Manchester United cancels 685 season tickets over secondary-market resales
The short version
- Manchester United voided 685 season tickets this summer.
- A club investigation found evidence those tickets had been resold on the secondary market.
- United said the practice undermines fair ticket access for genuine supporters.
- Fan groups protested the ownership, calling the treatment of supporters a disgrace.
- The world's oldest known season ticket, from Burnley's 1884-85 season, is held at Turf Moor.
United voided hundreds of season tickets after an investigation found evidence of resale, as supporters protested the club's ownership.
A piece of memorabilia recognized as football's oldest season ticket sits at Turf Moor, granting its holder entry to Burnley home matches during 1884-85. Dating from four years before the Football League existed, when all fixtures came against local east Lancashire rivals, the card warned holders against passing it on. Its printed notice said violators of the non-transferability rule faced immediate expulsion from the club.
That same principle was applied at Old Trafford this summer, where Manchester United withdrew 685 season tickets. An internal club review uncovered indications that the seats had been traded on the secondary market.
In a statement, United described the practice as damaging genuine fans' ability to obtain tickets fairly and said it would not be tolerated at the club. Supporters' groups responded with renewed demonstrations aimed at the ownership, telling the club its treatment of fans was a disgrace.
