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Industry News

Man Utd appoint England’s first full-time tout catcher

Ticket touts are being given the red card at English club football’s biggest stadium after Manchester United announced plans to hire the Premier League’s first full time ticket touting and compliance officer.

The successful applicant will be expected to randomly check tickets in and around Old Trafford, as well as identify where they are being distributed.

Manchester United’s Old Trafford has a capacity of around 75,000, and the Daily Mail reports that more than 100 tickets have been seized this season from touts. Around 2,000 black market tickets have been identified in the last season and a half.

The club dispenses three-year bans to anyone found to be illegally reselling seats. Only outlets authorised by clubs can sell unwanted tickets.

The new ticketing officer could see their workload increased in the coming years after it emerged that the club is looking to increase its capacity to 88,000.

The expansion would be achieved by the addition of 12,000 seats in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, formerly known as the South Stand.

The increase would take Old Trafford close to Wembley’s 90,000-seat capacity.

The club is giving strong consideration to the long-term expansion plans at Old Trafford because a new section for disabled fans – expected to be completed by 2020 – would lead to a reduction in capacity to around 73,000.

IMAGE: André Zahn