The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) has threatened legal action against a local council following the late reduction of the club’s away ticket allocation for the upcoming Premier League trip to Chelsea.
The Premier League confirmed last Friday that the match will kick off at 5.30pm on Saturday 22 October due to Chelsea’s participation in the Champions League.
As a result of the revised kick-off time and due to concerns over policing, United’s away allocation was reduced by 624 tickets - to 2,370. The Metropolitan Police had initially suggested that United’s allocation be reduced by almost 1,500 tickets.
United described the reduction as “unjustified” and urged supporters who would be willing to swap or cancel their tickets to come forward in order to satisfy the new allocation.
On Wednesday, MUST sent a pre-action letter to Hammersmith and Fulham Council, who issued the safety certificate for the match to proceed with a reduced number of away fans.
The letter urgently requests the reversal of the reduced allocation, with a response required by noon on Friday 14 October.
The letter reads: “If we do not receive a reply to this letter from you by the above deadline for response, or if you confirm that you refuse to reverse your decision, then we reserve the right to commence judicial review proceedings against you without further notice.”
A MUST spokesperson said: “For a supporters trust to engage lawyers is always a last resort, but enough is enough.
“United fans, and football supporters in general, have had their fill of being on the receiving end of unfair and irrational decisions by councils and the police who seem to consider us to be a public order problem rather than ordinary people freely enjoying a day out.
“Tickets had been sold for this game and fans are being treated like second class citizens.”
A spokesperson for Hammersmith and Fulham Council said: “The decision to restrict ticket allocation for away fans was on the advice of the Metropolitan Police and its concern about risks associated with the late kickoff.
“We wrote to Chelsea FC in the summer expressing our concern about the timing of this match.
“It is disappointing that the football authorities have not been able to change the kickoff time to enable the full ticket allocation for away fans making the journey.”
