Manchester United have been reported to the Office of Fair Trading by a group of their own fans. The Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), the group formerly known as Shareholders United that vehemently opposed Malcolm Glazer's takeover of the club in 2005, has lodged official papers with the OFT claiming United have 'breached its statutory and legal obligations to season ticket holders'.
The groups' major complaint regards the compulsory cup scheme, which requires season ticket holders to buy tickets for cup games without knowing who the opposition will be or how many tickets they will have to pay for. The scheme had originally covered all cup matches but this has now been relaxed to exclude Carling Cup games.
MUST also claim that the raise in ticket prices contravenes a pledge given by Glazer in the build-up to his takeover of the club. The three complaints are: United's season ticket terms and conditions are in breach of the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999; their compulsory automatic cup ticket scheme is in breach of The Competition Act 1998, Part II, Section 18(2); and their pricing policy is in breach of The Competition Act 1998, Part II, Section 18(2)(a).