Refund bid by Reds fan for virus is kicked out

A UNITED fan complained he was treated ‘unfairly’ after the club refused to refund his executive hospitality membership proportionately to the number of matches he missed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As an Executive Club member the supporter, who said he has been going to Old Trafford for 50 years, receives tickets for all matches for £5,000 a year plus VAT, including domestic and European cup fixtures.

Five games were played behind closed doors at Old Trafford after football returned in June, including the FA Cup defeat to Chelsea, according to United’s fixture list.

The unnamed supporter said he ‘felt totally stabbed in the back’ after he was told in May all Executive Club members would get a 10 per cent discount – £500 – which could be taken as a cash refund or applied to next season.

He responded to the club saying he didn’t believe the refund was ‘appropriate’ and ‘submitted an arithmetical calculation’ which suggested it should be 20 per cent, a report reveals.

The fan, who also argued the club was saving the cost of food provision, escalated his complaint at Old Trafford.

He was told that in seasons where the number of games played was more than expected – cup runs, replays and European ties – there was no additional charge, so there would be no rebate when there were less fixtures.

United added it was under no obligation to make any refund and the 10pc was a ‘gesture of goodwill’ to Executive Club members for their support.

The fan, however, referred his complaint to the office of the Independent Football Ombudsman (IFO), established by the FA, the Premier League and the English Football League.

It’s the final stage for the adjudication of complaints which have not been resolved within football’s complaints procedure. The IFO, in a recently published ruling, said it was unable to uphold his complaint and ‘finds that Manchester United acted reasonably.’ It said the pandemic ‘could not have been planned for’ and ‘posed severe challenges throughout football.’

A United spokesman: ““We welcome the IFO’s conclusion in this case that we treated our Executive Club members in a fair manner.”