Manchester United face backlash over season ticket holder restrictions

Manchester United’s relationship with their match-going support has rarely been more strained than it is this summer.

Over the last 20 years, the season ticket base at Old Trafford has fallen from 64,000 in 2006 to 46,800 in 2026.

Now, BBC Sport has revealed that thousands of season ticket accounts have been restricted as part of a largely automated crackdown on suspected touting.

The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust has said on social media that the club has issued account suspensions and cancellation notices to thousands of supporters, adding that it has been overwhelmed with requests for help.

United’s position, set out in a message to the club’s fans’ forum, is that the operation targeted accounts showing signs of central control, coordination by one individual, or automated software.

The club also believes between 10 and 15 per cent of season tickets are controlled by touts, having cancelled 22,000 tickets across the first five home games of last season.

However, supporters who spoke about the situation say they have not been told explicitly what they are accused of.

Restricted accounts cannot buy or transfer tickets, and holders have been asked to submit evidence in their own defence.

One season ticket holder of more than 35 years said the club “don’t want fans, they want customers”.

The secretary of a United supporters’ club in Northern Ireland, said every member holding a season ticket had received the email.

Alongside this, the group explained that members routinely pass unused tickets to one another at face value, a practice they fear the club is now reading as coordinated activity.

Meanwhile, Thomas Concannon of the Football Supporters’ Association has warned that removing season tickets damages atmosphere and loses supporters permanently, calling for a consistent set of rules across all clubs.

United insist revoked seats will be reissued to supporters on the waiting list, though some fans believe the wealthiest clubs simply prefer selling matchday seats individually.

No tickets have been revoked yet, with an appeals panel due to rule on individual cases before the Premier League season begins on 22 August.

For now, thousands of supporters are waiting on that panel to decide whether they will be inside Old Trafford on the opening weekend.