Sir Jim Ratcliffe has come under fresh fire from Manchester United supporters with more than 90 per cent of the club’s fans unhappy with ticket prices and almost as many willing to join protests against rises.

The United co-owner was warned this week he is facing the threat of “outright rebellion” after being confronted by angry supporters shortly after a significant section of the club’s fanbase directed abusive chants at him in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Fulham.

United sparked fury when, with no prior consultation with fans, they announced the mid-season introduction of a flat rate £66 ticket for members, with no concessions for children or pensioners.

Supporters staged protests at the 4-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford last month and the 2-2 draw at Liverpool a few weeks ago and tensions have continued to rise amid growing fears of ticket price hikes to come next season.

Now a new survey has revealed the fuller extent of United fans’ disgruntlement and the threat of on-the-ground and online protests in demonstration at their treatment.

Ninety two per cent of fans polled by Fan Coalition (FC58) – the supporter representation division of The 1958 protest group – said they were unhappy with current ticket prices at the club while 91.5 per cent registered their unhappiness with the atmosphere at Old Trafford.

FC58, which said it received responses from almost 25,000 of their 77,000 members, also said 89.2 per cent of fans indicated a willingness to join protest campaigns at Old Trafford or other locations and 95.2 per cent were willing to do so online.

Club being ‘cut adrift’ from working-class roots

Additionally, the survey revealed that less than two per cent of United fans were happy with how the Premier League and clubs generally operate and treat supporters.

“We received nearly 25,000 responses plus thousands of comments and the results speak for themselves, demonstrating clear fan sentiment. We have had enough,” Steve Crompton, of FC58, said.

“In our opinion the club is trying to price out the current match-going fan to replace them with tourists and day trippers. Legacy fans – as the club like to calls us – do not spend enough money.

“We feel the club is haemorrhaging money left right and centre. The minimum £66 for member tickets is a testing ground for the club and ticket pricing in the future. We believe dynamic pricing is being discussed and on the way.

“Cutting adrift our club from the community, it’s working-class roots and generational fans, represents the ringing of the death knell for fan culture.”

Ratcliffe was confronted by some angry United fans in a car after the Fulham game at Craven Cottage, where the away fans could be heard singing: “Just like the Glazers, Jim Ratcliffe’s a c---.”

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The Ineos chairman had sparked outrage among United supporters last month when he claimed in an interview with the United We Stand fanzine that the club’s fans should not be paying less than a ticket for games than their Fulham counterparts in an apparent signal of price rises to come.

Ratcliffe was warned in an open letter by the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) on Monday that he is risking “outright rebellion” among supporters and the threat of sponsors being targeted or boycotted unless the club freeze ticket prices and “end the war on season ticket holders as part of a major reset of fan-club relations”.

“This discontent could lead to outright rebellion, with consequences not just for match-day revenues but also for sponsor relations and the club’s global brand. Sponsors depend on a passionate and engaged fanbase,” MUST wrote. “Alienating supporters risks damaging these critical partnerships. Discontent also reduces fans’ discretionary spend too.”

MUST also told Ratcliffe that the tensions “have the potential to poison the well for stadium plans” at a time when United are leaning towards the creation of a new 100,000-capacity ground as the centre-piece of a regeneration project that has just won government backing.

United have also been warned that the team could be badly impacted if the atmosphere at Old Trafford turns hostile and there is a risk things could “spiral into a catastrophic tailspin.”