Newcastle United Cancels Over 100 Season Tickets Due to Oversight
Newcastle United has canceled more than 100 season tickets and issued an apology to supporters for an "oversight" concerning seats sold to tour organizers a decade ago, which were "not detected until recently."
The club's decision follows a further investigation into the unauthorized resale of tickets for matches at St James' Park.
This situation arose after a school located nearly 200 miles away successfully purchased tickets for the highly sought-after Champions League home game against Barcelona scheduled for Thursday night.
Newcastle United explained that when new owners took control four years ago, they terminated agreements with third parties that had previously allowed them to sell tickets. This included a decade-old arrangement with a small group of tour organizers intended for school groups. However, the club was unaware that these organizers were still selling tickets, as no formal contract was in place.
In a statement, the club said, "At a time when we are doing our utmost to protect legitimate access for Newcastle United fans, we want to be fully transparent and apologize for this oversight."
The High School of Dundee purchased 45 tickets for the Barcelona match during a period when 110,000 fans were in an online queue for the remaining seats for this much-anticipated event.
A representative from the school stated that they bought the tickets in good faith after being "approached" by a provider, but the tickets were subsequently canceled by the club.
In total, Newcastle has terminated 103 season tickets in recent days for breaching terms and conditions. The club clarified that this situation does not involve individual supporters reselling their tickets for St James' Park "in this instance."
The tour organizers had acquired the season tickets during the 2015-16 campaign. Newcastle emphasized that the unauthorized resale of season tickets at a "higher package price" went unnoticed due to the absence of a formal contract with the tour groups.
Upon learning of this issue, the club took immediate action. They stated, "The club has not received any funds above the face value price of these season tickets and has promptly returned the seats for sale to supporters who entered the official ballot for upcoming fixtures."
The Newcastle United Supporters' Trust previously welcomed the club's efforts to "take visible action to deter and penalize those who may be profiteering from other fans." They noted that alongside rising ticket prices, one of the biggest concerns for Newcastle fans is the reduced availability of tickets, attributed not only to high demand but also to sales through third-party sites or other unauthorized means.