Man United will REMOVE 850 executive seats from the Stretford End – worth around £3,000 a season – and replace them with general admission tickets following a long campaign from fans
- The United fan group has worked with the club to resolve the long-standing issue
- The change is set to take effect from the start of the 2024-2025 season
- The International Suite has been part of Stretford End for over 20 years
Manchester United are set to remove around 850 executive seats from the heart of the Stretford End as part of an ongoing bid to improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford.
United fans have criticized the club for installing hospitality tickets in what should be the most vocal part of the stadium and have campaigned for them to be moved elsewhere for 25 years.
The club has confirmed that the padded seats in the affected block, which cost around £3,000 a season, will return to general admission tickets from the 2024-2025 campaign following discussions with supporters and its Fan Advisory Board.
The Stretford End is the most popular area at Old Trafford and is home to some of the club’s most vocal supporters.
The affected block (circle) will be restored to general admission from the 2024-25 season
The International Suite – which does not include complimentary matchday wining and dining – was installed in the first tier of the Stretford End in 2000.
Supporters have long called for the seats to return to general admission and the topic was a key part of an open letter written by the Manchester United Supporters’ Trust to the club in 2018.
Fans have criticized how United are one of the only clubs to install executive seats in the loudest areas of their stadium.
The seats, worth around £3,000 a year, are located in the International Suite at Old Trafford
The decision to remove the executive seats comes amid a concerted effort from the club to give fans a greater say in decision-making on issues related to match-going supporters.
United recently educated season ticket holders on how returned away tickets should be distributed and also introduced a ‘singing section’ at the Stretford End, organized and run by a group called The Red Army (TRA), to improve the atmosphere at Old Trafford .
‘Fans and fan groups including MUST and TRA have long campaigned for us to remove the executive seats in the middle of the Stretford End and make them standard tickets and therefore more accessible to all fans,’ said the head of United fan engagement Rick McGagh.
‘We have listened and agree that as many fans as possible should have the opportunity to become a ‘Stretford Ender’. We have worked with our Fans’ Advisory Board over the past months to make this happen and we are all looking forward to a stronger Stretford End from August 2024.’
