A coalition of supporter organisations at Manchester United are calling on the club to stop its current programme of season ticket holder suspensions which they say are going ahead without the required evidence.
There has been anger on social media this week after countless fans had their season ticket accounts restricted, following attempts by the Premier League club to identify potential ticket touts and those breaking the club’s ticketing terms and conditions.
Supporters under suspicion have had restrictions placed on their online accounts, preventing them from buying and transferring tickets but many long-time season ticket holders say they have been unfairly caught up in the club’s investigations.
Now a coalition of fan groups – Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), The Red Army, Manchester United Youth Supporters Club, The 1958, all Fans’ Forum representatives, 100 regional supporter club branches, Red News and United We Stand – is calling for an immediate halt to Manchester United’s wave of ticketing action and urging the club back to the table to discuss the issue.
“A message was sent to Manchester United emphasising full support for the Fans’ Forum’s recent letter relating to the premature suspension of Season Ticket Holders without required evidence,” the coalition says.
They are calling for a halt to the ongoing suspension process, immediately retract all unproven suspensions, confirm the current number of season tickets, explain its apparent policy of reducing the number of season tickets and to confirm that all reclaimed season tickets are offered to supporters on the current waiting list.
Manchester United have some of the most restrictive ticketing terms and conditions in the country – supporters can have their season ticket revoked if they do not attend or forward their ticket to approved friends and family members for at least 16 out of 19 Premier League fixtures.
Now the club appears to be using data from its digital ticketing system to identify touts but their investigatory method – which has not been disclosed to those impacted – has caught many supporters in its net who say they have done nothing wrong.
MUST chief executive Duncan Drasdo told BBC Radio 5 Live: “We have been inundated with messages from fans who are concerned they might be about to lose their season ticket, people who have been season ticket holders for decades and travel to games home, away and in Europe.
“What we don’t want to do is punish fans who are helping other supporters. They need to educate supporters about the rules.
“The damage to the relationship between the club and the fans is huge here.
“I just don’t understand the logic of being so aggressive on this.”
Supporters who have been affected should follow Manchester United’s appeals process and, if they are unhappy with the outcome, they should then lodge a complaint with the Independent Football Ombudsman.