AUTOMATIC CUP TICKET SCHEMES AT FOOTBALL CLUBS

That this House notes that the Manchester United Automatic Cup Scheme obliges season ticket holders to buy tickets for home cup ties; further notes that the punishment for not doing so is a stadium ban for the next Premier League home game, even though such games have already been paid for; further notes that tickets for the FA Cup replay against league two Cambridge United on 3 February 2015 ranged from £31 to £53 for adults and that the date for this tie was only confirmed eight days before the match; recognises that this additional cost at such late notice is a financial burden on fans who may be unable or not wish to attend the game; further recognises that the enforcement of a one-game stadium ban upon supporters who do not wish to or cannot afford to attend an extra mid-week match is an unnecessary and callous punishment; further notes that the voluntary cup schemes offered by other clubs both provide season ticket holders with flexibility in match attendance and enable non-regular attendees to see football in their place; condemns the policy of any football club forcing season ticket holders to sign up to compulsory ticket purchases for cup ties; and calls on Manchester United FC to remove this clause from its terms and conditions and replace it with a Voluntary Cup Scheme.