- Man United received multiple accusations of fans posing as disabled fans
- Following a club investigation, two fans have been suspended for three years
- Kane first, Saka second… which player in Gareth Southgate’s squad has the third most goals for England? Listen to the It’s all starting! Podcast
The club has banned two Manchester United fans after Mail Sport exposed fans who falsely entered disabled sections to watch matches.
Mick Groom and Neil Collins were accused of accepting ‘gold dust’ tickets they had no right to use, in a move that sparked fury among disabled United fans.
Members of the club’s disabled supporters association made multiple complaints to United officials, who claimed that able-bodied fans were posing as disabled to take up valuable spots.
United has launched an investigation and it is understood two three-year bans have been imposed. Groom and Collins have the right to appeal.
Mail Sport obtained footage from three away games this season, at Newport County, Luton Town and Brentford. Groom, from Essex, acted as carer for the three.
Mick Groom and Neil Collins mistakenly gained access to disabled sections to watch matches
The boyfriend (right) posted on social media ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final to confirm the ban.
The two fans were accused of accepting “gold dust” tickets that they had no right to use.
In Luton and Brentford he was joined by Collins, who was in a wheelchair. Neither of the men, both from Essex, were registered as disabled with United. Both have tickets for home games in the regular section at Old Trafford and have now been suspended.
United are examining how he managed to get into disabled sections at matches. Tickets for United’s away games (especially at smaller stadiums) are incredibly difficult to come by and are seen as the holy grail among fans. Those living in disabled areas are considered even more valuable thanks to their small numbers.
United’s investigation has also focused on who, of what is a group of minutes, provided the tickets for both. After the game at Luton, for which United were only given five spaces, Groom posted a photo on Facebook of an empty wheelchair with the caption: “It’s a miracle.”
Legitimate disabled United supporters were outraged. Mail Sport was told that a seriously ill fan had requested to attend the game at Rodney Parade thinking it could be his last chance to see his team, but was unsuccessful.
Groom’s partner, Rachel Stam, claimed he had done nothing wrong when she opened the door to their home.
“Mick is definitely not part of any scam,” he said. ‘He’s not that kind of person. I think he gets marked sometimes because he’s covered in tattoos, but he has one of the biggest hearts and United is his passion.”
Chas Banks, president of MUDSA, praised United’s actions. “I appreciate this move by the club,” he said. “They deserve a lot of credit for working hard and doing the right thing for their genuinely disabled fans.”
The boyfriend has shared a handful of images on social media: Collins was nicknamed ‘Captain Vile’
One set of images shows Collins in a wheelchair before getting up and leaving a cubicle.
Groom, with Eric Cantona (right), was, along with Collins and Wood, essentially branded “horrible” and “selfish” by the secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Fans’ Association.
United declined to comment except to confirm the ban. At the time, a spokesperson said: “Tickets in wheelchair sections are always in extremely high demand, especially at away games, and our number one priority is to ensure that fans who need to be in this section have the opportunity.”
“Suspected misuse of these tickets was discussed in our recent fan forum, and we will support the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association (MUDSA) request to implement ID ticket collection as well as more random checks, at away matches to ensure that these tickets cannot be misused.
