Manchester City fan groups are calling on supporters not to use the club’s official ticket exchange as the bad blood over season tickets rumbles on.. City emailed supporters last week to tell them of the individual amount they would have to pay to renew their season ticket for next season, with an average of five per cent meaning some rises are in double digits. Plenty of fans have accepted and understood the reasons for the increase, which include rising operational costs, inflation, and following the example set by other Premier League clubs.. However, all four supporters groups combined to call on the club to rethink their plans freeze prices next season. The rises, combined with the lack of consultation, short window for renewal and changes to certain tickets such as Silver to Flexi Gold Membership added to fans feeling there’s a deliberate attempt to price people out of their seats and reduce the number of season tickets.. ALSO READ: ‘Also a fact’ – Gael Clichy comes out strongly on Man City 115 charges. ALSO READ: Man City may have to debut untested £182m defence vs Arsenal. City insist they have listened to the feedback but have not publicly addressed any of the concerns and are pressing ahead in the renew window, which ends on Tuesday. The lack of official response has led the 1894 group and MCFC Fans’ Foodbank Support to encourage season ticket holders to avoid the official ticket exchange.. Currently, if anybody cannot make a game they have paid for they have until 24 hours before the match to sell their ticket back to the club for a refund. But with reports of those tickets being resold for a much higher value and some going to fans who are less familiar with the role in creating atmosphere at the stadium, the two supporter groups don’t see much of an upside and are instead asking fans to sell to friends or family at face value.. It is a decision that the fan groups hope will keep the atmosphere inside the ground that Pep Guardiola demands, although it could also deprive the club of additional income. With the club pushing ahead with plans to make more moneys from fans, this move would attempt to reverse that.. “We are due to get another £50m from the Club World Cup next year. This rise is adding peanuts to the revenues but it’s causing so much disquiet amongst the fans,” an 1894 spokesperson said.. “We’d advise fans to play the club at their own game, keep hold of your stake in City and if you can’t make a game, sell the ticket to close friends and family and do not sell back to the club. The big six clubs are in competition with each other revenue wise. This means we can all be played off against each other, club’s justifying rises because the rest of the big six also implement rises. We’re open to working with groups from the other big six clubs and acting in a joined up way.”. Manchester City were approached for comment.
