13/12/2025
MUST DECEMBER UPDATE
Latest MUST Email Newsletter:
Welcome to the final MUST newsletter of 2025. Let's face it, it's mostly been a year to forget for United fans but whatever is going on on the pitch the work off it to represent fans' interests to the Club continues. It's been a typically busy few months for us so we wanted to share some of the highlights.
Ticketing Policy and Pricing.
We will continue to consult supporters over the coming months as we input into the club on ticketing policy and pricing. MUST has direct dialogue with the club as well as positions on the Fan Advisory Board (FAB) and the Fans Forum (FF) so we will be reflecting views of supporters in pricing and policy consultation. New combined FAB/FF subgroups have also been set up recently to cover a number of specific areas with the most substantial being ticketing policy so we'll shortly be asking fans for views on the most important areas to review. The first area the ticketing subgroup has been looking at is away match sanctions. Look out for a survey link being sent out shortly.
Football without fans is nothing?? Hmmm.
We used our latest article in United We Stand to highlight the impact on supporters of the absurd run of ten successive matches without a Saturday fixture, and with eight of them midweek kicking off at 8pm or later.
Please buy the fanzine to read the full piece (print or online HERE), which points out that whilst match-going fans are used to being bottom of the pecking order when football authorities and broadcasters schedule these games, this run really does set a new low of taking the mick out of all of us who try to organise our lives around following our team. “Football without fans is nothing” they told us during the pandemic. How short their memories, or perhaps how little they meant it in the first place?
We believe that over this run of games, the Club should relax the ever tighter rules around minimum usage and ticket forwarding for season ticket holders. A minimum usage requirement of 16/19 is one thing if you have a normal and predictable fixture list with most games at the weekend, but when you have five home games at Monday 8pm, Thursday 8pm, Monday 8pm, Friday 8pm and Tuesday 8pm then the Club should make some allowance for that. Far more people won’t be able to attend personally, and transferring tickets for those inconvenient slots is going to be much much harder with reduced demand for these dates and times.
Stadium entry problems continue
Once you’ve arranged your job, your family and the rest of your life to allow you the privilege of Bournemouth at home on a Monday night, you’ll encounter the next problem - actually getting in the ground for kick-off.
All season there have been problems at turnstiles whether it is caused by the new NFC ticketing or searches or … , and we warned the Club that weekday fixtures would be worst of all as far fewer people arrive well ahead of kick off time. And if it is lashing down the temptation is to turn up in the last 15 minutes - unfortunately lots of other people think this too.
Sure enough, against Everton getting into the ground was nearly as shambolic as the performance on the pitch. Problems were reported all across the stadium and thousands missed the kick-off. For many we hear West Ham was reportedly worse.
Come on United, it's not good enough. You decided to introduce this ticketing technology - it's now incumbent on you to make it work in a way that allows people to enter the stadium in a reasonable amount of time.
We'll be sharing a link shortly on our social media and email to collect feedback on stadium entry experience so please look out for that and make sure you share it with anyone you know how is attending on Monday.
MUST Foodbank Drive for Christmas - Bournemouth (H) Monday 15th December
Christmas is approaching and MUST members are continuing their brilliant work with Manchester South Central Foodbank. MUST along with our friends from MSC Foodbank will be collecting non-perishable food items and cash donations before the Bournemouth home game (from 4 pm - 8 pm on Monday 15th December) so if you are attending the match, please drop by with a donation before KO.
If you are not attending the match on Monday you can still help:
1. Donate via the appeal here where Aviva will match fund donations:
https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/manchester-south-central-foodbank-2
2. Take part in our *FOODBANK* prize draws which we run several times a week throughout the year here:
https://www.imust.org.uk/Competition
And there is another special foodbank fundraising draw on now CLOSING TONIGHT to win 4 tickets for Bournemouth in the Devils Bar (free drinks!) which has been donated by a very generous member and you can enter here - all funds to our foodbank campaign.
#3260 FOODBANK FLASH DRAW - 4X DEVILS BAR TICKETS FOR BOURNEMOUTH(H) MON 15TH DECEMBER
Manchester South Central Foodbank works across Old Trafford and south Manchester providing for those in need. With the cost-of-living crisis and a hard winter ahead there is an increase in demand for food parcels so that all can enjoy a happy Christmas.
And MUST are proud to be able to help. This follows on from our donation of £6,328.99 to the Foodbank in June, raised by our amazing members though our prize draws. We’ll be making a similar donation before Christmas too which will be boosted by FOODBANK prize draw entries.
So, if you can help make this Christmas truly special for those in need, you can donate using the above links or before any home game at the MUST matchday stall.
Everything helps! But the Foodbank have specifically asked for Tinned Fruit, Rice Pudding, Jam, Tea bags, UHT Milk, tinned meat, vegetables and fruit, pasta sauce, and carrier bags. So please dig deep and contribute to the vital work MUST and Manchester South Central Foodbank are doing this Christmas. To learn more, follow @MUFCFoodbank and @MSCFoodbank on X.
Reclaim the Stretford End - Banners fundraising
Another campaign we have been supporting is the Stretford End banner fundraising campaign powered by TRA. It has made a stunning visual impact which helps to fuel the atmosphere we all want to see inside Old Trafford. An amazing initiative and one we are proud to support. So far we have donated £2660 - if you’d like to help us to fund more banners you can look out for the draws HERE tagged with *TRA STRETFORD END* or if you’d prefer to just make a donation you can do that here
Last chance - MUST Shop Pre-Christmas Sale
Check out our special offers for Christmas here: https://shop.imust.org.uk/collections/christmas-sale
So in closing, we want to thank you all for your support over the last year and let's look forward with hope for a more positive new year on and off the pitch.