A Manchester United season ticket holder was invited into the singing section by the club… but was turfed out after just one game.
Ryan Roberts, 32, from Gorton, slammed the club for informing him over email that he had been moved from his seat in block N2402 following complaints about ‘persistent standing’ during the Premier League opener against Swansea.
As a result, the Red Devils fan has been shifted to the N2401 block for club’s next home game against Queens Park Rangers after the international break on September 14.
And vice-chairman of Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) Ian Stirling, 46, told MM that the club have failed to clear-up seating confusion at Old Trafford.
He said: “The club originally wanted to have a row of seats down the side of the singing section. But there’s been a mix-up and some people have ended up being put in the wrong sections.
“People stand when they sing, you don’t see a choir sat down, so there are going to be people standing.
“I do have some sympathy [with Ryan]. But then if you allow people to stand you open the whole issue of standing in stadiums.”
Ryan, who declined to speak on the matter, had been invited by the club to move into the new singing section, re-locating from his seat of three years in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand to the quadrant.
What an absolute fucking joke pic.twitter.com/JLhELhyYoy
— Ryan R (@streboRnayR) August 28, 2014
ONE game in our new Singing Section seats & been turfed out of seats.No warning or any conversation with anyone. Absolutely gutted.
— Ryan R (@streboRnayR) August 28, 2014
Ryan had participated in the singing section trial at two games last season – one of 1,431 who took part in the Real Sociedad Champions League clash before 2,661 people filled the section against Fulham in the Premier League.
With fans not being consulted about moves, Ian hammered the club for their strong-arm tactics.
“The probably want to relax the standing rule but they know that they can’t come out and say this,” MUST’s vice-chairman said.
“But they could have at least rung Ryan to explain this. There is no need for this sledgehammer approach.”
Old Trafford – despite topping other Premier League grounds for capacity at 75,731 – has often been targeted by rival fans for not generating a loud atmosphere.
Ian believes that the club should consider how they incorporate the new section at the ground with fans being uprooted to make way for the more vocal supporters.
“It’s just that there are people in there who don’t want to be a part of the singing section and don’t want someone standing up in front of them,” he said.
“They trialled the singing section at a few games last year and planned to move fans from that area without even consulting them.
“This is about mixing up people in the wrong sections and this is the wrong approach.”
Ian also warned that the club have to be on-song with their messaging to boost decibels at ailing fortress Old Trafford, where United lost seven Premier League matches last season.
“The way it has been done last season and the fact that long-standing supporters have had their tickets moved elsewhere, in my view an atmosphere is built over a number of years and can’t be achieved just like that,” he said.
“At least they only moved him as they could have taken away his season ticket.”
MUST’s fellow supporters group FansUnitedMUFC confirmed they were looking into resolving Ryan’s situation.
Just for clarification we are dealing with @streboRnayR ‘s move of seat & will work for a better seat for himself & those with him.
— FansUnitedMUFC (@FansUnitedMUFC) August 29, 2014
