Manchester United raise season-ticket prices!

The English Premier League soccer club Manchester United has raised adult season ticket prices by five percent for next term after keeping them frozen for 11 seasons, the Premier League club announced on Monday. The rise is due to the higher cost of staging matches, which has jumped by 40% in the last five years and 11% in the last 12 months, United added. United committed to a price freeze for the past 11 seasons but has now defrosted that amid 'challenging' match day cost hikes. They explain that over the past five years, matchday costs have soared by 40 percent, and 11 percent in the past 12 months alone. Some United fans have been left bemused by the price hike by the current owners - the Glazer family - while a takeover process for the club is ongoing, with a Qatari bid and a rival bid from Sir Jim Ratcliffe both leading contenders.   The modest increase in price for the 2023-24 season is necessary to allow the club to operate on a sustainable basis,' a statement on the club's website read.  One of the biggest frustrations for United fans who hold season tickets is the minimum attendance requirement to keep their seat. It was introduced as a trial for this season - something United describes as 'successful' - with a 50 percent attendance required. It is being raised to 75 percent - equating to 14 of the 19 home Premier League games - for the 2023-24 campaign. United wants to avoid empty seats at Old Trafford which is a driving force behind the policy, but the 25 percent hike has been queried by some fans.  The introduction of the requirement caused controversy at the start of the season, with Sportsmail revealing some fans had been asked to provide a description of what they were wearing to prove they were at home league games the club thought they did not attend. The policy was later abandoned following criticism from supporters.  The American Glazer family, which owns the club, is considering selling it after receiving confirmed purchase offers from Ineos, owned by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, and Qatari bidders.