The 1958 urges Manchester United fans to protest ticket bans before derby
Manchester United supporters have been urged to join a peaceful protest before Sunday’s derby with Manchester City, with the 1958 group demanding the club “show the evidence” behind season-ticket sanctions and lift disputed bans.
What we know
- The 1958 has called on all United fan groups to set aside past differences and meet outside the Bishop Blaize pub, close to Old Trafford, at 3pm on Sunday.
- The protest follows anger over the club’s summer action against ticket touting, which has left some supporters facing bans or season-ticket penalties.
- The group says sanctions have been imposed in some cases without sufficiently clear proof being provided to fans.
- Its statement said match-going supporters have shown long-standing loyalty to the club and should be treated with respect. It added: “All Reds. All groups. One voice. Show the evidence. Lift the bans.”
- United said in August that an external company had identified substantial organised touting after examining activity on its ticketing system between March and June.
- The club also accepted that the investigation had caused distress, underestimated how often supporters shared account usernames and passwords, and may have left loyal fans feeling unfairly treated.
Next step: supporters gather before the derby
The planned gathering is set to take place three hours before kick-off as United prepare to host City at Old Trafford. The 1958 is seeking a united response from match-going fans over what it describes as a season-ticket ban crisis.
The group had already backed a July statement criticising the club’s approach, with supporters arguing that the process had too often operated as “ban first and ask questions later”.
