A number of tickets for the recent Tyne-Wear derby were cancelled and Sunderland have announced the results of their subsequent investigation
Sunderland have released a statement to supporters after 65 tickets for the recent Tyne-Wear derby clash with cancelled and put back on sale.
At the time, the club said the tickets were cancelled as they 'had been purchased by a supporter who was found to be in breach of the Club’s ticketing policies regarding away ticket usage.' The move sparked concern from a number of supporter groups, who reached out to the club for further dialogue and clarification.
Sunderland have now acknowledged that some supporters were impacted through no fault of their own, but that their investigation found tickets were being purchased in some cases through accounts without the knowledge of their holder. Sunderland said that those involved have acknowledged the misuse and that they have now taken 'appropriate action'.
A statement posted on social media by supporter group the Red and White Army on Tuesday afternoon reads:
"As previously stated, fans raised concerns to us about ticket cancellations for the game at NUFC. We quickly approached SAFC and after a detailed investigation they've been able to provide us with the following statement.
"Following recent dialogue with several fan and supporter groups, Sunderland AFC has provided the following update to the Red and White Army: The club has recently acted to an exceptional and serious instance of ticket misuse. The case involved multiple unauthorised uses of supporter accounts, without the knowledge of those account holders, as well as the facilitation of tickets being used by individuals other than the eligible purchaser, in breach of our ticketing rules. Our investigations indicated that this accounted for more than 50% of some group purchases. The misuse has also been acknowledged by those involved and the club has taken the appropriate action.
"We recognised that some supporters have been affected through no fault of their own and appreciate the disappointment that this has caused. The club will continue to work with the ticketing supporter sub group to review and improve processes, with the aim of ensuring away tickets are distributed fairly and only to genuine supporters."
The Red and White Army also took to social media to thank Chief Business Officer David Bruce for his contribution after Sunderland confirmed on Monday that he would leave the club this summer. Non-executive director Tom Burwell has taken over as interim CEO, with a permanent appointment expected to be made this summer.
The Red and White Army posted: "Under David Bruce's tenure we've seen improvements to the matchday experience, our retail offering and a greater sense of identity at the SoL. Much of this was a response to dialogue with fans. We'd like to thank David for overseeing all this and we wish him well for the future."
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