Football memberships: what you get for being a member of one of the world's 6 biggest clubs

© Photo by Fancy Crave on Unsplash

Football has changed a lot over the years, but fan memberships have always been one of the things on offer to fans. The nature of these schemes has also changed, however. Whereas in the past, the club might reward its members with something basic, like a club badge or pen, nowadays the world's biggest clubs compete to offer the most attractive membership packages. Here are what the world's six biggest clubs have in store for their most committed followers.

Manchester United

Arguably the planet's biggest club offers fans the chance to be 'part of the largest family in the world'. Memberships come in two forms – Lite and Full – with a cost of £32 to upgrade from one to the other. For this, full members get:

• A membership pack with United memorabilia
• Priority access to Premier League and European tickets
• Discounted museum and stadium tour
• 10% off in the Red Cafe and Megastore at Old Trafford
• A free Manchester United Yearbook.

Perhaps the standout offer for fans, though, is a free entry to all youth games. With the club's academy famous for producing greats like Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and George Best, it gives members unrivalled access to tomorrow's generation of talent.

Manchester City

Manchester City offer a generous incentive for fans to sign up to their membership scheme – a free tour of the grounds. Once the fan pays the sign-up fee, a £25 voucher is credited to their account, which they can redeem for a tour. The scheme is beneficial for the club, too. Not only does it have a new member, but it can promote just how special the matchday atmosphere is and encourage the supporter to buy tickets. It's a similar marketing ploy to the no deposit bonuses offered by online casinos: once inside, gamers can see what the casino has to offer and are more likely to spend money as a result. City has three membership tiers: Kids, Cityzens, and Matchday, with the latter being the most expensive at $35 per season. This includes first option of non season-ticket match passes, and other club-related discounts.

Barcelona

The double blow of Leo Messi's departure and COVID-19 restrictions have had a severe impact on Barça's matchday attendances, and the Catalan club is trying to attract new fans on board with a new membership scheme. Members now get access to exclusive content on Barcelona+ TV, ticket priority, a right to vote in certain club decisions and, of course, discount on merchandise. The club recently made the news for saying that it only has access to the details of around 1% of its fanbase, which is thought to number 350 million people. If they only had access to 5%, their membership figures would go through the roof – leading to huge revenue streams which financial experts say the club is missing out on.

Real Madrid

Central to Madrid's membership is a 15% discount in the online store, one of the highest around. It means a saving of around $30 on an official adult shirt, for example, while fans might even win something for nothing through entry to exclusive competitions. The one drawback, though, is the high cost of the membership, which is priced at just under $150 per year. Fans with a 25-year membership run also get the chance to enter an exclusive Silver club, which costs the same fee. Senior fans, though, get to be part of the Gold and Diamond tiers for 50- and 60-year runs respectively at no extra cost.

Liverpool

The Merseyside club's three membership tiers all come with the discounts at the club shop and free merchandise, but ticket priority is perhaps the most valuable feature for fans. Liverpool is currently going through its most successful period since the 1980s, and tickets to see one of their best teams of all time at a 42,000-capacity Anfield stadium are like gold dust. Members, then, get the chance to bid for 10,000 of those for each Premier League game, giving them the chance to see stars such as Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Alisson in the flesh.

Bayern Munich

Instead of merchandise discounts, Germany's most successful club gives members money off match tickets. Although only 2.50€, this amounts to a serious saving over a full season. They also receive a free personalised scarf and the chance to buy an autograph set from their favourite player – a privilege unavailable to non-members. With star forward Robert Lewandowski in vintage form, the next season or two offers Bayern fans the chance to see the club continue their dominance, at home and abroad.