Charity urges Manchester United to get tough with 'scumbags' allegedly posing as disabled fans to get tickets

A charity has urged Manchester United to treat allegations that tickets meant for disabled fans are being misued with "extreme severity". The club are taking action to stop "scumbag" fans who have allegedly pretended to be disabled in order to get access to away games this season. Some able-bodied fans have sat in wheelchairs in order to see a match, it is claimed.

At every away fixture the Reds are given dedicated wheelchair spaces. But, as reported in the Manchester Evening News, Chas Banks, secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association, delivered a scathing attack on those he claimed have abused these tickets.

At a Fans Forum meeting he said there had been "widespread misuse" of the tickets by a group of disabled fans. They have been passed to non-disabled supporters directly or via a third party in breach of the club's ticket rules.

Yesterday a club spokesman said they were working with the Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association and introducing ID checks when issuing tickets to stamp out the practice.

Mr Banks told a meeting of the Fans Forum: "Unfortunately, this corrupt practice has spread to the point where able-bodied fans have been getting hold of wheelchair tickets. Of course, these tickets can only have come from someone who is a qualifying wheelchair Season Ticket holder. Whether they passed them on themselves, or through a third party, is hard to tell.

"But 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."

Now 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.

In a statement the charity said: "Level Playing Field is aware of serious allegations in relation to the misuse of wheelchair user tickets at Manchester United away fixtures. 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. The potential for an issue such as this to arise is exasperated by issues around accessibility in many away ends, as raised by disabled fans through Level Playing Field’s Annual Fan Surveys."

Chair of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said: “These allegations must be treated with extreme severity. Abuse of ticketing for disabled fans by non-disabled fans can directly deny opportunities to attend live sport and also sets us back so far on education around disability.

“Some of the rhetoric surrounding these reports online has been appalling. I myself am a part-time wheelchair user and will sometimes be seen using crutches instead. Misunderstanding of that is widespread and if non-disabled fans exploit ticketing for disabled fans, they increase suspicion and discrimination there, as well as for fans with nonvisible disabilities and those who may have fluctuating disabilities, in addition to directly denying access to the matchday through their selfishness.

“This behaviour cannot be tolerated, and the club must take action to ensure that tickets for disabled fans go to disabled fans. Disabled supporters with concerns around access and ticketing can contact Level Playing Field: info@levelplayingfield.org.uk