezing the annual budget for transfers to €37 million - less than United spent on buying one player, Wayne Rooney, from Everton last year. Some more cash will be available if the club urgently needs to buy, however.

The cost of seeing United at Old Trafford will rise from its current price of almost €45 to €65 by 2010, it emerged yesterday.

Ticket prices for Champions’ League games will also be increased.

The move is part of plans by the American sports tycoon to increase the profits of the club and repay the massive amounts he borrowed to finance the takeover of the club.

The team will also have to undertake more worldwide tours in a bid to generate extra income, including a match in Tampa, the base for Mr Glazer and his American football team.

Mr Glazer wants to increase the value of annual sales at United from €240 million to €366m by the end of the decade and the club will aggressively target new sponsors.

United, whose board now includes Mr Glazer’s three sons - Brian, Avi and Joel - is also said to be looking at increasing the seating capacity of Old Trafford by around 8,000.

A spokesman for Glazer family said: “Things are still up in the air. Plans have not been finalised. Nothing has been signed off. These are speculative numbers.”

If the increases are confirmed, it will mean that Manchester United will be the second most expensive team in England to watch after Chelsea. However, according to figures from the Football League, United supporters earn 50% less than Chelsea fans.

Much of the expected increase in profits and turnover will have to support the annual €50m interest bill on the €440m debts Mr Glazer has saddled the club with.

He owns 76.2% of United and is expected to surpass the 90% mark on Monday, the level required for him to compulsorily acquire all the remaining shares.

Yesterday, the club’s chief executive David Gill sold his stake in the club to Mr Glazer.

Nick Towle of Shareholders United, which has led the opposition to the Glazer takeover, said the increases would price out many fans who were struggling to pay the existing prices.

“The younger generations are just not going to be able to afford to go,” he said.

The full details of the Glazer plans for United can only be released once the takeover is completed, which is expected by the end of this month.