English Premier League club Manchester United has announced it is reforming its season ticket policies to offer fans more choice.
From next season, season ticket-holders will be able to opt in or out of each cup competition in which the club competes.
The changes have been brought in following the consultation with Manchester United Fans’ Advisory Board (FAB) and Fans’ Forum.
Under current rules, season ticket-holders are guaranteed seats for all Premier League home games and are obliged to purchase all FA Cup and UEFA Champions League home games. Under the new rules from next season, fans will now have the choice of a Premier League-only season ticket, with the option to add FA Cup, Carabao Cup and European tickets on a competition-by-competition basis.
Season ticket-holders that opt out of a competition will be able to apply for cup tickets on a match-by-match basis, alongside official members. For the first time, a Cup season ticket will be introduced for cup games at Old Trafford for official members.
United is also introducing a ticket buy-back scheme, allowing fans to sell tickets back to the club on a match-by-match basis where there is demand. This will be on top of existing policies that enable tickets to be transferred to official members or donated to the club’s Manchester United Foundation.
Collette Roche, Manchester United chief operating officer, said: “When the Fans’ Advisory Board asked us to review our season ticket policies, we were pleased to work with them to explore options for providing fans with more choice and flexibility. We recognise that not all season ticket-holders are able to attend every home game over the course of the season, and given the high demand, we want to increase the opportunities for official members to access seats that would otherwise go unused.
“We have listened to fans’ opinions and worked closely with the FAB and Fans’ Forum to agree reforms that will allow each season ticket holder to choose the option that works best for them. We believe this new offer provides flexibility and fairness for both our season ticket holders and official members.”
After FAB’s launch in January, reform of the season ticket policies was among the first issues to be addressed. The FAB is made up of seven fan representatives and six senior club leaders. It meets four times a year and operates alongside the Fans’ Forum.
Roch added: “In the past year, we have set up the FAB, expanded the Fans’ Forum, and appointed our first Head of Fan Engagement. These efforts are already resulting in tangible benefits for fans, and we’re grateful for the work of the fan representatives in helping deliver these positive changes.”
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