Man Utd ‘take away 685 season tickets’ after controversial summer time crackdown

Manchester United have stripped 685 after an investigation into ticket touting – with the heavy-handed summer crackdown resulting in widespread condemnations from fans and supporter groups

Manchester United said it has disrupted a massive organised touting network covering hundreds of matchday seats. The Premier League team has removed 685 season tickets as part of an investigation.

The club’s heavy-handed summer crackdown resulted in widespread condemnations from fans and supporter groups after fans faced the threat of sanction. The 1958 this week called for supporters to “stand united” against the “season ticket ban fiasco” in a protest ahead of Sunday’s derby against Manchester City as a “line has been crossed”.

But United released an outcome update on their investigation ahead of this weekend’s action. And Red Devil’s bosses revealed that 685 accounts have been subject to a ban while 464 supporters received a reduced sanction or final warning.

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A club statement read: “Bans were issued where there was significant misuse of the ticketing system for financial gain. This included the operation of organised ticketing networks, which were controlling, selling and distributing tickets from hundreds of accounts.

“These actions undermine fair access to tickets for genuine supporters and have no place at Manchester United. Our focus now turns to ensuring these tickets are returned to our supporters.

“All season tickets released through this process will be offered to supporters on the season ticket waiting list.” United say the investigation identified 1,617 accounts that required further review due to what it calls “unusual activity”.

Of those stripped of season tickets, 113 failed to respond to requests for further information, 73 did not appeal and 499 received bans upheld by an independent appeals panel. United last month said that an independent company had “uncovered significant and organised touting” having reviewed account activity on the club’s ticketing platform between March and June.

However, the club acknowledged that their ticket touting investigation had “caused significant concern and distress for some supporters”. United also conceded that they had “underestimated how common sharing account usernames and passwords was” and recognised “that some fans may have felt they were being treated unfairly.”

The 1958 was contacted for comment ahead of its planned protest on Sunday, when fans are asked to gather outside the Bishop Blaize pub near Old Trafford at 3pm.

A spokesperson for the fan group said on Tuesday: “Manchester United supporter groups are being called upon to all stand together following reports of bans and season ticket sanctions without clear and compelling evidence always being presented.

“For generations, match-going Reds have given their time, money and loyalty to Manchester United, home and away. That loyalty deserves to be treated with respect.

“This is not about one group or one individual. It is about how Manchester United treats its match-going supporters. It may not affect you today, it may not next time but that day is coming for all of us. All Reds. All groups. One voice. Show the evidence. Lift the bans.”