Sir Jim Ratcliffe should remember his roots and listen to Manchester United fans after ticket disaster

On the pitch, things are finally starting to look up for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. They have a new head coach who talks a good game and delivers results, and with Manchester City faltering, the path back to the top suddenly doesn't look quite as long and winding.

But there is more to running a football club than a few good results, and 10 months after securing a 27.2% stake in his boyhood club, Ratcliffe is already being bracketed with the Glazer family. You can see why.

Ratcliffe's latest attempt to cut costs and extract every last penny from this football club is to price every remaining ticket for the campaign at £66, regardless of age. On a day when fans were already planning to mobilise in a coordinated protest about the way they are exploited by the clubs they support, this decision just poured gallons of fuel on to the fire.

If anything, Ratcliffe has got away lightly. The greedy cash grab has gone down badly, and Manchester United fan groups are displaying their anger. Plenty of supporters at Old Trafford made their feelings clear. But there are plenty who won't be affected, and some of them will still be happy to give Ratcliffe the benefit of the doubt. At least he isn't a Glazer.

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But then imagine if the Glazers had made this decision. It could have turned away a generation of young supporters from the local area, and the protests would probably have been longer and louder than they were on Sunday.

Ratcliffe needs to realise what he is putting at risk here, all in the name of adding a few more pounds to the balance sheet. He has already ripped through the club's workforce with 250 redundancies and taken away perks that come with the job. At a club losing money yearly, that is perhaps common sense for a successful businessman. But turning to fans to try and fill a significant hole in the finances simply isn't going to wash.

Take last Thursday as an example. In many ways, it was a reaffirming night at Old Trafford. A full house engaged in an engrossing game, with a home support making impressive noise for a Europa League tie, and more than 6,700 visiting fans experienced a night they will never forget.

The Europa League might not be where United want to be, but it does open new avenues for some supporters. Those who can't break the barrier to getting tickets for Premier League fixtures often find it easier to get on the ladder by attending Europa League or Carabao Cup ties.

You wonder how many under-18s attended on Thursday, enjoying one of their first experiences of watching United in the flesh. It is a memory that will last a lifetime and an experience that could indoctrinate them in the way of United.

But United's approach to ticket prices for the remainder of the season also puts it at risk. It's a kick in the teeth to local supporters and to those looking to give their children an experience of Old Trafford. At a time when getting tickets to games is difficult, this decision is all the more disappointing.

That it has been made by a 71-year-old billionaire who grew up on a council estate in Greater Manchester is all the more astonishing. It is the kind of penny-pinching move associated with the Glazers, not Ratcliffe, the local owner, the Manchester United fan, who is supposed to understand the club he has invested so heavily in.

The change to ticket prices will affect plenty of people, but let me offer an example brought to my attention on Friday by a supporter who described the mid-season change as "scandalous." A friend of mine has started taking his 13-year-old son, Alex, to Old Trafford semi-regularly.

They have attended every Europa League game this season, as well as the Carabao Cup games against Barnsley and Leicester City. They have become regulars at cup fixtures over the past three seasons, often getting home at around midnight on a school night, but the experience is worth it. Alex has quickly become a devoted and passionate United fan.

Their tickets for this season's Europa League group games have been priced at £20 for Alex and just over £40 for Simon. It was a similar pricing structure for the Carabao Cup games. But a day out that priced tickets for the two of them at £60 to £70 could suddenly start at £132 instead. That is an increase that is game-changing in their ability to attend.

Plenty of questions remain unknown. The change only applies to unsold tickets, with 97% of fixtures at already Old Trafford sold out. Any further domestic cup games are yet to be scheduled and their pricing points not yet clarified. There is also uncertainty as to whether these mid-season price hikes are simply a road test to putting prices up permanently next season.

That is part of the concern, that what had become an enjoyable day out watching United is now at risk because of the uncertainty over what this means for tickets going forward.

There is also a reason why this small batch of tickets remain unsold. They are for less attractive games. Rather than looking to fleece anybody who might fancy attending, United should be proactive in lowering prices to try and get locals who can’t usually afford it through the door. They have taken the opposite approach.

United have since sought to clarify their position, in an email sent to supporters on Monday afternoon before the FA Cup third round draw last night.

That email said: "As a club, we have been focussed on cost-saving to put us on a stronger financial footing. This means having to make very hard decisions, including a significant reduction in our staff numbers. It also means looking for opportunities to increase our revenues so we can continue to invest in football and infrastructure.

"We have now sold over 97% of tickets this season, many of which were at a discounted rate. We are implementing some policy changes for matches that have already sold-out, where only small numbers of tickets will be released."

They did seek to clarify that future cup games won't be affected, with discounts available, although they did state the 25% discount for future Europa League games and a potential Carabao Cup semi-final will be removed for fans other than season ticket holders who have opted in to the competition, and cup season ticket holders.

At Old Trafford and Anfield yesterday, supporters of the north west's four biggest clubs came together to protest against the way fans are treated. #StopExploitingLoyalty read the banner at both games, held up by fans of United, Manchester City, Everton and Liverpool.

But when an owner who claims to have the roots of the club and the local area in their heart are making decisions like this, the end of that exploitation looks further away than ever.

Ratcliffe has spoken in the past of his upbringing in Failsworth, including in this newspaper in 2015 when he explained that he learnt to count by counting the number of chimneys he could see from his bedroom window. He also spoke warmly about the industrial revolution and its links in Manchester.

This decision to hike ticket prices at the club he now runs suggests a billionaire who has forgotten his roots. Ratcliffe should listen to the anger and reverse this decision. And those protesting on Sunday made clear, it's time to stop exploiting loyalty.