A coalition of Manchester United fan organizations—the official Fans’ Forum, the Manchester United Supporters Trust (Must), The 1958, and seven other groups—has voiced concerns to the club that loyal followers are being “treated as suspects” after some season tickets were suspended in an effort to curb illegal ticket reselling.
Last week, the club reached out to supporters who accessed accounts associated with United or forwarded tickets using six or more devices, interpreting this pattern as a possible indicator of buying seats for resale. The rules permit members only to forward tickets to fellow members or return them to the club.
Affected individuals were asked to explain why multiple accounts were accessed, list the various devices they used, and supply photo identification to confirm their legitimacy. United’s email stated: “Following a detailed review of activity across our ticketing and digital platforms, we have identified sustained activity associated with your account, or with accounts that appear to be connected to or controlled by you, which may indicate a breach of the club’s ticketing terms and conditions.”
In a collective statement, the supporter groups declared: “Professional touting, automated purchasing, and those who exploit supporters for financial gain have no place at Manchester United and deserve robust action. However, that action must be fair, proportionate and transparent. Longstanding 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 ‘ban first and ask questions later’.
“The Fans’ Forum has rightly called on the club to pause the issuing of further suspensions and to halt any cancellation of season tickets while meaningful discussions take place. We support this.”
Fans have explained that using several devices to log into club accounts is often a way to help a circle of friends or older relatives who find technology challenging. It is understood that United has not yet imposed any formal bans or penalties, and that any revoked season tickets will be restored ahead of the club’s opening home match against Ipswich Town on 30 August.
The club has placed restrictions on affected accounts and is allowing only three days to lodge an appeal after a decision is made, on the grounds that suspected accounts may be involved in illegal reselling and the standard 14-day window could be exploited to offload tickets.
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