HUNDREDS of fuming Manchester United fans were left stranded outside Old Trafford after being denied entry for the season opener against Arsenal.
And thousands more were stuck in massive queues, before being forced to show IDs after United debuted a new ticketing system to crack down on touts.
INSTAGRAM @MARKBTVFurious Man Utd fans stranded outside Old Trafford with tickets ‘cancelled’ ahead of Arsenal’s visit[/caption]
Supporters were turned away from the turnstiles and forced to show ID, with many not getting into the gameInstagram @markbtv_
Dozens of fans were turned away from the turnstiles, forced to trudge to the Supporter Services buildingInstagram @markbtv_
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co announced the club’s intention to use NFC (near field communication) technology for stadium entry in March.
All tickets are digital on a smartphone, in the form of an NFC pass, similar to contactless payments on Apple Pay.
But the changes have had some major consequences for supporters, with many left stranded outside the ground during the game on Sunday.
A man from Essex claimed he was refused entry after being told his “ticket was cancelled”.
After a six-hour journey, the fan waited outside the stadium for his friend, who was already inside watching Arsenal‘s narrow 1-0 win.
He told Instagram content creator Mark B TV that his mate said “somebody else was sitting in his seat”.
The fan explained that he bought the ticket directly from the club’s official website and downloaded the app to his phone.
He is worried about getting into United’s game against Manchester City on September 14 after paying a whopping £380 for his ticket from the club site.
Many other fans were still queuing to confirm their IDs at half-timeInstagram @markbtv_
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SunSport has gone to the club for comment.
Many other fans were still queuing to confirm their IDs at half-time, with United trailing after Riccardo Calafiori‘s 13th minute opener after Altay Bayindir flapped at Declan Rice’s corner.
Before kick-off, thousands more were turned away from the turnstiles, forced to trudge to the Supporter Services building in the car park to vent their frustrations.
A group of men claimed to have travelled from India, spending £5000 in total on flights, hotels and match day tickets.
One said: “This is England. This doesn’t happen in cricket matches in the Indian Premier League. The customer service goes smoothly.”
Creator Mark B TV spoke to a fan 30 minutes into the game who said: “My ticket wouldn’t scan, they said it’s ‘not allowed’. I’ve had the f***ing ticket since 1966. This is my last year as a season ticket holder.”
GettyArsenal beat Man Utd 1-0 on their opening day clash[/caption]
GettyKeeper Altay Bayindir flapped for the goal[/caption]
ReutersUnited looked sharp going forward but failed to convert from 22 shots[/caption]
Footage of supporters standing in large queues has been widely circulated on social media, with many blaming the new ticket system.
One fan on X wrote: “Man Utd ticketing is a disgrace #laughingstock.”
Another said: “It’s a shambles. How can the club do this?”
Season ticket holders were forced to take a live photo of themselves and upload ID to renew their ticket for the 2025/2026 campaign.
But United supporters are not the only fanbase to be left cursing changes to their club’s digital system.
Chelsea fans took to social media to vent their frustrations after fans were unable to enter Stamford Bridge ahead of their goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
What did we learn about Man Utd in Arsenal defeat?
MANCHESTER UNITED have splashed the cash this summer but that couldn’t prevent an opening day home loss to Arsenal.
Here are SunSport Manchester United reporter Martin Blackburn‘s key takeaways from the narrow 1-0 defeat vs the Gunners.
No 1 ISSUE
UNITED have been linked with Gianluigi Donnarumma and David de Gea in recent weeks, and surely they will sign a keeper before the window shuts.
Ruben Amorim has faith in Andre Onana — even if a lot of the fans do not — but he did not consider him ready to start here.
The Cameroonian has missed the whole of pre-season with a hamstring injury. So Altay Bayindir, who has played throughout the build-up to the season, got the nod — and ended up costing his team the game.
He should have been stronger under pressure from William Saliba and flapped a corner on to the head of Riccardo Calafiori.
Bayindir has had problems with set-pieces before.
Amorim and sporting director Jason Wilcox have two weeks to come up with a solution before the end of the transfer window.
NO GOALS — AGAIN
UNITED mustered just 44 goals in the Prem last season — and here they were starting with a blank again.
The Red Devils have spent £200million sprucing up their forward line this summer, and there were encouraging signs from Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
But new £74m centre-forward Benjamin Sesko stayed on the bench until the 65th minute.
On a couple of occasions before then there were crosses into the box but nobody there to put them away.
Amorim said on Friday he believes Sesko can be United’s No 9 for many years to come — and that is why they spent so heavily on him.
So it seemed a strange call to leave him on the bench for so long. Clearly the fans agreed as he was given a huge ovation when he arrived.
A couple of late half-chances went begging but the Slovenian did enough to show he will be a threat.
MIDFIELD STILL AN ISSUE
UNITED have abandoned their bid to land Carlos Baleba at least until next summer because of Brighton’s asking price.
There is an interest in Sporting’s Morten Hjulmand, while United are one of several clubs who admire Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace.
But there is a chance they will not sign another outfield player, and fans will be worried about the options in midfield.
Casemiro was excellent in Europe last season but did not have the same impact in Prem matches, while we are still waiting to see the best of Manuel Ugarte.
United are going to be more exciting to watch this season — that is clear already — but will they still have a soft centre?
Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
