Manchester United Creates New Role Amid Ticket Touting Crackdown
The club is advertising for a 'supporter escalations executive' as part of its ongoing efforts to combat ticket touting, a move that has drawn criticism from some fan groups.
Manchester United has created a new position for a "supporter escalations executive" as the club continues its controversial crackdown on ticket touting. The role is described as managing a "high-volume caseload of complex investigations, sanctions, appeals and escalations," according to a job advertisement.
This initiative follows a recent clampdown that resulted in 685 accounts being banned and 464 supporters being sanctioned or warned. While the club states the position will handle a range of issues, the advertisement specifically mentions it is "key to support the club’s mission to tackle ticket touting."
The successful candidate will be expected to "balance robust enforcement with empathy, transparency and consistent treatment." The role will also involve utilizing AI to analyze data for patterns, trends, and anomalies.
Despite the club's stated aims, the crackdown has led to friction with segments of the fanbase. The Manchester United Supporters Trust has previously questioned the methods used, suggesting that "suspicious digital behaviour" was being treated as proof of touting, with sanctions imposed without sufficient evidence. The trust also noted that "considerable damage has been done to trust between the club and its supporters."
Fan groups have expressed concern that the operation could damage relations with supporters. Ahead of a recent Manchester derby, protests against the club's ownership and management practices occurred, including banners displayed by fans.
United has refuted claims that the crackdown is an effort to increase ticket sales to overseas buyers at higher prices, asserting that the primary motivation is to make more tickets available to genuine supporters.
