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A leading charity has warned Manchester United fans who have posed as disabled fans to attend away matches that their scam has “harmful consequences”.
Mail Sport reported on Tuesday that United had received “multiple” allegations, including those of non-disabled fans attending games in wheelchairs using tickets allocated to disabled fans.
The revelations sparked outrage among fans and forced United to take action to prevent a repeat in the future.
Following discussions with the Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association, all disabled fans holding a wheelchair ticket for away matches will now have to show identification to collect it, while those who illegally surrender their tickets will be has warned them that they could face sanctions, including lengthy bans, from promoting.
And disability charity Scope has criticized the United fans involved for “abusing the system”.
Man United fans have posed as disabled fans to gain access to away games (pictured are United fans at Anfield earlier this season)
“There are a limited number of accessible tickets available for disabled football fans so it is disheartening to hear about this situation,” Scope spokesperson Alison Kerry told Mail Sport.
‘We urge anyone who abuses the system to think about 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.
“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 true 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.
United have also promised to step up their ground checks outside visiting stadiums to identify disabled fans who give up their seat to a non-disabled supporter. Fans are asked to return their tickets for away games if they cannot attend so they can be resold.
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.
“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.
