A Man Utd fan claims he got removed from the audience of the FA Cup Third Round draw on Monday night after what he did live on the BBC.
@Callumwarbo claimed that he was kicked off the BBC’s broadcast after being seen protesting his club’s contentious ticket price hike.
In the crowd of people behind the presenter Kelly Sommers, he held up his phone with the message ‘£66 thieves’ typed out on the screen.
The individual understood to be responsible had since taken to Twitter, saying: “I got kicked out for this btw.”
I got kicked out for this btw https://t.co/KAcHmOwn0n
— Callum (@Callumwarbo) December 2, 2024
@The__1958 here’s an unedited clip from today’s protest #StopExploitingLoyalty
Don’t watch if you don’t like bad language.
But there’s no way to sugar coat this shocking exploitation of our fans.
To charge everyone a minimum ticket price of 66 GBP including kids and… pic.twitter.com/FTiO6mVbwK
— Man Utd The Religion (@ManUtdTheRelig) December 1, 2024
This comes days after a supporter-led protest took place on Sunday before Man Utd’s 4-0 win over Everton at Old Trafford.
Manchester United have since said, per BBC Sport, that the controversial ticket price increases are part of the club’s aim to put themselves “on a stronger financial footing”.
The Premier League giants are accused of exploiting fans for a mid-season decision where they have raised matchday ticket prices to £66 per game, with no concessions for children or pensioners.
The report adds that Man Utd had posted net losses of £113.2m for the 12 months ending the 30th of June 2024.
In response to criticism, the club said in a statement this week: “As a club, we have been focused on cost saving to put us on a stronger financial footing.
“This means having to make very hard decisions, including a significant reduction in our staff numbers.
“It also means looking for opportunities to increase our revenues so we can continue to invest in football and infrastructure.
“We have now sold over 97 per cent of tickets this season, many of which were at a discounted rate. We are implementing some policy changes for matches that have already sold out, where only small numbers of tickets will be released.”
In the financial results for the first quarter released last week, United disclosed an expenditure of £8.6 million related to a redundancy program that has resulted in approximately 250 job losses.
We’ve also learnt how Sir Alex Ferguson is to end his time as Manchester United ambassador come the end of the current season, having been given a multi-million-pound compensation package from the club since his retirement as manager in 2013.
The announcement on ticket pricing followed the club’s confirmation that the total cost for terminating the contract of Erik ten Hag and his staff amounted to £10.4 million, while the fee to activate the release clause for his successor, Ruben Amorim, was £11 million.
The 1958 said in an email to the club’s chief executive, Omar Berrada: “This is a disgusting low blow from the club and we will be campaigning through our members, the fan base and all our media contacts to get this removed.”
In a statement, they added: “We have been outraged for a whole host of reasons with regards the latest price hikes. This goes far beyond just ticket prices. It’s an attack on football, it’s an attack on heritage and rivalries. The start of an erosion of the very fabric of football culture in our country.
“We will be protesting as part of the #StopExploitingLoyalty campaign being an associated member of the Football Supporters Association. This was at the request of other members who felt our fanbase was not being represented, nor given the focus by other groups. We will change that.”
The Manchester United Supporter’s Trust meanwhile “will be seeking urgent discussions” with the club in the next few days in order to express their concerns over the move.
A MUST spokesperson said: “There is a risk that this is only the opening salvo of what will surely be massive pressure to implement a significant price rise for next season. Once they have got used to charging £132 for a parent and child to come to OT, will they really go back to the old pricing levels for next season?
“We fans have done everything we have been asked. We have cheered the players on even in the face of substandard performance. We have gone to matches and abided by the new usage rules for tickets. We have taken on a price increase this year. This is in addition to the hundreds, even thousands loyal fans pay to follow United home and away.
“We have objected to this action in the strongest possible terms, both for the action itself and the complete lack of consultation, which is a step backward based on the process we had agreed with the Club before INEOS’ arrival.”
Here’s how fans reacted as a Man Utd fan claims he got removed from FA Cup draw audience after what he did live on BBC…
@BPete1970: Top man Callum
@wackydog70: 3 yr football banning order coming from our touting ticket services
@mikey_747: Well in mate 👏
@SBankz_gwp: Joke that 🤦🏽♂️
@j_coatsworth: By who? Club should have some shame
@CQNJay: Well done, footballs an entertainment, not a business
@Johnhissett: 👏 Well played
@anthonyfdshaw: great work 👍
@BothamScott: What a sacrifice, your a true hero
@Cantona_Is_King: Nice work anyways mate. Worth it 👏🏻
@MUFSeeAlerts:
Take a bow @Callumwarbo
£66
Thieves
@DavidMolloy88: Incredible stuff
@CQNFans:
We agree
£10 is plenty for non-league (and the cymru premier)
£15 Is plenty for the National League/North/South
£20 is plenty for the football league
£25-£30 Is plenty for the premier league
£66 is outrageous, a reminder we charge £8 for an adult.
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