Man United have DITCHED a loyalty-monitoring policy which asked season-ticket holders to tell the club what they were wearing to prove they were at matches... as they admit the move 'landed badly' and caused 'confusion' among fans
* Man United fans had been asked to provide info so they could be identified
* It came after they said they were at matches the club claimed they did not attend
* New rules state season-ticket holders must attend 10 of 19 league games
* Fans threatened with being stripped of their seat if they fail to reach that number
Manchester United have ditched a controversial policy where fans were asked to provide a description of their clothing so they could be identified on CCTV to prove they were at home matches the club claim they did not attend.
Sportsmail revealed United had been requesting supporters who said they were present for Premier League matches against Brighton, Liverpool and Arsenal, but whose tickets did not scan correctly, to tell the club what they had been wearing at those games.
The policy - introduced as part of stricter rules which state season-ticket holders must attend 10 of the 19 home Premier League games, either in person, by transferring their seat to another eligible fan or returning it to the club, or risk being banned from renewing - sparked a significant backlash among United's fanbase.
The affected fans had been told their attendance will not count towards the 10-match rule unless they provide information to the club such as what they were wearing on the day.
United season ticket holders must have their ticket scanned for at least 10 of the 19 home league matches
But the club have now confirmed they will 'not be asking fans for this again' in an email issued to season-ticket holders on Tuesday, seen by Sportsmail. United also accept they 'understand' how the policy 'could have landed badly', but said they may still ask for photo ID in some cases.
'To help fans keep track of their attendance, we emailed season ticket holders after the first three matches highlighting what our data told us and several of you informed us our records were incorrect,' the club wrote in the email.
United have u-turned on the policy in an email sent to season-ticket holders and members. Some supporters received an email from the club asking them to show what they were wearing. The email was sent by United's ticket office in October to those who insisted they did attend certain matches
'As checking for attendance on CCTV is a manual process, our teams were looking for something visible to help speed up the process of identification and some fans were asked if they could provide details of what they were wearing.
'We understand how that could have landed badly and for clarity we will not be asking fans this again. In future if issues arise, we may ask for a copy of your photo ID to help verify attendance and keep records accurate.'
Fans had expressed concern over the season-ticket rule itself, which was devised in consultation with fan groups to ensure seats at Old Trafford are not wasted - particularly given the tendency from the Premier League and other bodies to reschedule matches at short notice and the cost of living crisis.
United are one of the few clubs in the Premier League that have such an attendance requirement in place.
In a shift that may go some way to appeasing fearful supporters, the club said in the communication: 'We know life can sometimes be unpredictable, and things happen that may prevent you from meeting the criteria – if this is the case, please get in touch and we can discuss it together.'
Those with concessionary tickets - such as over-65s - must personally attend 10 of the 19 home games to be eligible to renew and cannot pass their seat on.
United however said they were 'reviewing this element of the policy ahead of next season and will communicate any change in approach in the new year'.
The club also accepted some of their recent communications to matchgoing fans 'could have been clearer, and that some fans may feel confused, worried about doing the wrong thing and, at worst, targeted by the club'.
'We do not want fans to feel that way and we are committed to doing better,' United said.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11532895/Man-United-DITCH-policy-asked-fans-tell-club-wearing.html