Manchester United supporters on social media have been actively complaining about the difficulties of attending every game, and the sanctions if they are unable to do so.
Attending every Manchester United home match is an expensive passion for season-ticket holders, and in 2025/26 it has been a logistical problem.
Matches have been frequently re-arranged, with the team’s last Saturday 3pm kick-off coming back on October 4, vs Sunderland.
This is in a season where United have no European football, and while the next Saturday 3pm game is scheduled at Old Trafford for February 28, this will likely be re-scheduled due to Crystal Palace’s Europa Conference League commitments.
With several games taking place in the evening at 8pm, it becomes trickier for fans to re-arrange attendance and travel, and sometimes it is just not possible to attend.
The risk for supporters nowadays is that by failing to attend, they risk losing their season ticket altogether.
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Manchester United fan woes
Manchester United introduced new ticketing rules at the start of the 2025/26 season, alongside an increase in prices.
The rules stipulate that season ticket holders must attend a minimum of 16 out of 19 Premier League fixtures. Previously the requirement was 15.
That means if fans miss out on more than three games, the season ticket will not be renewed for the next season.
United’s stated objective is, “We want as many people as possible to be attending matches and supporting the team at Old Trafford.”
Fans who cannot attend games are instructed to sell their tickets back to the club at a £10 charge, if it is less than 14 days before a match.
United would then make even more profit by selling the ticket on an individual basis.
Social media is littered with complaints from fans who are at risk of falling foul of the rules.
One fan, a season ticket holder of 35 years, wrote to complain about the cancellation of their ticket for 2026/27 after missing four games due to personal reasons.
While providing an option to appeal, United even cancelled and refunded the existing season ticket for the remainder of the current season.
The club’s response
The topic of season tickets and the strict rules was raised in the December 2025 Fan Forum, with Manchester United releasing the minutes.
United issued a strong response, insisting: “Our sanctions and appeals process is widely regarded as being industry leading and many other clubs have followed our lead in applying a fair and transparent process for fans.
“Every fan has the right to appeal their sanction, which ends with an independent appeals panel process containing members of this forum.
“If their initial appeal is submitted before a home game, we make a commitment to hearing it in advance of the match.
“Fans who still wish to contest a sanction can then write to the Independent Football Ombudsman, who is also very complimentary of our process.”
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Manchester United fans want fairness
Manchester United fans want to watch the team play, irrespective of the inconsistent results, but even aside from the cost involved, it is not a straightforward experience.
From digital tickets, to ID checks getting into the ground, to the constantly changing dates and kick-off times, there are a lot of negatives associated with the matchday experience.
The ticketing sanctions process risks taking away a lot of goodwill and breaking relations between the club, and the loyalist set of fans, season ticket holders.
All that fans really want is for situations to be dealt with in a fair manner.
United insist that they are. Supporters will have individual tales that will offer a different viewpoint.
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