Spot-checks are to be stepped up to ensure tickets for disabled Manchester United fans do not end up in the wrong hands, the club says.
The Manchester Evening News reported how the chair of United's Disabled Supporters' Association Chas Banks launched a scathing attack after claims some able-bodied fans have sat in wheelchairs in order to get into matches for which tickets are particularly hard to come by.
At a Fans Forum meeting he said there had been 'widespread misuse' of tickets by a group of disabled fans, which had been passed to non-disabled supporters directly or via a third party in breach of the club's ticket rules.
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A recent report in the Daily Mail also claimed some fans were guilty of falsely gaining entry into disabled sections to watch matches, particularly away from home. The club have now stressed their number one priority for disabled supporters is to ensure only the appropriate people enter designated areas after.
“Tickets in wheelchair sections are always in extremely high demand, especially at away matches, and our number one priority is making sure fans who need to be in this section have the opportunity,” said a United spokesperson.
“The suspected misuse of these tickets was discussed at our recent fans’ forum and we will be supporting the request of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association to implement ID ticket collections, as well as more spot-checks, at away fixtures.”
At the recent Fans Forum, a United spokesperson said: "We have previously always excluded disabled fans from ticket collections and their tickets have been sent via post. In light of this, for games where we have a suitable and fully accessible collection point, we will recommence collections for disabled fans.".
Mr Banks told the meeting: "Yes, some of the recipients are disabled to varying degrees, but they are not entitled to have away tickets as they are only members, not Season Ticket holders. To qualify for away tickets, you need to be a season ticket holder; have 3 years tenure and have taken part in all home cup games.
"By rigging the ballot process in this way, these people are denying tickets to fans who are genuinely entitled to be successful in the ballot. In cases where we only get five or eight wheelchair spaces at some games, it cuts the genuine people’s chances down dramatically.
"I’m certain that the ones who have been caught out doing this will play the “Only helping out a fellow fan, I’m not touting” card, when it comes to their appeal. But the damage this cheating of the system causes is invisible to most, although not to me.
"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."
He added: "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 fans 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 charity, Level Playing Field, which acts as a campaigning and advisory organisation to its membership and other parties across all sports, has spoken of its concern over the alleged scam.
They said: "Exploitation of tickets for disabled fans by nondisabled fans has the potential to deny disabled fans from accessing matches altogether, increase the suspicion and discrimination fans with nonvisible disabilities face and likely result in changes to processes which could impose additional barriers to disabled fans following their club.
"Allegations must be evidence based and the club needs to take action to ensure the system cannot be exploited."
