Manchester United offer fans chance to own a piece of Old Trafford pitch

Manchester United are selling preserved sections of the Old Trafford pitch for £125 (R2,700), as the club reports a seventh consecutive annual financial loss.

The turf has been placed inside glass cubes and is being offered to supporters as a memento of the stadium, which has been United’s home since 1910.

Old Trafford, nicknamed the “Theatre of Dreams”, has hosted many of the most important moments in the club’s history, including the 13 Premier League titles that form part of their record haul.

“Wins and losses, successes and failures, highs and lows. We’ve seen it all. Now, supporters can own a piece of the pitch,” Manchester United said on their website on Wednesday.

The club said there were no holes in the current playing surface, explaining that the pitch had been completely removed and stripped back to its foundation in June for the first time in 14 years.

The work was carried out by award-winning groundsperson Tony Sinclair and his team, with the aim of regrowing the surface to improve player welfare and water drainage. Some sections were preserved during the process before being turned into the glass-cube souvenirs.

The sale comes as United face difficulties both on the pitch and financially.

They ended last season third in the Premier League after a late improvement under manager Michael Carrick, earning qualification for this season’s European Champions League. United have since made a slow start to the current campaign and are 12th with five points from their opening five league matches, including one win.

The club’s accounts, also published on Wednesday, showed a net loss of £43m (R934m) for the year ending 30 June 2026. That was up from £33m the previous year.

United said an exceptional £8.2m charge was linked to the departure of former head coach Ruben Amorim and restructuring costs. The 20-time English champions have now accumulated losses of nearly £190m since fiscal 2024.

The figures come despite measures introduced by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s minority shareholder and head of football operations, to improve profitability. Those steps have included job cuts and increased ticket prices.

United’s New York-listed shares, which have risen almost 24% this year, fell 3% in US premarket trading.

The Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules limit clubs to £105m in losses over a three-year period, although spending on infrastructure, academies, charitable activities and women’s soccer can be deducted.

“We will continue to take a disciplined approach to ensure our finances remain sustainable,” chief executive Omar Berrada said.

United forecast record revenue of between £740m and £760m for fiscal 2027, compared with £677.6m in fiscal 2026.

The club have spent more than a decade attempting to reproduce the success achieved under Alex Ferguson, who left in 2013 after leading them to 13 Premier League titles.