Man City fans demand change in letter to club chairman on ‘unacceptable’ ticket pricing policy

Man City fans demand change in letter to club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak on the ‘unacceptable’ ticket pricing policy.

Seven major Manchester City supporter groups, including MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, have expressed dissatisfaction with the ticket pricing policy, highlighting the unprecedented unity among fan groups to address this issue.

The letter criticises the significant ticket price increases over the years, the lack of new season tickets despite stadium expansions, and the shift towards less flexible ticket options, which is part of a broader discussion on ticket pricing in the Premier League, affecting fans across various clubs.

This initiative has sparked solidarity from fans of other Premier League teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Everton, and emphasises concerns over community impact, particularly on disabled supporters and the potential loss of generational fan support due to pricing policies.

We’ve signed this letter to @ManCity‘s Chairman regarding the club’s unacceptable ticket pricing policy, and asking for change.

We’re one of 7 fan groups signing this in an unprecedented collaboration, reflecting the seriousness of the problem.

Full doc: https://t.co/xgK7TGOpLc pic.twitter.com/ZE9umqMiFP

— MCFC Fans Foodbank Support (@MCFCfoodbank) February 6, 2025

THE LETTER IN FULL:

Khaldoon Al Mubarak
Chairman of the Board
Manchester City Football Club
Ashton New Road Manchester Mll 3FF
February 6, 2025

Dear Khaldoon, RE: Ticket Price Increases and Supporter Concerns at Manchester City

In your annual interview last June, you recognised the concern amongst some supporters about ticket prices, as well as the importance of dialogue.

“We’re talking very closely to fans to make sure we’re able to strike that balance in an appropriate way. It’s a balance. I recognise some obviously are not satisfied on the pricing. We have to find solutions.”

This followed a season ticket renewal period in which the Club were criticised by supporters. A renewal period in which our own manager said that he “absolutely” understood the frustration.

We now head toward the renewal window for the 2025/26 season. As a range of Manchester City supporter groups, we are keen to ensure that the principles you outlined are fulfilled.

Rising Prices and the Decline of Traditional Season Tickets

With the return of supporters to the Etihad Stadium following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Club has taken the decision not to offer traditional season tickets to supporters during the annual renewal window.

Simultaneously, unrenewed traditional season tickets have not been reissued. No Manchester City supporter has purchased a traditional season ticket via a standard sales process since 2019.

In 2022, the Club introduced the silver season ticket. This provided supporters with access to 14 home matches excluding tickets to the ‘big five.’ However, those who purchased the product were provided a priority window to secure tickets for these matches at the more expensive matchday member pricing. This scheme was dropped in 2024 and participants allowed to transition to a regular season ticket or Flexi Gold.

Flexi Gold allows individuals the right to purchase a ticket in the same seat three weeks before every home game. If a supporter chooses not to purchase a ticket, they have no action to take. The collective price of all nineteen home matches adds up to the price of a regular season ticket in the same area. However, in order to access Flexi Gold, a supporter must pay an annual £150 (or £75 for a child) premium.

Flexi Gold was the only form of seasonal product offered to supporters via a standard sales process for the 2024/25 season. Anecdotal evidence shared by both City Matters and the 1894 Group has indicated that a number of supporters purchased Flexi Gold because it was their only way to purchase a seasonal product. In practical terms, fans are therefore being charged an additional £150 tax for being loyal to the club they love.

It is no secret that Manchester City season tickets have increased in price over recent years. This trend has particularly increased in the seasons following the pandemic. According to research undertaken by CityXtra, all areas of the Etihad Stadium have seen an increase of at least 15% between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 seasons. The South Stand has seen increases of 24%. All at a time when there has been huge cost of living pressures on supporters.

Greater Manchester

Despite significant growth in recent years, the City of Manchester and Greater Manchester retain a number of challenges.

In line with the Index of Multiple Deprivation (2019), Manchester is the sixth most deprived local authority in England. There are 28 electoral wards in the City that rank within the top 20% of most income-deprived, many of which are where the Club’s traditional base of supporters live.

As a report to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority from December 2023 demonstrates, a similar perspective is evident when expanding the lens to a wider geographical footprint. ‘Around 3 in 10 Greater Manchester residents were considered financially vulnerable.’ Likewise, ‘a higher proportion of residents across Greater Manchester compared with residents of Great Britain in general report borrowing more or using more credit.’

And despite the growing success of the Club internationally, we know that many match going football fans tend to live locally.

Impact

We believe that there is no longer a balance in the Club’s season ticket policies.

As a consequence of everything noted previously, many Manchester City supporters may be priced out of supporting their side due to the club’s ticketing policy decisions -whether through financial hardship or that they simply deem a season card no longer value for money. Some have already suffered this fate. This is an extremely difficult decision for individuals to make.

The Club are quick to emphasise their connection to Manchester. In our most recent annual report, Chief Executive Ferran Soriano spoke to his love for the City of Manchester. We are asking that we do not lose that link. After all, what is this club without Manchester? Even our nickname – the Citizens – is in reference to our Mancunian roots.

By making it practically impossible to obtain a standard season ticket, ticketing policy decision makers at Manchester City are severing the generational link between fans and their club. Research from the Premier League over ten years ago showed that the average age of a match going fan in the league was 41. Younger supporters who cannot obtain regular tickets to support their side are likely fall out of the habit. As one Member of Parliament put it, football faces a “demographic time bomb.”

It would be remiss not to recognise the need for the Club to operate on sustainable financial footing.

However, we do not believe this to be a binary choice between protecting supporters and financial sustainability.

Club accounts show profitability in each season since 2014/15 – with the notable exception of 2019/20 which was curtailed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In each of the last two seasons, the Club has made profit in excess of £70 million. In this instance, we believe that you can have your cake and eat it. We do not need to extract excessive and ever-increasing revenue from loyal supporters.

The Football Supporters Association have launched the #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign, which highlights the ongoing challenges that supporters across the Premier League face in the form of increasing prices and wider ticketing practice. On a number of occasions, both at the Etihad Stadium and further afield, Manchester City fans have stood alongside their rivals in solidarity with the campaign. This letter follows similar examples at clubs including Liverpool and Fulham.

City Matters

In view of this context, the Club’s elected Fan Advisory Board – City Matters – developed a range of season ticket proposals earlier this season. These have been presented to the Club at a meeting in October, and further reiterated in December.

For the purpose of clarity, we feel it necessary to restate those proposals in this letter.

• Season Ticket prices to be frozen or reduced ahead of next season’s renewal.

• The £150 upfront cost of Flexi-Gold Season Tickets should be removed.

• Fans should have an option to choose between a Gold or Platinum Season Ticket or a Flexi-Gold Season Ticket.

Meaningful Engagement

We are hopeful that the Club will implement the measures proposed by City Matters.

However, despite brief high-level comments at the Fan Advisory Board meeting in October, we are concerned that limited meaningful dialogue has taken place between supporters and the Club on season tickets. We note with particular alarm that last season’s renewal information was announced in March 2024. A similar timeline this season would leave only a short timeframe for appropriate input.

We would like to draw your attention to March last year. City Matters were informed around a week before the renewal information was released to the public. Presenting plans that are all but agreed is not meaningful consultation. We are keen to avoid a repeat this season.

Next Steps

As supporter groups representing a wide range of fans and interests, we call upon the Club to dedicate the bulk of the February meeting of City Matters to season ticket renewals, or to arrange an extraordinary meeting to fulfil this purpose.

Notwithstanding our request for meaningful dialogue, we remain committed to the measures that City Matters presented to the Club in both October and December.

We also recognise that this letter has focused strongly on season tickets. There are a number of further issues in relation to ticketing that we are keen to engage with the Club over. For example, the exorbitant prices for matchday member. This includes Everton on Boxing Day with a stated price around £70 (not including a £35 membership cost), almost double that of the PL’s reported average ticket price of £38 – another example of fans being placed second behind profit, and of the lack of balance in ticketing decisions.

We look forward to your reply.

Signed:
City Matters – Official MCFC Fan Advisory Board 1894
– MCFC Atmosphere Group MCFC Fans Foodbank Support Solid Citizens
– Supporter Campaign Group Canal Street Blues
– Official LGBTQ+ Supporter’s Club
Manchester City Disabled Supporters Association
Trade Union Blues

Addressed also: Ferran Soriano (Chief Executive Officer) Roel De Vries (Chief Operating Officer), Danny Wilson (Managing Director).

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Man City fans demand change in a letter to club chairman on ‘unacceptable’ ticket pricing policy, here’s the fan reaction…

@stephen_jury: We had the same, tier A match for Villa vs Brighton! (Plus membership costs). Don’t get me started on £95 champs league ticket costs! Good luck (we’re all in this together)

@Jon_Shapland: That’s a very well-written letter 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

@SaveConcessions: Good luck guys, top letter

@joedave90: Well worded. Let’s hope they take notice of it.

@JKBtrading: All stand together, good luck City ⚒️

@teepee61: V good well thought out letter. Despite protests across the country, not one club has conceded. We are seeing the death knell of football as us traditional fans knew it. ST holders no longer wanted, nor local fans. Get the tourists IN! They spend more, atmosphere is overrated!!

@97__mw: they don’t really care or want/need the local fan base, enough tourists there now the local fans there week in week in out aren’t needed. Needs to be an area thats season ticket holders only IMO and an area for day tripper tourists as mixing the 2 together isn’t working

@GHargreaves1168: Rivalries aside when fans are excluded by cost barriers, you have the support of all.

@James_Halfpenny: Brilliant letter and agree with every word. I note however the absence of the main OSC from the signatories. As the largest organisation representing City fans around the world, are you prepared to put the OSC’s name to this, @Kevinp184?

@EFC_FanAdvisory: Solidarity with @ManCity fan groups and supporters on this ✊ It’s not a club thing, it’s a football thing. #StopExploitingLoyalty

@stephen_jury: Match going fans are getting robbed, at every club! Another example

@RayGerlach7: Well put argument up for discussion

@ScottMcCorry: Fair fucks to you and good luck. What i am reading there is madness, utter greedy madness.

@Jonny_MCFC_7: Excellent letter to the club. Just a shame I don’t think they’ll take any notice. Well done to anyone involved. 👏

@H_H_Hammer: It’s the same story, up and down the country, at almost every premier league club. Clubs need to wake up, you’re killing the game, you’re destroying your fan bases. This is NOT sustainable @premierleague