Manchester United fans are reportedly planning a large-scale protest outside Old Trafford following a recent ticket price increase.
The club announced the sudden price hike for official Man United members earlier this week, removing the concession discount for all ticket options, which means that no matter your age or accessibility needs, games will cost £66 for the rest of the 24/25 campaign.
Seemingly decided overnight, the changes have been put into immediate effect, meaning from now until May 2025, adult fans looking to grab a standard ticket to the match will have to pay an extra £16 for the pleasure – the last thing people want to hear during the festive period and wider cost of living crisis.
As a result of the steps taken by the higher-ups, the official Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) has issued an official statement, calling the decision “offensive” and warning that this could signal something bigger and more severe next season. Not unlike the club, one group is acting now.
As an associated member of the FSA and together with Everton supporters group, we will be protesting (peacefully) on Sunday before the game to support their current #StopExploitingLoyalty… pic.twitter.com/tT1cKYUbkW
Supporters group The 1958, who helped spearhead the most recent slate of anti-Glazer demonstrations. between 2021 and 2023, say they contacted the club to ask for permission to bring a banner reading ‘Stop Exploiting Loyalty into the crowd but “unfortunately they didn’t even have the courtesy to reply.”
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Having “demanded” the ticket price increase be reversed, they sent an extensive letter to the club this week; in an effort to remain transparent, they shared the correspondence in full on their website.
Addressing recently appointed CEO Omar Berrada (formerly of the City Football Group) directly, the letter expressed, in short, their “anger and disappointment” over the new prices, labelling it “exploitation of our loyal fan base”, highlighting the new obstruction to not only young but pension-age and disabled supporters as a “disgusting low blow”.
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Suggesting that this could start a trend of fans ultimately being forced to sell their season tickets only for them to be immediately resold at a higher price, they described the strategy as ‘corporate touting’ and “the first step towards dynamic pricing”.
As a result, although United are set to play in the Europa League on Thursday night, the crucially peaceful demonstration outside the home ground will be held with associated members of the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and Everton fans before their Premier League game this weekend.
The new flat-rate Man United ticket price which has sparked protest plans. (Credit: screenshot)
To put this into context, these new minimum prices mean that it would cost a grand total of £132 just for a parent to take their child to a match this season, and all of this inflation has happened without any consultation with supporters’ groups.
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As for MUST, they called out the club’s insistence that 97% of this current season’s tickets are now sold, questioning the veracity of this claim and also going on to share the fear “that this is only the opening salvo of what will surely be massive pressure to implement a significant price rise for next season.”
With INEOS having carried out a raft of cost-cutting measures, including getting rid of 250 members of staff – which is also said to have cost them £8.6 million in redundancy packages – the is clearly part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co. plans to streamline the business which is still approximately £867 million in debt.
Nevertheless, it now looks like fans are the next to pay for the policy and although will no doubt be lofted by the arrival of their new manager, Rúben Amorim, until results improve and prices are reduced or at the very least frozen, it’s looking like it could be another fraught period at the Theatre of Dreams.
Urgent discussions! It needs more direct action than that, call a boycott or a protest march.
Luxury Manchester gym and pilates studio mysteriously closes
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most premium fitness facilities appears to have closed down, leaving members and instructors in the dark.
A forfeiture notice has appeared at the entrance of Blok, a boutique gym and pilates studio in the city centre.
Members have been arriving for classes this week to find the luxury facility at Ducie Street Warehouse closed up.
Native Places, which owns the beautifully restored mill building near Manchester Piccadilly and operates the upper floors as an aparthotel, has confirmed that it’s taken ‘formal possession of the ground floor gym’.
Blok has said they believe that the forfeiture of their lease by landlords is ‘illegal’ and that the team are ‘working to get this resolved as a matter of urgency’.
The gym also stressed the Manchester is a ‘profitable site, which we have collectively worked hard to grow into a thriving, healthy business’.
With three different studios, Blok opened in Manchester in 2019 offering classes ranging from dumbbell-based weight training to barre and pilates, as well as boxing, calisthenics and HIIT workouts.
Last year, the gym introduced reformer pilates to its premium offering.
And just last week, Blok had been running a Crowdcube campaign selling shares in the business in exchange for exclusive investor rewards.
Blok Manchester is inside Ducie Street Warehouse, owned by Native Places
Their investment campaign cited 175% growth in membership over the last 12 months, and promised four new flagship sites forecast to generate £1.5m in profit annually.
Alas, it appears Blok Manchester is now closed. Members have been leaving comments on their Instagram posts asking for updates, and several people are posting TikToks saying they were unable to attend their class.
One person wrote: “Hello I’ve lost my personality as Blok is closed *cry*.”
She added: “You can still book but it’s all locked up, no one can enter the premises … I got one email that they’re having ‘trouble accessing the building’, confused why they’re still allowing people to book??”
Hello I’ve lost my personality as Blok is closed *cry* Good Pilates/Mat/Barre/ reformer studios in Manchester. Also please no say a place that costs the same as my kidney, because that’s not cool 🙂 #BLOK#manchesterpilates#MCR#FYP
A statement from Native Places said: “Native Places has taken formal possession of the ground floor gym following the sustained non-payment of rent by the tenant.
“This action marks the end of a six-year relationship during which Native has consistently supported the tenant in their occupation of the space.
“Unfortunately, due to continued non-payment, we have had no option but to follow the appropriate legal process. The premises have now been secured, and access is restricted.”
In a statement provided to The Manc, Ed Stanbury, CEO and Founder of Blok, said: “The closure of BLOK Manchester is due to the forfeiture of our lease by our landlords, an action that we believe to be illegal. We are working with our lawyers to get this resolved as a matter of urgency.
“Whilst there has been speculation around financial pressures that may have led to this situation, we want to be clear: BLOK Manchester is a profitable site, which we have collectively worked hard to grow into a thriving, healthy business.
“We’re incredibly proud of the team and community we’ve created in Manchester, and our focus right now is on supporting them as we navigate this.”
Patrice Evra issues passionate plea to Manchester United as he must miss the Europa League final
Danny Jones
Ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra has issued a passionate appeal to his old club ahead of the Europa League final, as he reluctantly prepares to miss the game.
Evra, 44, has remained an avid Man United fan even since he left the club back in 2014 and doesn’t miss a game if he can, often lending his punditry services to the likes of Sky Sports of TNT Sports.
However, despite the biggest game of their season coming up this Wednesday, 20 May, the Frenchman has been forced to skip the match due to a recent bereavement.
Nevertheless, Evra has taken time to issue a rallying cry to Ruben Amorim and his Red Devils, urging them to “be United” and “fight” just like his loved one.
As explained in the short video, the retired left-back’s sister recently passed away at just 56 after a long battle with cancer.
Visibly emotional but determined in the clip, Evra starts by sharing his “positive energy” before trying to inject some defiance.
Noting that his sibling fought for her life for more than two decades, he goes on to add, “That’s what I want from you [United players and fans] tomorrow: just fight — bleed for this shirt, for the fans, the staff, for the people of Manchester.”
Stating that there is “no excuse” for failure and that winning their first European trophy in seven years is their “duty”, he called on the team to channel the commitment and dedication of those travelling from all over the world to see them take on Spurs in Bilbao.
As for the former French international himself, he will be making his return to sport only in an entirely different arena, with a combat sports debut coming very soon.
Wait until you see who he called out… To be fair, I think we’d prefer to watch the Evra fight even more than the Europa League final.
While the comments underneath the post are obviously filled with lots of condolences for his loss, lots of supporters are also taking further faith and motivation from his competitive spirit.
It’s a big game for the club and so many across Greater Manchester; you only have to glance at social media to sense the palpable tension. For instance, if you’re a Red, you don’t want to scroll past the video down below.
Go on then – do you think United are going to do it?
Danny Jones -
28th November 2024 
