Manchester United launch crackdown on ticket touting by asking fans to inform on others

Manchester United have launched a crackdown on ticket touting by asking fans to inform on other supporters who have charged them more than £50 for a seat for Premier League games at Old Trafford.

In an email sent to United’s official members, seen by Mail Sport, the club encouraged fans who have fallen victim to touts to anonymously provide details of where they bought the ticket and how much they paid for it.

United said last month they are contacted by around 300 fans at each home match who have been stung by touts and ‘often bought tickets at vastly inflated prices, and sometimes buying seats that don’t even exist’. The club describe the issue as ‘one of the biggest’ they face each season.

They also claimed they had so far identified 4,000 tickets that had been touted as a result of their new initiatives, including a buyback scheme and investigations of resale websites and social media.

Fans found to have sold their tickets for above face value – with £50 being the most expensive seat for United’s home Premier League games – or through unofficial channels face sanctions such as a ban or a written warning.

United are contacted by around 300 fans at each home match who have been stung by touts

However United themselves have come under fire for selling seats in normal areas of the ground for hospitality prices. United insist this is a result of reallocation of season ticket holders or members, and the price of upwards of £350 is inclusive of off-site hospitality.

United last season introduced a minimum usage policy for season ticket holders. It meant they had to either personally attend 50 per cent of the club’s home Premier League matches, transfer to another eligible supporter, donate to the MU Foundation or return it for a full refund or risk losing their seat.

This limit is being raised to 75 per cent for the 2023-24 campaign, with United due to get their new season underway at home to Wolves on August 14.

Earlier this season, United asked some fans to prove they were at Premier League matches, which they insisted they attended but where their ticket failed to scan at the turnstiles, by providing a description of what they were wearing so they could be identified on CCTV.

The club later dropped the policy, revealed by Mail Sport, following criticism from supporters.

So far the club have managed to identify 4,000 tickets that had been touted