English Premier League club Manchester United has announced that a record number of tickets have been sold for men’s games at Old Trafford this season.
Following last week’s UEFA Europa League match against Spanish club Real Betis, which was attended by a capacity crowd, more than 2.3 million tickets have now been sold for home matches this season. The total has surpassed the previous record set during the 2016-17 campaign.
The total includes seats sold for the club’s 19 Premier League home games and the 13 cup games held or scheduled so far at Old Trafford this season. The overall number could also rise higher if United progresses further in the Europa League.
The club said that its success in cup competitions and a series of home draws have played a part in the record sales total. For example, the team played four games at Old Trafford before winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley Stadium last month.
Thursday’s 4-1 victory over Real Betis was watched by 72,998 fans and marked United’s fifth home game so far in the Europa League this campaign.
Attendances have also been boosted by revised ticketing policies that have been implemented to make Old Trafford more accessible. The new policies were put in place to fill as many seats as possible for every home game and included the launch of a Cup Season Ticket, which has helped to fill the stadium for home cup ties.
The new rules also mean that regular season ticket-holders are required to use their ticket for a minimum number of games. However, there are now more options to forward, return or donate their seats when they cannot personally attend.
There is also the option to donate the cost of a ticket to the Manchester United Foundation. The total raised is expected to surpass £500,000 (€565,000/$603,000) by the end of the season.