Manchester United supporters group The 1958 is organising a demonstration before Sunday's Manchester Derby, while legendary winger Ryan Giggs has advised against loaning out teenage prospect JJ Gabriel.
The protest is scheduled ahead of the Premier League clash with Manchester City at Old Trafford, with the group saying innocent fans were unjustly impacted by a ticket tout clampdown.
Fan protest planned before derby
Participants have been urged to assemble outside The Bishop Blaize pub from 3pm for a peaceful protest ahead of the 4.30pm kick-off, reports the Mirror.
"A line has been crossed," the group wrote on social media. "Manchester United are sanctioning and banning loyal, generational Reds without, clear and compelling evidence."
"These owners want rid of lifelong matchgoers. Their strategy is clear to see. It's a cull! We challenged them. We demanded the unproven suspensions stop. They haven't listened. Show the evidence or lift the bans."
Fans claim United restricted the accounts of thousands of season ticket holders, when accounts where username and login details had been shared with more than six different people had their season tickets rescinded. However, it's claimed the most skilled touts have not been affected, as they use different methods to navigate around United tactics, while honest loyal fans have been caught in the crossfire.
The protest comes after United sparked fury by hiking ticket prices during the 2024/25 season to £66 – including children and concessions - sparking a series of protests and criticism of the club's controversial co-owner, the billionaire businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Giggs opposes Gabriel loan
Legendary United winger Ryan Giggs is of the opinion that JJ Gabriel should stay within the first-team fold this season. Gabriel, 15, was instrumental in Darren Fletcher's Under-18 team reaching the FA Youth Cup final last term and is now eligible to play Premier League football. But he is awaiting his first competitive opportunity after featuring in pre-season.
"Well, I think he is sort of a generational talent, he's got to stay," Giggs stated on Rio Ferdinand Presents when asked if Gabriel should be loaned out. "There's no point in going out on loan because he's at the best place and he'd be dipping in and out of the first team, so that experience is invaluable."
"Not only the games and the training, but actually travelling with the team, seeing the expectation of Man United, the focus is so huge on Manchester United, you need to get used to that."
"I think you go on loan when you're 19, 20, not, you know, the next few years, you expect him to, if he's going the same way, to be in the first team soon as a regular, not just dipping in and out."
"Sometimes you have to be patient, sometimes it gets to a point where you just can't not pick him and not have him train in the first team."
