Man Utd forced to make change to ticket sales as hated price hike ‘backfires’

MANCHESTER UNITED have sparked yet another reaction after tickets for Saturday's match with Nottingham Forest were spotted during the OPEN SALE.

The move comes amid growing resentment among fans after the Red Devils increased the price of members tickets to £66.

But perhaps United's plan to cut franchises for children and retirees has been the most controversial.

Tickets returned by season ticket holders are typically sold to members through the club's website.

But the venue was available to the general public on all four sides of Old Trafford on Wednesday.

United have now confirmed that the Forest match is sold out.

But the fact that they had to resort to an open sale is seen as telling.

A spokesperson for the Manchester United Supporters' Trust told The Mail: “Tickets for home league games have been worth their weight in gold for decades.

“But fans have a limit and the fact that Forest tickets are on open sale should make the club realize that £66 tickets are a step too far.

“It is time to reverse the decision and ensure Old Trafford remains as full as ever.”

Fans expressed their anger at the Glazer family and minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe during Sunday's 4-0 win against Everton.

There is now fear among United's 55,000 season ticket holders that a significant price increase is also likely for them next season.

There were even protests before the match against Everton, with a banner reading “Stop Exploiting Loyalty”.

And a survey among 4,000 MUST supporters showed that 68 percent will attend fewer matches.

A spokesperson for protest group The 1958 said: “It is unprecedented for a Premier League match to go on sale through the club.

“It's just not happening; this has had a huge backfire.”

SunSport has contacted United for comment.

Despite the backlash, United's leaders defended their decision in a statement, despite having already saved fortunes by laying off a large number of staff.

It said: “As a club we have focused on cutting costs to put us on a stronger financial footing.

“This means we have to make very difficult decisions, including significant reductions in our workforce.

“It also means that we must look for opportunities to increase our income so that we can continue to invest in football and infrastructure.

“We have now sold more than 97 percent of tickets this season, many of which are at a reduced rate.

“We are making some policy changes for matches that have already sold out, with only a small number of tickets becoming available.”

Affected fans have been emailed by club chiefs, with several expressing their dissatisfaction on social media.

One message read: “Absolute nonsense from United in that email about the ticket price increase, they can jack it up anyway but there is and never will be an excuse for charging kids £66 for watching a football match at Old Trafford. “