Furious Man Utd fans plan derby protest against owners over 'disgraceful' treatment

· Mirror

Manchester United will take on Manchester City in the first instalment of the Manchester derby on Sunday but Old Trafford could look very different to normal during the game

Manchester United fans are set to abandon their Stretford End flags in protest at a controversial ticketing ban. The Red Devils have suspended hundreds of season ticket holders.

Those suspected of touting have been hit with bans, with 685 tickets in all having been affected, albeit some of those maintain their innocence.

The probe hasn’t been well received by supporters, with many now choosing to take action ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Fan group The Red Army have revealed that they will not unfurl their regular banners against Manchester City and will instead hold one above the player’s tunnel that will read: “The way you treat us is a disgrace.”

A statement from the fan group read: > “This isn’t a ‘TRA’ message, it’s a message on behalf of every genuine fan group, match-going supporter, supporters’ club and fan representative who has either contacted us directly or been negatively impacted by the recent behaviour of the club. > > “It’s an honest, heartfelt cry for recognition from the maligned, vilified, and misrepresented beating heart of our football club – the generational match-going supporters. > > “Neither is this solely a ‘ Manchester United’ problem, this is a league-wide crisis that should be addressed at every club, regardless of rivalries and history. Without drastic changes, there will be no rivalries in the future vision for football shared by the decision makers.”

Away from The Red Army, another fan group, The 1958, are set to hold a post-game march in protest.

United have already spoken out on their system and ensured that anyone affected was only suspected of making a profit from selling the tickets on. A club statement read: > "Bans were issued where there was significant misuse of the ticketing system for financial gain.

> "This included the operation of organised ticketing networks, which were controlling, selling and distributing tickets from hundreds of accounts. > > "These actions undermine fair access to tickets for genuine supporters and have no place at Manchester United. > > "Our focus now turns to ensuring these tickets are returned to our supporters. All season tickets released through this process will be offered to supporters on the season ticket waiting list."

Sunday’s protest will just be the latest in a long line of demonstrations targeted at United’s club ownership. The much-maligned Glazer family have regularly been the target of protests, while Sir Jim Ratcliffe has also felt the wrath of a number of United fans for the decisions he has made at Old Trafford since arriving at the club.

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