Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Paul Scholes says Sir Jim Ratcliffe has done “nothing positive” during his first year at Manchester United.
Despite suffering one of the worst seasons in their recent history, United made the mid-season decision to raise matchday ticket prices to £66 per game in the Premier League, with no concessions for children or pensioners, a move which enraged some fans.
The club insist the hike would only affect a small number of fans as 97 per cent of tickets have already been sold but the remainder and resold tickets will be subject to the increase.
The move, alongside a campaign which sees United loitering in the lower reaches of the Premier League, has seen Ratcliffe’s popularity among fans plummet after just a year in charge.
Scholes slammed the price increase in the latest episode of The Overlap and questioned how Ratcliffe had the gall to increase prices to watch the worst United side in decades.
“£66 for a ticket is ridiculous. If you think of Manchester, there are so many deprived areas and Sir Jim Ratcliffe himself is from Failsworth, which is a deprived area,” former United midfielder Scholes told The Overlap Fan Debate.
“If you take one kid with you, that’s £120, if you take a family, you’re looking at £300-400 – it’s not right.
“They (Ineos Group) have been in charge (of Manchester United) for nearly a year now and everything is still negative. I can’t think of something positive that they’ve done for the football club.”
Around 250 members of staff have been made redundant over the past 12 months and Sir Alex Ferguson’s ambassadorial role is ending among ongoing cost-cutting measures introduced by Ineos.
On the field, United have not won for five games under new boss Ruben Amorim – ending a run of four consecutive defeats with a 2-2 draw at league leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
United are currently languishing in 13th place in the Premier League, only seven points above the relegation zone.
Scholes said: “Things are getting worse on the football pitch so couldn’t they have just said that they’d do cheaper tickets – couldn’t they just give us something positive?
“How can you ask Manchester United fans to pay more money with what’s on the football pitch?
“Where do these owners get the front to put ticket prices up for what we’re watching?
“For the value, we’re probably having our worst ever Premier League season and they’ve got the cheek to put the prices up.
“There is nothing positive happening with that football club. The team look bang average. They’re not doing anything for fans.
“If we’ve got Sir Jim Ratcliffe, compared to all these American owners, who’s been a United fan since growing up in an area in Manchester, he’s still hiking prices up. It just shows that they don’t care.”
PA contributed to this report
