Man Utd season ticket holders furious as club restricts accounts in crackdown on resales

Many long-standing Manchester United season ticket holders say they are “devastated” and “angry” after the club suddenly restricted their accounts weeks before the new Premier League campaign kicks off in August.

The move is part of a fresh United operation to identify suspected ticket resellers and fans alleged to have breached the club’s terms and conditions. But supporters affected insist that many of those targeted are among the club’s most loyal followers and say they have done nothing wrong.

United declined to comment on the process or on the growing backlash when approached by BBC Sport.

‘They just want us gone’

Andy, a season ticket holder for more than 35 years, was told on Monday night that his online account had been restricted.

“I feel so angry about it – they just want us gone,” he told BBC Sport.

“كان والدي حاملا لتذكرة موسمية منذ عام 1974، عندما كنا في الدرجة الثانية. وهو الان متقاعد، وعلي مساعدته في كل الامور المتعلقة بالانترنت منذ ان اصبحت التذاكر الرقمية متاحة”.

“الذهاب الى المباراة هو رابطنا. اشياء كهذه هي ما تبقي كبار السن على قيد الحياة احيانا”.

“انه امر مرهق بما فيه الكفاية لصحة عقلي، لكنني اعتقد انه قد يمرض والدي ايضا”

Andy says he has already paid in full for his season ticket yet no longer has normal access to his account.

يقول اندي: “لقد اخذوا بالفعل اموال تذكرة الموسم الخاصة بي”.

“انهم لا يكترثون بكيفية تاثير ذلك على الناس، وعلاقاتهم، وربما صحتهم وصحتهم النفسية. لا يوجد اي تعاطف”.

“اشعر وكان الناس يعاقبون على ولايهم. انهم لا يريدون معجبين، بل يريدون زباين”.

Accounts frozen and fans told to ‘prove’ innocence

Emails seen by BBC Sport show United informing some supporters that unusual activity had been flagged on their digital ticket accounts.

In one message, the club told a fan: “لقد حددنا انماطا مرتبطة بحساب التذاكر الخاص بك والتي نحتاج الى فهمها بشكل اوضح”.

“نحن بحاجة الى تحديد ما اذا كان هناك تفسير مباشر للنشاط الذي تم تحديده”.

Pending investigation, electronic accounts connected to suspected misuse have been restricted, blocking those fans from buying tickets or transferring them to others.

Supporters who receive such warnings are being asked to submit evidence to the club to defend themselves if they feel they have been wrongly accused. A club appeals panel will make a final decision on each case before the Premier League season begins.

United has not yet cancelled any season tickets, but some fans say the lack of clear information about what exactly they are accused of is creating “huge anxiety” and making them feel they are being pressured into incriminating themselves.

Digital ticket era brings tighter controls

Traditional paper season tickets have been phased out across the Premier League, with clubs moving to digital-only access that allows supporters to store their tickets on smartphones.

The technological shift has gone hand-in-hand with stricter rules on when and how often season ticket holders can pass on their seats.

At Manchester United, season tickets can be cancelled if fans fail either to attend or to transfer their tickets to approved friends and family for at least 16 of the 19 home Premier League fixtures.

Last season, about 500 season ticket holders were moved from seats they had occupied for years to make way for an expansion of hospitality areas at Old Trafford, further fuelling resentment among some sections of the fanbase.

The club has also undertaken sweeping staff cuts since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group completed its partial takeover in 2024, including in the ticketing department – a restructuring that some fans fear may be contributing to communication problems and delays in resolving disputes.

For supporters like Andy, however, the issue goes beyond administration and technology. He believes the new measures risk eroding the bond that has tied many families to Old Trafford for generations.

“الذهاب الى المباراة هو رابطنا”، he said. “اشياء كهذه هي ما تبقي كبار السن على قيد الحياة احيانا”.