Manchester United fans call on government to cap ticket prices

Even though Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson doesn't seem to think it's that much of an issue, his fanbase believes that English Premier League ticket costs are out of hand.

The Manchester United Supporters Trust fan group, once known as Shareholders United, has asked sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe to intervene to halt the escalating ticket costs. Sutcliffe incurred the wrath of Ferguson in October when he said ticket costs were too high at the club, and many old-guard supporters were being left behind by the prices.

Ferguson pointed to rival clubs Chelsea and Arsenal as having higher ticket prices. That does little to appease MUST.

A major issue with MUST is the club's "automatic cup scheme". In this, season-ticket holders must sign an agreement in which they will pay for tickets to all cup games, whether or not they will attend. MUST chief executive Duncan Drasdo called it a "monopoly", and said the club was "exploiting the consumer".

"Club owners have been given ample time to put their own house in order and bring prices under control and yet price increases have actually accelerated to unprecedented levels," Drasdo told Town Talk. "This has created hardship for many long-term supporters who have given loyalty to their club for so many years only to be rewarded with an ultimatum to pay up or be replaced by someone else who can.

"We understand that the Government sees intervention as the last resort but we believe that the case for such intervention is now overwhelming."

Source: euFootball.BIZ © Copyright 2006 - All rights reserved.