28/11/2014
Occasionally we are asked "What does MUST do for match going fans?"
The answer is actually "a lot". In fact there is no other trust at any club which has done more over the years - but the truth is we've never been best at communicating those actions.
Below we list just a few of the many initiatives we've led on, in an effort to start to address that we are intending to give occasional updates to Season Ticket holders registered on our list here: http://action.joinmust.org/STH
We're always interested to hear your views - drop in for a chat at our stall on a home match day at 18 Sir Matt Busby Way or get in touch through our website. Your feedback is appreciated.
TRANSPARENCY OF ALLOCATION DECISIONS - WEST HAM & BEYOND
MUST has been campaigning successfully for some time now on MUFC away alloctions and we have won what could be a landmark legal challenge around the transparency around the process of setting away ticket allocations.
This case involved Newham Council's reluctance to explain to MUST why United's allocation at West Ham was reduced significantly to 1900 tickets last season. They refused to give sufficient explanation as to why the decision was made or who was responsible for the decision. It has now been ruled that all the documents that were hidden from us must now be revealed. This makes it much easier for us to challenge reductions and argue for a reinstatement of full allocations. This ruling should also make dealing with any other less than co-operative councils much easier.
INCREASED SPURS AWAY ALLOCATION
This is just one development of many in terms of MUST's work to help secure more away tickets for United fans. We are also confident that, after close cooperation with United and other stakeholders involved in the decision, United will be receiving a significantly increased allocation at Spurs this December. For the first time in many years, United fans could be able to use the upper tier of the away end again. While we await an official announcement on this, the indications we've received point towards a success on this issue.
EUROPA LEAGUE PRICE CONCESSION
MUST has also been working to address some home ticket issues. Although we didn't qualify for the Europa League, it was encouraging that our request that Europa League tickets would be reduced in price by a third was accepted by the Club. That suggests a desire to find compromise which we hope will serve us well in the future.
J-STAND SINGING SECTION
We were also pleased that the Club liaised with us this summer to discuss how to handle the issues arising out the decision to permanently locate the Singing Section in J-Stand. At the point we became involved the decision had already been made to establish the section in J-Stand but we made it clear that we did not support any proposal which involved compulsory relocation of existing Season Ticket holders.
However given the Club had already committed to this decision we worked with them to get the best deal possible for those affected. One outcome from this was the agreement to allow those J standers who did not want to accept the incentives to relocate, to stay at one side within the section. We know that there remains frustration by many fans as to how the singing section issue played out, and we have urged the Club to work with fan groups from the start on these issues in future. If we'd been fully consulted from the beginning we believe we could have helped to avoid these problems and it seems that the Club agrees.
BOOKING FEE ON AWAY TICKETS
We have currently submitted further ticket related requests to the Club. We are hopeful, for example, that the 3% booking fee on away tickets could be removed next season to match the current five pound discount on away tickets which we also recommended that the Club should offer supporters following the last television deal being agreed. While many Clubs have used the £200k away fan pot to redecorate concourses or provide cheaper coach travel, we strongly recommended that United offer a straight discount on all league away tickets to our own away fans, which has been implemented.
SAFE STANDING AND RAIL SEATS
Lastly, MUST remains committed to the principle of choice over safe standing and the introduction of sections of rail seats at Old Trafford according to demand from supporters. We have recently written to the Club for an update on Ed Woodward's public comments that he would look into the issue.
We continue to work on many other issues as well as inidividual problems which fans experience but in the end we're only as strong as our collective membership and we depend on volunteers, membership fees and donations to allow us to campaign for match going fans.
SUPPORT MUST'S WORK
If you'd like to support MUST but you don't live locally enough to our office to come in you can still help support us:
Join as a full member:
http://bit.ly/joinfullMUST
Existing full members can renew here:
http://bit.ly/renewMUST
Or simply make a donation:
http://joinmust.org/donate/