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Man Utd supporters’ groups issue joint statement urging club to pause clampdown on ticket touts

By AsiaEurope


Man Utd supporters’ groups have had to issue a joint statement urging the club to pause a clampdown on ticket touts.

They have claimed that it is targeting innocent fans who are fearing that they could end up losing their season tickets despite doing nothing wrong.

Steven Railston, the Manchester United reporter for Manchester Evening News tweeted: “Further points on United’s operation to address touting:

“#mufc sources say fans who received the email have six accounts linked or more.

“No sanctions have been handed out yet.

“I’ve been told a human is responsible for going through the cases.

“It sounds like the club are trying to get this right.

“Having a better understanding of fan behavior will be key to that.

“In the event of season tickets being revoked, they would be reissued as a season tickets (not sold game-by-game)”

Andy, a season ticket-holder for over 35 years, learned of his account being restricted on Monday night. He said to BBC Sport:

“I feel angry about it – they just want us gone.

“My dad has been a season-ticket holder since 1974, when we were in the second division. He is a pensioner now and I have to help him with all the online stuff since digital tickets became a thing.

“Going the match is our bond. Things like that are what keep older people alive sometimes.

“It’s stressful enough for my own mental health but I think it could make my dad ill.

“They have already taken my season ticket money.

“They don’t care about how it affects people, their relationships, maybe their health and mental health. There is no empathy.

“I feel like people are punished for their loyalty. They don’t want fans, they want customers.”

MUST, Manchester United Supporters Trust, wrote: “Joint Statement in Support of the Manchester United Fans’ Forum

We fully support the Manchester United Fans’ Forum letter and the principles it sets out.

The issues raised are not about defending ticket touting or abuse of the Club’s ticketing system. Professional touting, automated purchasing and those who exploit supporters for financial gain have no place at Manchester United and deserve robust action.

However, that action must be fair, proportionate and transparent. Long-standing supporters who have followed Manchester United for decades, often across multiple generations of the same family, should never feel they are being treated as suspects without clear evidence, due process or a meaningful opportunity to respond to the allegations made against them.

The current approach has created a growing perception among supporters of a “Ban first and ask questions later” process. That is not how trust is built, nor is it consistent with the standards of fairness that loyal supporters should expect from their football club. Investigations should establish the facts before sanctions are imposed, particularly where the potential consequence is the loss of a Season Ticket and relationships with the Club built over many decades.

The Fans’ Forum has rightly called on the Club to pause the issuing of further suspensions and to halt any cancellation of Season Tickets while meaningful discussions take place. We fully support that request. Taking time to review the current approach, engage with supporter representatives and restore confidence is in the interests of both the Club and its supporters.

The principles outlined in the Fans’ Forum letter recognise something fundamental. The Club and its supporters share the same objective: ensuring tickets are used fairly by genuine Manchester United supporters while protecting the integrity of the ticketing system.

That objective will only be achieved through trust, transparency, proportionate enforcement, better-designed systems and meaningful engagement with supporters, not by creating an environment where loyal fans fear losing relationships with the Club that have been built over decades. This is also a significant moment for supporter representation.

For the first time, supporter organisations from across the fanbase have come together to support a common position. While each group has its own perspective and priorities, we are united by our commitment to protecting Manchester United, its supporters and the unique supporter culture that has been built over generations. When genuine supporters face issues that affect supporter culture, fan representation, affordability, ticketing or the future of the match-going experience, we will continue to work together wherever possible. A united supporter movement is stronger, more representative and better placed to protect the interests of current and future generations of Manchester United supporters.

Signatories

• The 1958
• The Red Army (TRA)
• Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST)
• Manchester United Youth Supporters’ Club (MUYSC)
• Stretford Enders
• South Stand United Supporter Clubs
• Abbeyfeale & District
• Arklow
• Armed Forces
• Ballyfermot
• Ballymoney
• Bedfordshire
• Berwick Upon Tweed
• Birmingham
• Brisbane
• Bristol, Bath & District
• Brunei Darussalam
• Cardiff and Vale
• Castlepollard
• Clare
• Clonmel
• Cookstown
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Detroit Red Devils
• Devils Collectors
• Dorset
• Downpatrick
• Dublin
• Dungannon
• East Cavan
• Enniskillen
• Finland
• Fleetwood
• Geneve
• Gibraltar
• Glamorgan and Gwent
• Greece
• Grimsby
• Harrogate & Knaresborough
• High Peak
• Hong Kong
• Jewish Musc
• Kildare
• Kingdom Of Fife
• Lagan Belfast
• Laois
• Leamington Spa
• Limavady
• Lincoln
• Lithuania
• Local
• London Association
• Longford
• Louth
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Muckamore Reds
• Mumbai
• Newry
• North Devon
• North Yorkshire
• Nottingham
• NSW Australia
• Omagh
• Poland
• Pontypridd
• Portlaoise
• Portstewart
• Rainbow Devils
• Red Flag Belgium
• Rostrevor
• Scandinavia
• Shrewsbury
• Singapore
• Sligo
• South Carolina Red Army
• South Down
• South Elmsall
• Southport
• Suisse
• Talahassee United
• Taughmonagh
• Tayside
• Thailand
• Tipperary Town
• Tralee
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Warrington
• Wellingborough
• West Belfast
• West Limerick
• West Sussex
• Westmorland
• Wexford
• Womens Supporters Club Fanzines
• RedNews
• United We Stand

Here’s how social media users reacted as Man Utd supporters’ groups issue a joint statement urging the club to pause clampdown on ticket touts…

@UnitedEra6: 🚨 Tired of the Glazers and INEOS running our club.The same old broken promises, lack of ambition, and constant frustration for the fans. We don’t want this anymore. ManU 🛑 needs new ambitious owners who actually care about winning, not just profiting.Time for real change. #MUFC

@StrettyDave: What’s with Utd banning all the old school lot? Dads pal 40 years ST holder, banned because forwarding tickets that he couldn’t attend because he had family commitments. My brother in law, 27 years ST holder banned for the similar situation. Im banned already but this is madness.

@Rlufc96: Say it every summer, football clubs do not want season ticket holders, they want a different tourist in the seat every week spending money in the club shop, it’s stinks







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