2 Sep 2010Manchester United 'fail to reach season ticket target'

Football Clubs News | Football Finance News

Manchester United chief executive David Gill has admitted that the English Premier League football club have not sold as many season tickets as they were expecting, but denied that this failure is evidence of a wider malaise at Old Trafford.

Some football fans have staged personal boycotts in protest of the Glazer regime - a move backed by the Manchester United Supporters' Trust - but Gill was again strident in his defence of the controversial owners.

"Last year our target was 54,000 season tickets; we've sold 51,800, which is pretty good in the current climate," he said. "I think the bare facts are that the club is in good financial shape. The ticket sales have held up."

Gill refused to comment on recent suggestions that the Glazers' American business empire is in a perilous financial state, claiming that Manchester United's recent financial performance had been "excellent".

The 53-year-old has found himself on the receiving end of strong criticism from supporters, after initially opposing the Glazer takeover in 2005.

Written by Terry Mitchell

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