Manchester United fans have been left outraged after the club launched their new ‘forwarding membership’: a tier that basically charges you for the sole privilege of receiving tickets from others.
As confirmed via email on Saturday, United announced that they have now ‘sold out’ of official memberships for the first time in their history which, according to their own estimates, makes them the most subscribed team in world sport.
With over 350,000 official members now on board, the club have taken the decision to close the scheme for both Lite and Full Memberships in order “to protect ticket availability at future games” for existing members, but which will fundamentally prevent others from joining the queue to buy their own ticket.
Notably, however, the club waited to stop the sale of new memberships until after they broke the world record and now, to add insult to injury, the club intend to charge fans who simply want to be able to receive a spare ticket from family or friends through this new United membership tier.
Amusing in itself that their magical cutoff point was once they passed the previous world record for a football club, they decided to then introduce a new, shiny membership category, the forwarding membership!
The news has gone down exactly as you’d expect, with fans rightly pointing out that should you be fortunate enough to receive a ticket from someone who cannot attend the game for whatever reason, that should be down to them as the ticket has already been paid for. No skin off United’s nose.
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Given the busy season, with the club regularly competing in four competitions a year, it can sometimes be hard for fans to make every single match, so many regulars have to pass on their tickets from time to time. Sadly, it seems United are now trying to spin an extra bit of profit from that transaction as well.
Season tickets already set fans back anywhere between £532 and £950 a year (excluding the additional cost of cup games), but whether or not supporters charge mates rates for their spare ticket — again, their discretion — or kindly pass it on for free, the outcome is the same: the seat is filled.
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However, the forwarding membership scheme is the club, essentially, trying to re-insert itself as the middleman after having already charged for the ticket once, hoping to squeeze out even more money from an already angry fan base who believes the owners are only driven by money. Wonder why?
Fucking hell united never fail to surprise me, “forwarding membership” get a grip you money grabbing cunts
Why would official membership sell out? Aren't they just turning money down here? That forwarding membership sounds a complete scam, surely you'd just pass on to a family member or friend for free? pic.twitter.com/jdynrxOxHo
Moreover, as explained in @Daytrippingred‘s lengthy thread, despite fans already having to pay a £100 deposit to get ‘priority’ in the extremely long waiting list for a season ticket, they will now have to acquire an even more expensive Premium Membership to stand a chance, with no guarantee you’ll ever get one.
As for those who could never feasibly afford a full season ticket or even regularly throw in for the odd game on top of their Lite membership (£20 just be entered into the ballot to try and secure a ticket), they will now have to pay a 75% of that price just in the hope that a spare ticket comes their way.
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United’s various tiers. Forwarding Memberships are already being charged for the remainder of the season. (Credit: Man United)
Not to ram the point home too hard, but this means if your Dad wants to give you his already paid-for ticket that he’s owned since before you were born — something that you have always been able to do and cost absolutely nothing as recently as last week — you will now have to pay at least £15 a year.
Simply ridiculous.
It’s just another sting in the tail of the current ownership, digital ticketing which has flooded United with data on ticket usage and modern football as a whole
In the fucking bin with the lot of them, the money grabbing bastards.#GlazersOut
It seemed as though the administration made at least some small but positive steps following the recent fan consultation, encouraging more communication with supporters’ groups, greenlighting the Fan Advisory Board (FAB), as well as allowing both opt-out and ticket buy-back schemes.
However, it now looks as though it’s one step forward and two steps back, with the new forwarding membership outrage just the latest in a long line of controversies under the Glazer family ownership.
With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that fans are once again staging not one but two coordinated protests ahead of the Manchester derby on Saturday, 14 January.
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With the Glazers having now hinted at being ‘open’ to the prospect of selling the club, it’s possible that this forwarding membership stunt could be one last attempt at eking out every last penny before they finally call it quits. Reds can only hope.
Today we release protest plans for the City game
These are the most ambitious to-date
A CO-ORDINATED protest from 2 locations
We urge all fans who love our club to keep fighting until they are gone
Manchester United legend Denis Law has died aged 84
Emily Sergeant
Manchester United legend Denis Law has sadly died aged 84, it has been announced.
The Aberdeen-born footballer was a prolific striker throughout his career, scoring 237 goals in 404 appearances for Manchester United – the club he signed for a then-British record transfer fee back 1962, before departing in 1973 – and also playing for Manchester City too for two separate spells during the 1960-61 and 1973-74 seasons.
Law was an integral part of United’s triumphant record-setting 1968 European Cup winning campaign, was the only Scottish player to have won the Ballon d’Or award, in 1964, and also the only man to have two statues dedicated to him at Old Trafford.
But, he previously announced in August 2021 that he had sadly been diagnosed with dementia.
The whole of Manchester, including everyone at City, is mourning with you. Rest in peace, Denis. Our thoughts are with Denis’ family and friends at this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/YuwjMXKgxn
A formal statement confirming Law’s passing by his family was announced by Manchester United this evening: “It is with a heavy heart that we tell you our father Denis Law has sadly passed away. He fought a tough battle but finally he is now at peace.
“We would like to thank everyone who contributed to his wellbeing and care, past and much more recently.
“The ultimate goal-scorer, his flair, spirit and love for the game made him the hero of a generation. Our deepest condolences go out to Denis’s family and many friends. His memory will live on forever more.”
Erling Haaland sets another Premier League record with new Manchester City contract
Danny Jones
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has signed a new long-term contract with the English champions and set another Premier League record in the process.
Haaland only joined City back in 2022 on a lucrative five-year deal and it took no time at all for him to hit the ground running and become a Golden Boot winner in his debut season and smash numerous records in the process, but the club are clearly looking to lock down the generational forward even further.
The prolific Scandinavian striker has already scored 111 goals in 125 games for the Blues, so it’s just common sense to tie him down for as long as they possibly can – and when we say long…
Putting pen to paper on a new nine-and-a-half-year deal revealed on Friday, 17 January, Haaland has now committed to his future at the Etihad until 2034, which is a record for the lengthiest contract in Premier League history.
Man City may have rounded up to 10 in their official announcement but either way, a seven-year extension on an existing contract which is unquestionably already one of if not the highest-paying in the division is quite the statement from both parties.
Haaland’s new terms see him surpass former City youth product Cole Palmer, whose switch to Chelsea on a nine-year deal was already groundbreaking for the league, having signed more than half a dozen players on contracts spanning seven years in 2023.
The big Norwegian number nine – who became a boyhood Blue during his dad’s playing days at the club – is set to earn a basic wage of approximately £500,000 a week, which is thought to make him the new highest earner after teammate Kevin De Bruyne (£400k).
This means that not only is the 24-year-old forward tacking on another seven years but also a further £125kpw reported figures are accurate.
City also shared multiple videos celebrating the news and the often humourous Haaland has certainly relished the pageantry of it all:
Reflecting on his new deal, Haaland said in an official statement: “I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great Club.
“Manchester City is a special Club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it’s the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody.
“I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the Club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what.
“I want to keep developing, keep working to get better and look to do my best to try and help us achieve more success going forward.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, who is set to leave at the end of this season, added: “Everyone at the Club is absolutely delighted that Erling has signed his new contract. The fact he signed for so long demonstrates our commitment to him as a player and his love of this club.
“He has made an incredible impact already in his time here and his amazing numbers and records speak for themselves. But in addition to his outstanding natural talent and ability, Erling’s dedication, professionalism, humility and desire to keep getting better sum up what we all strive to achieve at Manchester City.
“He is one of the finest strikers in world football, but Erling is still very young and will only continue to improve working under Pep and his coaching team. If he works hard, which I know he will, he will create an incredible legacy at this football club.”
Danny Jones -
10th January 2023 
