Sun: Manchester United s new ticketing system has aroused dissatisfaction with hundreds of fans being turned off

Sports 7:42am, 19 August 2025 97

The Sun reported that hundreds of angry Manchester United fans were rejected outside the Old Trafford stadium before the first round of the Premier League match against Arsenal, and more fans were trapped in the verification team. The club required the new ticketing system to fight the scalpers to require identification documents.

Sir Ratcliffe's team announced in March that it would use NFC (near field communication) technology as a stadium access method. All electronic tickets must be stored in the form of an NFC pass through smartphones, similar to Apple's contactless technology, but this change had serious consequences in Sunday's game, and a large number of fans were stopped off the court.

An Essex fan accused him of being there after six hours of trekking but was told that "the tickets were cancelled" and could only wait outside the court for friends who had entered the court to watch the game, and his friend found that "someone was sitting in his seat."

The fan emphasized that the tickets were purchased from the club's official website and had downloaded the official APP. Now he is worried that the tickets for the Manchester City Derby on September 14 that he spent £380 can be used smoothly. The Sun has sought a response from Manchester United on this matter. At the end of the half, a large number of fans still lined up to verify their identities. Before the game, more people were rejected at the gate and forced to go to the fan service center in the parking lot to complain. One group of fans who claimed to have come from India spent 5,000 pounds on air tickets and hotel tickets. Some people complained: "This is England! There will be no such service chaos in the Indian Cricket Super League."

Video blogger Mark B TV recorded old fans who were still turned away 30 minutes after the start of the game: "They said my ticket was 'invalid'. This damn season ticket I used since 1966 to now, and this year will be the last year for me to hold the season ticket."

The queueing videos on social media sparked public anger, and netizens denounced: "Mr. United's ticketing system is a shame", "It's a mess, how can the club be so outrageous?"

When the Manchester United season ticket holder renewed the tickets for the 2025-26 season, he was forced to upload real-time selfies and ID documents. Coincidentally, Chelsea fans also encountered difficulties in entering the game due to a digital system failure on Sunday before Stamford Bridge drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace.