The club has cancelled several tickets for next Thursday's Champions League match, as well as a number of season tickets
Newcastle United fans have been major demand for tickets
Newcastle United fans have seen major demand for tickets(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Newcastle United has cancelled a number of tickets for the FC Barcelona Champions League clash. The cancellations come after a school in Dundee was able to buy 45 tickets for the opening game next Thursday in the Europe's biggest club competition, before thousands of Toon fans with memberships were able to register their interest in tickets in a ballot - with 110,000 in an online queue.
The High School of Dundee believed it had bought tickets from an approved provider, and offered pupils the chance to travel to Newcastle and watch the match for £295. However, a Newcastle United spokesperson has told ChronicleLive that the club does not have any authorised re-sellers, and the only way to sell season ticket seats is through the club's official platform at face value.
A club spokesperson said: "Newcastle United has cancelled a number of tickets for the UEFA Champions League match with FC Barcelona due to a breach of season ticket terms and conditions. The relevant season tickets have also been cancelled with immediate effect and without refund.
"These tickets will be made available to Newcastle United supporters through the club's existing ticket sale process. Supporters who suspect unauthorised reselling are urged to send relevant information to supporter.services@nufc.co.uk."
ChronicleLive understands that 4,500 membership accounts are being watched due to suspicious activity, and around 750 supporters are currently being actively monitored for potential touting and unauthorised selling.
A total of 78 memberships and season tickets have been cancelled so far this season. The club added that it is actively purchasing unauthorised tickets in an attempt to identify a source.
Before the tickets were cancelled, Newcastle United Supporters' Trust said the school debacle had left a bad taste for supporters who are "fighting week in and week out" to attend matches. A statement from the trust said: "The allocation of a significant number of tickets to individuals who are not NUFC supporters feels deeply unfair to those who have shown unwavering loyalty and commitment to the club.
"There is such a consensus at the minute about how bad the ticketing situation is that decisions like this only add to the frustration and sense of disconnect between supporters and those managing ticket distribution. We urge the club to listen to its fans and work towards a ticketing system that prioritises supporters over third parties and other agencies."