Melvyn Flower, a Leeds season ticket holder, slams his club’s response as he uses CCTV to disprove a claim that he ‘lied’.
The fan of 48 years has publicly criticised the Championship club’s handling of a dispute after he was forced to use CCTV footage to disprove their claim that he had missed multiple matches.
Yorkshire Evening Post reports that the club had accused Melvyn of not attending games against Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle, and Middlesbrough, stating he hadn’t met the 80% attendance threshold required to renew his season ticket.
Despite over 30 emails exchanged with the ticket office, supporters’ liaison officer, and information security manager, the club maintained he was absent from these fixtures.
An Elland Road season ticket holder used CCTV to prove he was actually in the ground for three games after Leeds United said he wasn’t.#lufchttps://t.co/rdqQzp3Z9N
— Graham Smyth (@GrahamSmyth) April 7, 2025
Frustrated, he leveraged his knowledge of data protection laws to submit a subject access request, gaining access to the club’s CCTV footage.
He advised them to review their footage from the games, saying he’d easily be seen in his seat at half-time when most of those around him head to the concourse.
Melvyn pointed out both his wife and himself within 10 minutes of meeting the club.
The footage clearly showed him entering the stadium and at his seat during the games in question, directly contradicting the club’s claims.
However. Leeds informed Melvyn they were unable to identify him using footage from the camera above his seat as as it was used by security to focus on potential issues.
Despite seeing him make his way through the turnstile for one of the three games, Leeds suggested he had scanned his wife’s ticket and that she was not seen at the ground that day.
He highlighted a potential issue with the turnstile system in the North East corner, which the club had not acknowledged.
Melvyn described the club’s response as “appalling,” pointing out the effort he had to expend – including taking time off work to review the footage—just to prove his attendance.
The situation has left Melvyn disillusioned, to the point where he and his wife, also a season ticket holder, are considering not renewing their tickets.
He expressed frustration at having to fight to spend another £600 to retain his seat, especially given his long history of loyalty through less successful seasons.
Leeds United declined to comment on the matter, but Melvyn’s experience has raised questions about the reliability of the club’s attendance tracking and their treatment of dedicated supporters.
“I was able to prove without doubt in 10 minutes that I was at all the games they stated I didn’t attend,” he said to the Yorkshire Evening Press.
“The footage was so clear you could even see my phone underneath the ticket scanner. Club officials admitted verbally at the time that it has highlighted an issue with the turnstiles.
“I’ve been in the ground when there’s been no waiting list and not that long ago, actually.
“I’ve been with 13,000 in the ground when there was nobody sitting near us so part of that is a bit galling.
“I’m sending them pictures of me with the scoreboard behind me and the away team so that I can give them another £600 to renew and it’s just a bizarre situation. Why would I buy a season ticket and not go this season, of all seasons given the s*** I’ve sat through since 1978.”
Melvyn, who has the option to renew his ticket, now no longer sure he wants to, with the 54-year-old received an apology from the club’s head of ticketing, saying sorry for the inconvenience, however because of the what he endured, he doesn’t want to.
The club’s head of ticketing’s letter of apology, sent to him by the supporters liaison officer, said: “Dear Melvyn. Following our previous correspondence, we are pleased to invite you to renew your season ticket for the 2025/26 season with immediate effect. We apologise for any inconvenience you may have been caused and thank you for your patience.”
“The club’s position throughout this whole situation has basically been that I have lied about the three games,” he said.
“The club at no point have been prepared to even consider there is an issue with the North East corner turnstiles.
“We have now proven without doubt and using the club’s own ticket data, CCTV images and turnstile recording they have a problem.
“I’ve had to chase this the whole time, even having to go as far as a subject access request under GDPR legislation.
“That’s appalling. I had to take time off work to go into the ground to view CCTV images, doing exactly what I advised the club to do all along.
“There I was entering the ground with my own season ticket for all three games. This is how they treat season ticket holders?”
Twitter users reacted as the Leeds season ticket holder slams the club’s response as he uses CCTV to disprove a claim he ‘lied’…
@JuceeRob: This club will do anything to sell tickets to day trippers for £45 — turning into West Ham or Spurs we are.
@RSTJA: Appalling that… owners/directors are absent throughout the season and fans hear nothing but from the manager. Interesting to hear if they’ll put down their corporate wine glasses to address this balls up.
@LUFCxRobbo96: Jesus christ, if fans have to resort to this then what hope is there? Embarrassing the club can raise prices without even doing stuff properly.
@kippaxwhites: What an awful experience for that guy , they need to take a hard look at themselves
@rhlufc: Watch that waiting list they keep banging on about disappear when they can’t get out of championship for another 16 years
@Ben_Paul: Genuinely no surprise. The ticket office management have been treating fans with disdain for years.
@DanielFarkeBall: Forceful video evidence works then yeah? Has anyone tried showing Farke the last 7 games?
@CiaraWarrington: This is ridiculous. Can move the matches round to suit Sky, but if you can’t make a match have your ticket revoked? My daughter in this exact position. And trying to sell tickets back to the club is a joke system.
@chrisl007007: Culture of the club is going downhill since the yanks came in.
@miffy0811_a: Pretty shameful that, they have to resort to showing video evidence. So many of our fans it’s happening to.
@T9LUFC: 30-plus emails sent: club’s ticket office, fan’s liaison officer, and inform security manager! Are these three still in a job!? If I lease a car and I don’t use it for a month, the leasing company doesn’t come and take it back. Why, because I’m paying c.£300 per month. #lufc
@PKK1973: There’s an elderly couple sit next to us in the West Stand. It occurred to me a few weeks ago that they’d missed a few of the cold night games and knew nothing of ticket transfer. They knew nothing of the 80% rule either. I phoned the club on their behalf, got nowhere.
@DirtyLeedsFC: If it’s the same staff that were in the ticket office for the Millwall game, I’m amazed he got them to even acknowledge his existence… 🙄 Dreadful customer service
@catbm74: Wow, that really is embarrassing for Leeds. I’m surprised the club hasn’t stopped season tickets so they can ship in fans that will spend more! There’s literally no loyalty left at this club.
@Jase39: Wow! So even if you’re a season ticket holder and you don’t attend 80% of games they can take it back? This for real . You’ve paid for it, so it’s yours to go or not surely
I’m in same position & would be easily identifiable!! #lufc pic.twitter.com/cAQ80evPyG
— Gaz Tombs (@biggaztombs) April 7, 2025
I don’t recognise this club and the way it treats fans anymore. This lot in charge at the moment are making a mockery out of the stance Leeds United took only 4 years ago this month. “Football is for the fans.” Clearly, not anymore! #lufc pic.twitter.com/WS0iHM31To
— Jo 🐾 (@El_Loco_Jo) April 7, 2025
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