News and Views

Club Keep Manchester United Ticket Prices Low

15 December 2016
By Hob Nob Anyone?

Tickets for Reading's away game at Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup go on sale from Monday. The Royals have an allocation of nearly 5,500, which means, with the distance involved, and the game being shown on live TV, any fan wanting to go will almost definitely be able to get a ticket. However, Reading Football Club have taken the unusual move of subsidising ticket prices to reduce the on-sale price to season ticket holders and members.

Manchester United had priced tickets between 37 and 45 pounds - a huge price given the early stage of the cup and the significance of the match. The Royals will, quite rightly, get a lot of praise and positive media coverage by putting tickets on sale for a much reduced, and much more reasonable, 30 pounds.

To add further embarrassment to Manchester United's over-inflated ticket prices, the Royals have already pledged to honour their on-going "twenty's plenty" campaign. That means if the tie did go to a replay, visiting United fans would only fork out a maximum of 20 pounds for their tickets.

Concession prices for Old Trafford will now be 18.50 for season ticket holders (10 pounds for under 16s) and 21.50 for members (13 pounds for unders 16s). After initial sale to season ticket holders only, tickets go on sale to members with 1000 plus points from Wednesday 21st December, it is 500 plus points the next day and 100 plus points by Friday. Any remaining tickets are then expected to go on sale to those with a member card followed by general sale.

 

Discussion On This Story:

 M Brook

» 15 Dec 2016 11:36

Manchester United vs Reading
Old Trafford
Emirates FA Cup, third round
Saturday 7th January 2017, 12.30pm
image:

Click here to buy 612
Tickets for this FA Cup fixture away at Manchester United will go on sale to Season Ticket holders on Monday 19th December.

A pricing structure was set for the cup tie at Manchester United which will see adults pay between £37-£45 to watch our Emirates FA Cup clash at Old Trafford - due to be broadcast live on BT Sport.

However, Reading Football Club remains committed to making football more affordable for fans – so we will subsidise the cost of adult and 18-20s tickets for the tie, promising that no registered Royals fan will pay more than £30 for a ticket!

Tickets will be sold on a one-per-person basis. A further selling announcement will be made by 5pm on Friday 23rd December if we have any remaining tickets following the initial sales period.

Please see the information below for the full on-sale dates, ticket prices, and how to buy.

On-sale dates
Date (from 9am)
Eligible supporters (1 ticket per person)
Monday 19th December
All Season Ticket holders only
Tuesday 20th December
All Season Ticket holders & Half Season Ticket holders only
Wednesday 21st December
Members with 1000+ points
Thursday 22nd December
Members with 500+ points
Friday 23rd December
Members with 100+ points

*Season Ticket holders and Half Season Ticket holders who wish to buy after Tuesday 20th December will have to buy by phone or in person at the Madejski Stadium Ticket Office in order to get the appropriate price; tickets bought online after this date will be charged at Member prices. (NB. Adult tickets for both ST/HST holders and Members are £30 anyway.)

Prices
Age Category
ST/HST holder price
Member Price
Non-Member Price
Adult
£30
(subsidised RFC price)
£30
(subsidised RFC price)
£45
65 & Over
£18.50
£21.50
£26.50
18 to 20
£27.75
£30
(subsidised RFC price)
£35.75
16 to 17
£18.50
£21.50
£26.50
15 & Under
£10
£13
£18

Allocation
Our allocation for this fixture is 5,446.

Read more at

 Royality creeps In

» 15 Dec 2016 12:09

Good on the club.

Manure robbing bastards! :twisted:

 Z175

» 15 Dec 2016 12:22

5,446 allocation? Clearly the club don't feel they can shift more than that, especially given the subsidy. Free coach travel might have been better to maximise attendance! I remember the Man City furore.

It might have been nice if they had the option for more if need though.

Nice of the club to subsidise though. Shame Man Utd don't lower prices but I think they charge STH whether they go or if I remember correctly?

 George_

» 15 Dec 2016 12:31

IN x5

 LoyalRoyal22

» 15 Dec 2016 12:42

Good gesture from the club, but, the gate receipts are split in the FA Cup anyway so still set for a big payout.

 gazzer, loyal royal

» 15 Dec 2016 12:45



I know MU STH had letters before where if they do not buy a ticket for the cup game their season ticket is void for the next league game. A few years a go the next home league game was Man City and that went down really well

 Hound

» 15 Dec 2016 13:04

I don't think enough is done to congratulate and publicise this kind of gesture from the club. Its an outstanding gesture, and their commitment to low ticket prices for away fans is very very commendable. Its such a shame that so few clubs have returned the gesture.

Man U should be embarrassed that a club like Reading are subsiding the ticket prices of arguably the richest club in the world.

The club obviously don't get everything right, but it's nice to see they at least make an effort

 Sutekh

» 15 Dec 2016 13:40

Could Reading get more than the allocation if they sell quickly. Believe they're actually entitled to twice that figure under FA Cup rules if police and safety dont have issues

 Royality creeps In

» 15 Dec 2016 14:04

Manure probably want confirmation that we will sell our allocation. (because if we don't, they will) Bearing in mind the club have already taken a hit on the price. I doubt RFC will want to commit to a larger allocation in case our fans don't purchase the tickets.

In a nut shell! I reckon thats our lot.

 bobby1413

» 15 Dec 2016 14:19



POTD. Absolutely agree.

I think we should all feel very lucky to support RFC as it does seem they genuinely want the best for the fans and are trying their best to deliver.

 Kitsondinho

» 15 Dec 2016 14:21

Charles Watts has confirmed that this is the final allocation. I can't see it selling out on STHs and HSTHs alone. I reckon, like the Arsenal League Cup game, those of us who want one will get one. Of course I'll be on here crying about how as a 1000+ member I'm angry with the allocation if I don't get one......

 PieEater

» 15 Dec 2016 19:03

Was in for this but even the subsidised cost is (relatively) massive for a cup game that we'll lose badly, a 400 mile round trip, an early kick off and it's on TV. I'll probably still go although having just sat in 2hrs of traffic on the M6 from Jn 16 to 22 it's not something I'm looking forward to.

Good point from Gazzer, it's a bumper pay day for the club so this subsidy is a smallish dent in it. It would be interesting to know whether this pricing structure was from ManU or from RFC, as I understand it the pricing has to be agreed between the clubs. The implication is it's the former (they are the bad guys) but it could be RFC wanted the extra dosh and happily went along with £45 for home fans

 bobby1413

» 15 Dec 2016 19:12



Not sure why you think we will lose badly.

Often we (and others) step up a gear when playing one of the big boys.

Also Man United are so up and down and poor these days anything can happen.

It's one of the best times to play them in my opinion. 5000 away fans, a crisp Saturday in January and at Old Trafford. There's every chance for us to win this if things go our way

 Hound

» 15 Dec 2016 20:09

Bit cynical that on the pricing.

RFC could easily have left it at £45 and blamed Utd. The commitment to the prices for the replay if needed (and certainly not an impossibility) also suggests they are not behind the high ticket prices. They could charge double the £20 quoted and still sell out

 M Brook

» 15 Dec 2016 21:08


Not sure they could easily have left the price at £45. Doubt they would have sold the allocation at that price and potential match income could have significantly reduced. £30 is probably just about right.

 Hound

» 16 Dec 2016 07:39

Possibly not the whole allocation, but still enough to earn them more money than by subsidising the tickets I expect. Esp as I believe all ticket sales are split

 muirinho

» 16 Dec 2016 11:26



Suspect it may not make much difference either way - the bulk of the money split between the two clubs is going to come from the ManUre supporters, not the away supporters (don't know what they are being charged, but there are definitely more of them). But it makes sense, having rowed in fully behind the Twenty's Plenty campaign for the Championship, that ReadingFC are saying tickets for away supporters at ManU at an FA cup game should be capped at the £30 that would apply for a Premier League game.

I think it's disgraceful that ManU would actually charge more for an FA Cup 3rd round game than for a PL game for away supporters. I'm guessing they don't actually agree with the PL price cap, but have no choice as it has been agreed for 3 seasons.

 Nameless

» 16 Dec 2016 12:06

I believe this is the biggest allocation we could take on a sale or return basis. If we took more it would be firm sale so the club would have to pay for the tickets up front with no refunds from Man Utd on any that didn't sell.
Makes taking 5500 sensible and low risk.
I do like the gesture of the subsidy. Ok it is a smallish proportion of what we will earn but it didn't have to be done and I think the club have done a lot of supporter friendly stuff in recent seasons.
Looking forward to a Josh Barrett winner at OT !

 tidus_mi2

» 16 Dec 2016 12:20

Spare a thought for the United ST holders who have to buy a home FA Cup ticket regardless of whether they intend to go or not.

 Muskrat

» 16 Dec 2016 12:50

Bless 'em but I expect the cost of travelling to Salford from Surrey makes the ticket price pale into insignificance.

 jd82

» 16 Dec 2016 13:42

Quite tempted by this.. but £80+ on the rattler seems a bit excessive..

 JIM

» 16 Dec 2016 15:24

If we manage a draw, can we charge the earth for manure supporters for the replay, ?

 Nameless

» 16 Dec 2016 16:06

We've already said we'll stick with our 20's Plenty policy for any replay. That would apply to both sets of fans.

 royalsteve

» 16 Dec 2016 23:25

Email sent to Manure email account


I think it is a disgrace that you are charging Reading fans £37-45 for FA Cup 3rd round tickets. At a time when everyone in football is trying to keep ticket costs down, there is always one greedy idiot in the party.

I can afford it easily but I am slowly turning my back on football due to sheer greed; I no longer go to England games due to ridiculous cost and out of principle I won’t go. I go to Reading games as they care about real fans and keep costs low.

Aren’t you embarrassed that my club is subsidising the supposedly richest club in the world by keeping the cost to £30; no Reading fan will pay over £30 and Reading FC will pay the difference.

Recently, I watched the Arsenal-Reading EFL cup game for £10 at the Emirates

Also, if there is a replay tickets at Reading are £20, which makes your greedy pricing structure even more laughable.

Pathetic, greedy club and don’t even bother with the supply and demand argument.

 royalsteve

» 16 Dec 2016 23:27

We should charge their pathetic fans £100 if there is a replay. Plus £1 million for their idiot directors and management

 percy_freeman

» 17 Dec 2016 00:38

Really want to go but thinking, £30 ticket, £65 train, not even had a drink. Maybe just go to the local, put £50 on us to win . Get proper ratarsed and if we win, cash in. Been there before and it's impressive but not that good!

 Woodcote Royal

» 17 Dec 2016 09:44

As a STH who has hasn't been to an away game for 2 years and has at least 3500 points, given how many we took to Leeds on Tuesday night this is generosity most of us don't deserve.

Frankly, subsidising 5000 glory hunters, most of whom will be at the front of the queue demanding the club spend money it hasn't got in the upcoming transfer window, is a massive gesture and subsidising an even bigger allocation would have been an outrage. The money should have been spent giving free days out for the 150? who made it to Elland Road, the few hundred who will be at Blackburn and all those who made it to dumps like Wigan.

We need an Old Trafford full of fans paying the market rate to help fund our promotion push and most of our hypocritical whingers should do what they normally do given the chance by spending the day at home in front of the telly.

Hobnob meltdown commence :|

 Nameless

» 17 Dec 2016 10:40

The money spent on the ticket subsidy is utterly insignificant in terms of the January transfer window.

I do think there is an arguement to say why not have an away season ticket priced at £20 per match to reward those who travel regularly. For the club to implement (in a token way) the Twenty's Plenty for our fans would be excellent PR. Take up would be limited, therefore expense fairly minimal, but would be another nice gesture by the club.

 Winchester Royal

» 17 Dec 2016 22:01



It's a better arrangement than letting in 4,000 away fans for £20 a ticket when we don't get the same in return.

 sandman

» 17 Dec 2016 23:50



Indeed, Wooders.

oxf*rd having to earn a living.


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