Manchester United have been accused of exploiting fans after making a mid-season decision to increase match day ticket prices to £66 per game, with no concessions for children or pensioners.
It comes as the club confirmed the cost of paying former boss Erik ten Hag and his staff was £10.4m, while the cost of paying a release clause to bring in his replacement Ruben Amorim was £11m. .
United have posted the increased prices on their website, having reported the move on their fan forum on Tuesday.
The club says privately that the decision will only affect a small number of fans, as 97% of available tickets have already been sold.
However, the rest will be subject to the increase.
In an open letter to United chief executive Omar Berrada, the 1958 fans group described the decision as “a clear exploitation of our loyal fan base”.
The 1958 group, which led protests against Glazer’s ownership before Ineos agreed to a partial takeover of the club last December, said it was planning a joint protest with Everton fans ahead of Sunday’s Premier League match between the clubs at Old Trafford.
United allows season ticket holders to sell any individual tickets to the club that they do not intend to use.
“The club will then resell the ticket at a higher price,” the 1958 group said. “This is ‘corporate promotion’ at its finest and simply unacceptable.”
The Manchester United Supporters Trust also criticized what it called an “offensive” move which it says was taken without any consultation with fans.
“We have opposed this action in the strongest possible terms,” the group said, adding that it was “seeking urgent discussions with the club to listen to fans’ concerns about this policy.”
United argue that they need to generate as much money as possible to stay within the Premier League’s sustainability and profit rules, while bringing in players they hope will make Amorim’s team competitive.
