Man Utd acknowledge errors in ticket-touting probe after fans’ forum
Manchester United admitted at a fans forum on 30 July that they underestimated how widespread the sharing of account login details was before launching their ticket touting investigation and that the process had caused distress to some supporters. The club said the review began last month after identifying a number of accounts whose activity warranted further investigation.
Manchester United supporters are preparing for Champions League football in 2026-27 after a two-year absence, and the investigation left some genuine fans fearing their season tickets might be removed without explanation. BBC Sport reported that "thousands" of fans had their accounts restricted, and a mother said her six-year-old son has had restrictions placed on his season ticket as part of the club’s crackdown.
The club set a review threshold of seven or more accounts being accessed from a single device during the review period of March to June 2026, and said the average number of accounts used by ticket holders is 1.2. "Many supporters told us this was done for practical reasons, including helping friends, family members or fellow supporters manage applications and tickets," added the club.
Manchester United said a "satisfactory explanation" has been provided in a "substantial number of cases" and that restrictions have been removed from those accounts. The club also defended the underlying reason for the review, stressing tickets should be removed only in "cases where evidence indicates organised touting, systematic misuse or activity for financial gain."
United said the probe had uncovered organised activity that they believe will allow tickets to be recovered and returned to genuine supporters. "There is no doubt at all this process has uncovered significant and organised touting which will enable us to remove tickets from touts and place them back in the hands of genuine fans," United said. "We believe this is something we are all aligned on."
The club accepted that its approach caused upset and misjudged how common credential sharing was. "Manchester United accepts that the process may have caused distress for some loyal supporters, underestimated how common sharing account usernames and passwords was, and recognises that some fans may have felt they were being treated unfairly," the club said. The club added: "We recognise that many supporters have shared account login details in circumstances they regarded as legitimate, and we did not anticipate the extent to which this was occurring." "However, we recognise the way this process was communicated, and the impact it has had on some loyal match going supporters, has caused genuine upset and distress."
United say the investigation is ongoing and have given fans a 14-day deadline to respond to queries about their accounts; they also stressed that any season tickets confiscated will be repurposed as season tickets and not sold as a corporate hospitality package.
