Manchester City
Manchester City has announced a freeze on season ticket prices for the second consecutive year, alongside a freeze on matchday prices, which were reduced last year. The club has also made significant improvements to its ticket transfer policy, addressing a major frustration among supporters. Despite the success of the Pep Guardiola era, which has been filled with trophies and exceptional football, last season saw a strain in the relationship between the club and its fans. This tension culminated in protests at the stadium, with thousands participating and the fan board, City Matters, rejecting a proposed ticket price increase, prompting a club U-turn.
Kevin Parker said: “We started conversations with the club back in January about season ticket prices for next season. And whilst that’s good from the point of view of the club are thinking early to start that process, so many things can happen after January. Are the team doing well or are they not doing well? How many games have we played? So starting early is good but then we’re also probably thinking from a City Matters point of view that everybody else in football is announcing a price increase.”
Lee Broadstock said: “We had a full group meeting and it wasn’t discussed. And It’s like, well, what are you doing? By that point in March, it was like, if I had this for two months as a club, what would it be? And that’s when we went and said we need an extraordinary meeting. We need this moving along. One of the final points on the ticketing paper was we want a clear timeline going forward.”
Danny Wilson said: “Danny Wilson, [head of supporter experience at City], started with a list of reasons of what the club consider when they think what they do about ticket prices or season tickets or matchday. And I think a few of us are probably thinking ‘you’ve gone the wrong way haven’t you?’ And then Dan came out with a list of no season ticket prices, no match day increases, a reduced category D price for midweek games.”
The decision to freeze ticket prices was not solely influenced by City Matters but also involved the club’s chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, and outgoing COO Roel De Vries. The club recognized that maintaining the trust and goodwill of fans was more valuable than the potential revenue increase from ticket price hikes. This decision was a relief to many supporters who had feared a price increase, especially after other Premier League clubs announced similar moves.
City Matters, the fan board, played a crucial role in advocating for the freeze. They presented a detailed document to club executives, highlighting the cost of living in Manchester and other factors supporting a price freeze. The club’s eventual decision to not raise prices and improve the ticket transfer policy, such as increasing the number of people on friends and family lists and allowing transfers to other season ticket holders, was met with surprise and appreciation by the fan representatives.
While there are still areas for improvement, such as away ticket allocation and personal attendance policies, the relationship between the club and its fans appears to be on a positive trajectory. City Matters has been instrumental in this progress, gaining confidence and influence over the past eight years.
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