Manchester United ban ticket accounts and issue warnings in crackdown on touting

[p]The Premier League club said an ‌investigation launched in July found 1,617 accounts ‌where unusual activity was occurring and required further ‌review, but that season-ticket bans were handed down ‌only in cases involving significant misuse of the ticketing system for financial gain.[/p][p]Hundreds of cases were closed ‌without punishment after supporters provided information ⁠explaining flagged activity, ‌the club said on Friday, while others received warnings ​or limited restrictions on ticket forwarding and away-ticket applications.[/p][p][b]"The club's guiding principle around ​ticketing is simple: to keep our fans safe and secure, to protect fair access to tickets ⁠for genuine [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]​Manchester United[/a] supporters and to tackle ticket touting, misuse and activity for financial gain,"[/b] the club said in a statement.[/p][embed guid="ab3b0845-e5eb-4a8b-a17d-e54642cc4162" url="https://x.com/BBCMOTD/status/2098382557838721465" social-type="twitter" /][p]The 1958 Manchester United fans' ‌group is organising a protest ahead of Sunday's derby clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a], arguing the club's handling of its ticket touting crackdown was heavy-handed.[/p][p][b]"Manchester United are sanctioning and banning loyal, generational [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Reds[/a] without clear and compelling evidence,"[/b] the group said in a post on X. [b]"These owners want rid of lifelong matchgoers. Their strategy is ‌clear to see. It’s a cull![/b][/p][p]"If there is ​clear, substantive evidence of serious wrongdoing or ‌organised ticket touting, show it. No loyal supporter should be treated as guilty without being given a fair opportunity to understand and challenge the case against them."[/p][p]United maintained the ⁠operation had uncovered ⁠organised networks trading tickets ‌across hundreds of accounts.[/p]