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English Premier League club Manchester United has announced it is reforming its season ticket policies to offer fans more choice.<\/p>\n
From next season, season ticket-holders will be able to opt in or out of each cup competition in which the club competes.<\/p>\n
The changes have been brought in following the consultation with Manchester United Fans\u2019 Advisory Board (FAB) and Fans\u2019 Forum.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s Manchester United Foundation.<\/p>\n
Collette Roche, Manchester United chief operating officer, said: \u201cWhen the Fans\u2019\u00a0 Advisory Board asked us to review our season ticket policies, we were\u00a0 pleased to work with them to explore options for providing fans with more choice\u00a0 and flexibility. We recognise that not all season ticket-holders are able to attend\u00a0 every home game over the course of the season, and given the high demand, we\u00a0 want to increase the opportunities for official members to access seats that would\u00a0 otherwise go unused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have listened to fans\u2019 opinions and worked closely with the FAB and Fans\u2019\u00a0Forum to agree reforms that will allow each season ticket holder to choose the\u00a0 option that works best for them. We believe this new offer provides flexibility and\u00a0 fairness for both our season ticket holders and official members.\u201d<\/p>\n
After FAB\u2019s 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\u2019 Forum.<\/p>\n
Roch added: \u201cIn the past year, we have set up the FAB, expanded the Fans\u2019 Forum,\u00a0 and appointed our first Head of Fan Engagement. These efforts are already\u00a0 resulting in tangible benefits for fans, and we\u2019re grateful for the work of the fan\u00a0 representatives in helping deliver these positive changes.\u201d<\/p>\n