Manchester United have acknowledged that their crackdown on suspected ticket touting caused “genuine upset and distress” to loyal match-going supporters caught up in the investigation.
Thousands of accounts were restricted as United attempted to identify organised touts and abuse of their ticketing system.
However, the club have now accepted that some genuine supporters were affected after sharing login details for reasons they considered legitimate.
United also admitted they had not anticipated how widespread that practice was among ordinary match-going fans.
According to The Sun’s report on United’s lengthy ticketing update, the investigation uncovered one device which had accessed an extraordinary 1,088 different membership accounts.
Manchester United change approach after supporter backlash
United insist the investigation has identified evidence of serious organised ticket touting.
However, the club have now made clear that the most severe punishments will be reserved for cases involving organised activity, systematic misuse or financial gain.
Where that evidence does not exist, season tickets will not be cancelled.
United also confirmed that every case is being reviewed individually by a member of staff rather than sanctions being decided automatically by software.
Supporters will retain the right to appeal any punishment.
The update follows weeks of criticism from fan representatives, who feared long-standing season-ticket holders were effectively being treated as touts before their individual circumstances had been properly considered.
United acknowledged they need to improve communication and guidance around account sharing and have promised further consultation with supporter groups once the investigation concludes.
The row comes during a busy period away from the pitch at Old Trafford. ReadManUtd reported on Wednesday that United have also confirmed a record training-kit partnership with Betway reportedly worth £20million per year.
United are right to pursue professional touts when genuine supporters struggle to access tickets at face value.
Their latest statement also recognises that protecting those supporters means ensuring innocent fans are not punished alongside the people exploiting them.
