Manchester United recognizes error in ticket resale investigation
The board admits it underestimated fans' login sharing practice and that the process caused discomfort.
On August 4, 2026, Manchester United acknowledged that it had underestimated the number of fans who share usernames and passwords while conducting its investigation into ticket resale. The club said the procedure caused "distress" to some supporters.
Underestimation of account sharing
When the action began last month, the club identified accounts with activity that warranted further investigation. In one case, 1,088 accounts were accessed from a single device. Manchester United acknowledged that it had not anticipated the extent of sharing, which occurs in situations considered legitimate by fans.
Fans' reaction and July 30 forum
After a fan forum on July 30, where concerns were raised, the club accepted that it had made errors in how it conducted the investigation. The board stated that the process may have caused discomfort to some loyal supporters and that some fans feared losing their tickets without explanation.
Criteria used in the investigation
The criterion adopted was access to seven or more accounts from the same device between March and June 2026. The club reported that the average number of accounts per ticket holder is 1.2, and that many fans justify sharing to help friends, family members, or colleagues manage requests and tickets.
Consequences and corrective measures
Manchester United assured that the restrictions were lifted in “a substantial number of cases” where satisfactory explanations were provided. The team guaranteed that ticket confiscation will occur only when there is evidence of organized resale, systematic use, or profit motives, and that confiscated tickets will be repurposed as season tickets, not as corporate packages.
Next steps of the investigation
The investigation continues and fans were instructed to respond within a 14-day deadline. The club emphasized that the purpose of the action was to combat the growing resale problem that deprives genuine fans of obtaining tickets, and it believes it is aligned with the majority of supporters.
With information from BBC Sport.
Source: BBC Sport