Manchester United continues to face major challenges with ticket touting, with some fans discovering they paid hundreds of pounds for seats that either don’t exist or were sold multiple times.

Club sources say the issue has led to intimidation and threats toward staff, particularly as digital ticketing makes tracing ownership more difficult. For example, someone reportedly paid £900 for an away ticket at Liverpool, while another paid £800 for Tottenham.

Scale of the Problem

• So far this season, 22,000 tickets have been blocked or cancelled.
• United estimates 10–15% of season tickets may be controlled by touts who repurpose tickets from holders.
• The use of bots to buy large numbers of tickets under fake names is a major challenge.

The club has tried multiple strategies: reclaiming tickets, blocking users, checking suspicious tickets at away games, and even sending staff to buy tickets on the street. However, touts often adapt quickly, and enforcement can provoke resistance from genuine supporters.

Fans’ Perspective

Some supporters argue that ID checks on digital tickets are intrusive and legally questionable. Others say restrictive rules on ticket forwarding prevent fans from helping friends who miss out, while uncertainty around away allocations adds to frustration.

What United Is Doing

• Targeted checks on away tickets to ensure genuine fans get access.
• Reduced prices for corporate areas to discourage paying inflated amounts to touts.
• Limiting downloads of digital tickets (more than four downloads risks being blocked).

A club source said:
“Away ticket allocations are massively over-subscribed, so we have a duty to ensure tickets go to loyal fans and prevent extortionate resale.”

While touting remains a widespread issue across English football, United continues to refine its approach to protect supporters and maintain fair access to matches at Old Trafford.