'Scumbag' fans are allegedly posing as disabled supporters to gain access to away matches, Manchester United have been informed.
United's Director of Supporter Services, Sam Kelleher was the speaker on ticketing at the most recent Fans' Forum with the misuse of disabled tickets on the agenda. The discussion revealed that there had been 'several detailed and concerning complaints around an alleged issue of tickets in purpose-built facilities for disabled fans', with allegations of non-disabled supporters sitting in wheelchairs to access matches after tickets were unofficially sold.
The club are given a dedicated allocation of wheelchair spaces for each away fixture they participate in. Sometimes the number of tickets issued can be as small as 'five or eight spaces'.
Secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association, Chas Banks passionately detailed how the process to receive those tickets has been taken advantage and the damage it causes.
"I get emails from people who have not got long to live being denied tickets to games, whilst other people who are deemed to be “Top Reds” get a ticket they are not entitled to," the minutes from the meeting read.
"I have seen with my own eyes, evidence of these scumbags doing this, and I have the photos. To the extent of them twice having been seen watching the match, whilst sitting in a wheelchair on the wheelchair platform, and then the next game, being seen standing in the able-bodied section bouncing up and down when United score a goal.
"This is something that they seem quite proud of and see as funny, publishing photos on Facebook of an empty wheelchair with a MUDSA bag on the back plus laughing emojis.
"Well, I don’t find it funny, and I hope that no one on this room has any time for these scumbags. And I dearly hope that the anyone who gets caught at it receives the harshest possible sanction.
"This is not a victimless crime, and I find it very sad that some of the people who are losing out to these horrible selfish weapons, really are the least deserving of being robbed of their chance to get a ticket that they are entitled to. Because I promise you, for many of them, time is not on their side."
The allegations have seen the club return to ticket collections for disabled fans, when a fully accessible collection point is available. Previously supporters have been sent by post but the new format is set to be in place until the end of the season.
Banks put forward 'that ticket collection with photo ID is the only way we can be certain the highly valued tickets go to the correct people, not to con-men'.
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