Trio of Manchester City fan representatives join forces to urge immediate review of major Club decision

Manchester City supporter representatives have joined forces to urge the Club to immediately review and ultimately u-turn on a major season ticket price increase.

The 2024/25 season will mark almost a decade of consecutive increases in season ticket prices, following a decision made earlier this week that will see the cost of season-long access cards rise by an average of five per cent across the Etihad Stadium.

Since the start of the Treble-winning season, Manchester City’s South Stand has seen the average season ticket price rise from roughly £544 to an average of around £618 throughout the stadium – an average increase of 13.5 per cent.

In fact, since the start of the 2021/22 season, the South Stand of the Etihad Stadium has seen the highest average increase when compared to the upcoming 2024/25 campaign, seeing a rise of almost 25 per cent.

In light of the latest announcement of season ticket renewal costs, a trio of Manchester City fan groups have joined forces to release statements to one corner of the media, expressing their disappointment at the club’s approach towards their most loyal fans.

A spokesman for the 1894 Group has told MailSport’s Jack Gaughan of their ‘immense disappointment’, and in turn insisted on their belief that Manchester City should ‘reconsider’ their decision to raise season ticket prices for yet another campaign.

“The rise is immensely disappointing. There is no justification for it. We’d like the club to reconsider. People want a freeze, which is achievable. We’re in a situation now where they don’t need to wring every last bit out of the matchday revenue.

“The fans are a little bit restless. This one feels like a step too far. There is a battle for the heart and soul of the club,” the spokesman continued.

The chair of City Matters, Alex Howell followed suit by pointing towards the consistency of Manchester City’s price hikes and the coinciding with an ongoing cost of living crisis in the United Kingdom.

“At what point does the success on and off the pitch get passed to supporters? I echo the sentiment for the club to reverse the decision,” Howell stressed. “In isolation it’s not a huge rise but it’s the context of the past 10-15 years.

“We’re a city that does have a lot of deprivation, the cost of living (crisis). People aren’t going to be able to afford these rises year-on-year and the reality is that some are going to be priced out by the incremental rises.”

MCFC Fans Foodbank Support also offered their take on the situation, pointing towards a line of messaging brought across by manager Pep Guardiola throughout the Catalan’s time at the club, and how it goes against exactly what his boardroom ‘friends’ stand for.

“Pep (Guardiola) always talks about ‘our people’ but it’s his friends in the boardroom who are making it more difficult for ‘our people'”, a spokesman explained. “Decisions like this are actively excluding them. It feels like we’re taken for granted.

“The renewal period is extremely short. That will stretch people. Little decisions are squeezing people. We’d asked the club to reconsider.”

Manchester City fans who currently hold a season ticket for the Etihad Stadium will have just a matter of days to make a decision on their season ticket future, in a timeframe that has also come under plenty of criticism online.