Manchester United have been urged to take action against “trash” fans who have posed as disabled fans to get into matches.
Mail Sport reported this week that United had received “multiple” allegations of non-disabled fans attending away matches in wheelchairs using tickets allocated to disabled fans.
The club has confirmed a series of measures designed to prevent a repeat of the scam, including ordering all disabled fans with wheelchair entry to pick up with valid identification and increased checks outside stadiums, amid widespread condemnation of those involved.
Fans found to have illegally swiped their tickets have also been warned they could face sanctions, including lengthy bans, for promoting their tickets. According to club rules, fans must return their tickets for away games if they cannot attend so they can be resold.
Responding to Mail Sport’s report, Level Playing Field, one of the country’s leading disability sports charities, told United they must do more and said exploitation of the system “increases suspicion and discrimination”.
Man United fans have posed as disabled fans to gain access to away games (pictured are United fans at Anfield earlier this season)
“These allegations must be treated with extreme severity,” said Level Playing Field president Tony Taylor.
‘The abuse of ticket sales for disabled fans by non-disabled fans can directly deny the opportunity to attend live sport and also represents a setback so far in disability education.
‘Some of the rhetoric surrounding these online reports has been appalling. I am a part-time wheelchair user myself and am sometimes seen using crutches.
“Misunderstanding about this is widespread and if non-disabled fans exploit ticket sales for disabled fans, it increases suspicion and discrimination there, as well as for fans with non-visible disabilities and those who may have fluctuating disabilities, in addition of directly denying access to the journey through their selfishness.
“This behavior cannot be tolerated and the club must take action to ensure tickets for disabled fans go to disabled fans.”
Disability charity Scope told Mail Sport the allegations were “disheartening” and warned those who abused the system of the “harmful consequences of their actions”.
“There are already a multitude of barriers that disabled football fans face, from inaccessible stadiums and problems with public transport to negative attitudes from other fans,” said Scope spokesperson Allison Kerry.
“Football fans with disabilities should always have equal access to support their team.”
Mikey Erhardt, campaigner at Disability Rights UK, added: “Non-disabled people abusing support and services designed for disabled people is always disappointing, whether it’s people misusing disabled parking spaces or fans of the soccer”.
‘We are not surprised that a situation like this arises, when the rhetoric of the government and its media attackers demonize disabled people and the support we need at all times.
‘However, we must not allow these abuses to lead to more complex processes, as this would make it difficult for genuine disabled fans to get the access we need. “We hope the club will work with its disabled fans to ensure we are all welcome and treated equally.”
The Liverpool Disabled Fans Association also intervened in the dispute. ‘We fully support the stance @ManUtd and our friends @MudsaO are taking in support of their disabled supporters. This is really shocking! Enough is enough,’ they wrote in X.
Chas Banks, secretary of MUDSA, slammed the “bastards” who had been caught using disabled tickets to access away games and said some of these fans had been seen in a wheelchair area one week, before jumping from their seats when United scored a goal. goal the next.
United has initiated a series of measures designed to prevent the scam from occurring in the future.
“I’ve seen with my own eyes proof of these motherfuckers doing this, and I have the pictures,” Banks said at a recent Fan Forum meeting.
“To the point that they were seen twice watching the game while sitting in a wheelchair on the wheelchair platform, and then at the next game, they were seen standing in the able-bodied section, jumping up and down when United scores a goal.
“I sincerely hope that anyone caught doing so receives the harshest sanction possible.
“This is not a victimless crime, and I find it very sad that some of the people who are losing to these horrible selfish bigots are really the ones who least deserve to be robbed of the opportunity to get a ticket to which they are entitled. Because they are I promise that for many of them time is not on their side.