Man Utd and the American dream: Fans furious over Wrexham friendly ticket prices

The summer is still several months away but most European clubs are already making their pre-season plans. On Monday, Manchester United announced a pre-season friendly against Wrexham AFC on July 25 as part of their USA tour, but after the ticket prices were released on Wednesday, fans were left furious.

Non-league side Wrexham AFC have been in the news as of late due largely to the fact that the team is owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The pair had been catching a lot of attention in the stands during games, along with Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively.

Thanks to the American owners' clout, Wrexham has booked a friendly with the Premier League giants at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. The match will open United's 2023 summer tour, and fans who are living on the other side of the pond are understandably excited.

Manager Erik ten Hag will be taking his squad to the United States to play the friendly match as well as embark on a week-long training session in San Diego. Because the tour is meant to help the Red Devils prepare for the 2023/24 campaign, "a youth-focused team drawn from United's travelling squad, supplemented by Academy prospects, will take on Wrexham AFC."

Needless to say, Ten Hag will likely use the match to give his younger players much-needed minutes in order to give him a better idea on which players he can use once the season starts. This means that the current first-team won't have as much exposure as fans might want.

Outrage caused by ticket prices

Fans are therefore livid that they would have to shell out hundreds of dollars per ticket just to see a squad of relative unknowns playing against each other.

Local fan club "Red Devils of San Diego" were present when the friendly was announced in California on Monday. Other fans from across the United States were also keeping a close eye on the news about the event, and many were shocked when the tickets were finally released on Monday night.

Seats were initially made available via pre-sale to Season-Ticket Holders, Official Members and Executive Club Members. It was also possible for other supporters to pre-register to get their hands on the Tour 2023 tickets ahead of the general public. The cheapest ticket costs a whopping $224 (£182), leading many to react negatively. General sale then followed on 16:00 BST on Wednesday 29 March.

Some fans complained that it would cost a fortune for a family of four to enjoy the game together. On Twitter, fans did not hesitate to let their feelings known.

Some pointed out that the ticket prices are actually more expensive than tickets for the UEFA Champions League final. Others took the opportunity to protest against Manchester United owners, the Glazer family, who have been under immense pressure to sell the club. Ticketmaster, the official ticketing agent for the game, is also being slammed for allegedly ripping off its customers.

Positive outlook from both sides

Despite the backlash, Manchester United and Wrexham have both been relentless in promoting the friendly. The unique announcement was made via a short skit starring Reynolds, McElhenney and United's legendary manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

United ambassador Andrew Cole was also present when the announcement was made in San Diego, alongside Wrexham AFC chairman McElhenney and representatives from sponsors and the city council.

United football director John Murtough confirmed that the tour will feature more youth players than first-team stars. "Pre-season tours are always a great occasion to give opportunities for our most promising young Academy players to gain valuable experience in the first-team environment, and this match against Wrexham AFC is a great example of that," he said.

Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson is looking forward to playing against a Premier League side regardless of which players will be fielded. "The tour will be an excellent opportunity for us to prepare for the 2023/24 season, and the match against Manchester United will be a competitive fixture and a good test for us as we look ahead to the new campaign," he shared.

It remains to be seen if the tickets will sell out, or if fans will choose not to patronise the event due to the expensive tickets. United has yet to announce the rest of the tour dates for their summer programme.