Two of Manchester United's most decorated former players have revealed the astonishing difficulties they face in securing tickets to watch their old club, with one even threatened with having his season pass revoked.
Class of '92 Icons Bemoan Modern Club Access
Midfield legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, cornerstone members of United's famed Class of 92, opened up about their struggles on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast in November. The pair, who have 1,105 appearances and 40 major trophies between them for the Red Devils, watched the recent FA Cup third-round tie against Brighton alongside former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, following the revelations.
Scholes, who made 718 appearances and won 25 trophies including 11 Premier League titles, set the tone. "It's a very different football club to the club we knew," he stated. "I don't know about you Nicky, you worked there quite recently, but I don't really know anybody there." Butt, who played 387 times and lifted 15 honours before a 2004 move to Newcastle, concurred: "I don't know anybody there."
From Touts to Threatening Emails
The revelations took a more shocking turn as the pair explained their methods for obtaining seats. Scholes, who holds four season tickets, admitted he has been forced to use a ticket tout to help friends. "I've had to ring a tout? Am I allowed to say that? Honestly, I know a tout," he confessed, after describing a request from a Salford lad needing a couple of tickets.
Butt's experience was arguably more galling. He detailed receiving an email threatening to revoke his season ticket due to lack of use, a standard club policy. "My lad has got the same thing," Butt explained. "If you don't use them three times you get them taken off you."
He then recounted phoning the club to resolve the issue. "I rang them up and said can I speak to somebody about this please? And they go 'who am I speaking to please?', and I go Nicky Butt and they go, 'OK, well who's that?'" Scholes humorously interjected: "Who's that? Is that the one who used to play for Newcastle?"
A Symbolic Reunion in the Stands
The subsequent image of Scholes and Butt watching United's FA Cup match with the man who made them, Sir Alex Ferguson, served as a powerful contrast to their modern-day ticket woes. It highlighted a perceived disconnect between the club's illustrious past and its current corporate operation, where even legendary figures can seemingly become just another customer number.
Their story has sparked significant debate among fans about club culture, access for former players, and the modern matchday experience at one of the world's biggest sporting institutions.
