Earlier this week, Manchester United emailed a number of supporters to say that their accounts are under investigation for possible breaches of the club’s ticketing rules. However, the emails do not explain exactly what each supporter is alleged to have done. Instead, they state that the club has identified “activity associated with your account… which may indicate a breach of the Club’s Ticketing Terms and Conditions.”

The club says the review is part of its efforts to tackle automated activity and ensure tickets are distributed fairly. However, the email provides no evidence of wrongdoing and does not explain what specific behaviour has triggered the investigation.

While the review is ongoing, affected supporters have had their accounts temporarily restricted and any tickets they already held for future matches have been deactivated. The club says that “no final decision has been made” and that supporters have the opportunity to explain their circumstances before any permanent action is taken.

As part of the appeals process, supporters are being asked to provide a load of detailed information, including which devices they use to access their account, whether they log into other supporters’ accounts, whether they access their account from multiple locations, and a copy of photographic identification.

Supporters must submit their response by the deadline set by the club if they want the review to continue. However, some fans are concerned that the process may not be completed before applications open and close for the first away game of the season, meaning supporters who are ultimately cleared could still miss the opportunity to apply for tickets.

It’s unknown exactly how many fans this impacts but 1000s have received the threat of account suspensions and season ticket cancellation.

MUST have shared the letter Fans Forum Representatives have written to the club:

The Fans Forum is writing to express our deep concern about the large number of fans who have, in recent days, received club sanctions as a result of analysis flagging suspicious activity patterns relating to their accounts.

We would like to initiate a proper discussion with the club but we need to do that with cool heads, to give it the consideration required. For that reason we are asking the club to pause any further issuance of new suspensions and hold off cancelling any season tickets to allow that discussion to happen without pressure growing further on fan representatives. Reps have been receiving messages of concern and anger – meanwhile criticism on social media is building and doing damage.

The Fans’ Forum fully supports the Club’s objective of tackling ticket touting, organised abuse of the ticketing system and the use of automated purchasing technology. Genuine supporters are among the biggest victims of these practices, and robust action against professional touting has widespread support across the fanbase.

However, where genuine supporters perceive that obtaining tickets through official channels has become increasingly difficult, some may adopt behaviours which, whilst not motivated by profit or commercial gain, nevertheless attract scrutiny. It is therefore essential that enforcement activity distinguishes clearly between genuine supporters trying to obtain tickets for their own and friends use and those engaged in organised commercial abuse of the system. We should focus on improving the systems and processes that drive supporter behaviour, rather than penalising genuine fans acting in good faith.

We are increasingly concerned that the current approach risks causing significant unintended consequences. If measures designed to protect genuine supporters instead result in long-standing Season Ticket Holders feeling unfairly targeted, the Club risks doing more damage to supporter trust than the abuse it is seeking to prevent.

There is already a widespread perception among many Season Ticket Holders that they are facing an increasing number of restrictions, policy changes and sanctions. Over recent seasons this has included price increases, changes to ticketing policies and tougher enforcement measures. Relationships between the Club and supporters had begun to improve after what has been a difficult period, but these latest actions risk reversing that progress.

As supporter representatives, this is particularly concerning. We are regularly asked to explain and defend changes where we believe they are justified and in supporters’ interests. That becomes extremely difficult if loyal supporters believe they are being treated as suspects rather than valued supporters. The level of frustration we are hearing is growing rapidly and should not be underestimated.

We therefore ask the Club to consider the following principles.

1. Investigations must not become convictions
The use of sophisticated analytics to identify suspicious behaviour is entirely sensible. However, such systems should identify accounts requiring further investigation rather than providing sufficient evidence, by themselves, to justify sanctions.

Suspicion should trigger investigation; it should not constitute proof.

2. Different standards should apply to Member accounts and Season Ticket Holders
We understand from the club that the scale of abuse involving “disposable” Member accounts managed by touts is substantial and may justify a lower threshold for initiating investigations.

However, Season Ticket Holders represent a very different category. Their identities have already been verified, many have held tickets for decades and have established histories with the Club. The cancellation of a Season Ticket can represent the loss of a relationship with the Club and friends built over decades and often spanning multiple generations of the same family. Where sanctions of this severity are contemplated, the evidential standard should reflect the seriousness and permanence of the consequences.

We do not believe behavioural analysis alone should ever be regarded as sufficient evidence to sanction a Season Ticket Holder. It must be based on actual evidence of wrongdoing – especially where the ultimate sanction of cancellation of a season ticket is to be applied.

3. Supporters must be able to understand the case against them
We appreciate the Club’s reluctance to disclose detection methods which could undermine future investigations.
However, there is an important distinction between intelligence and evidence.

If information cannot be disclosed because it would compromise investigative techniques, then it should be used as intelligence to trigger enquiries, not as evidence to determine guilt. A supporter cannot reasonably defend themselves or make an informed appeal without understanding the substance of the allegation against them.

Fundamental fairness requires that supporters know enough about the evidence relied upon to respond meaningfully.

Supporters should have access to a fair and genuinely independent appeal process. Where sanctions are imposed, supporters should be given sufficient information to understand the allegations, provide an explanation and submit relevant evidence. An appeal process cannot command confidence if supporters are unable to understand the basis upon which decisions have been reached.

4. Club systems can influence supporter behaviour
We continue to believe that aspects of the current away ticket returns process unintentionally encourage behaviour which many supporters perceive as necessary if they are to have any realistic chance of obtaining returned tickets.

Supporters know that others are monitoring the system continuously and therefore feel compelled to do likewise. In most cases, this is not driven by commercial gain but by extraordinary commitment and determination to follow the team.

If the Club believes these behaviours are undesirable, the long-term solution is to improve the design of the ticketing system so that supporters no longer feel they must compete in this way.
Good system design is generally more effective than increasingly punitive enforcement.

5. Touting should be clearly defined
There should be a clear distinction between professional ticket touting and other breaches of ticketing policy.

For most supporters, “touting” means repeated or organised resale for financial gain above face value. In our discussions and in communications to supporters (and indeed rules) we have to adopt the definition which is commonly understood by fans otherwise we are talking about different things.

Professional touting activity deserves the strongest sanctions and enjoys broad support for firm enforcement.

Conflating it with other forms of ticket misuse risks undermining confidence in the disciplinary process and reducing public support for action against genuine touts.

6. Sanctions should be proportionate
For breaches which do not involve professional touting or fraud, the default response should normally be education and a warning for a first offence.

The Club should also consider whether aspects of its own ticketing systems may have contributed to the behaviour before determining an appropriate sanction.

We should manage fan behaviour by education and by optimising systems not by applying sa...

Republik Of Mancunia: A Manchester United Blog

Message History

Delivery option(s)