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Manchester United has been criticised by several supporter groups after some fans had theirseason tickets restricted.
The club’s official fans’ forum, Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), The 1958 and The Red Army are among the groups to speak out against the Premier League club, which is aiming to crack down on the illegal resale of tickets.
However, the Red Devils’ approach has been castigated for taking a “ban first and ask questions later” approach.
“Professional touting, automated purchasing and those who exploit supporters for financial gain have no place at Manchester United and deserve robust action,” read a joint statement from the groups.
“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.”
The Fans’ Forum has called on the club to pause the issuing of further suspensions and to halt any season ticket cancellations.
MUST stated that this is the first time that supporter organisations from across the fanbase have come together to support a common position.