Premier League Launches Anti-touting Campaign

26 Nov 2015 | tshego

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The Premier League has launched a new campaign warning football fans of the dangers of purchasing tickets from unofficial sources.

The sale of fake and fraudulent tickets is a growing issue, with illegal activity every week online and at grounds across England.

25,000 Manchester United tickets with an advertised total value of £8m were on sale on unauthorised ticket websites in the 2014/15 season, while Crystal Palace cancelled 275 memberships for fraudulent ticketing activity.

Working with clubs, the Premier League is looking to address the increasing threat affecting both domestic and international fans.

The league has released a video campaign to help bring attention to the issue, which features magician Ben Hanlin as he tricks unsuspecting fans, Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday presenters and footballer Quinton Fortune. Watch Hanlin trick the Soccer Saturday pundits here.

Premier League head of supporter services, Cathy Long, said: “The rise in touting is leaving more and more fans out of pocket. Many fans who buy from unofficial sources either pay far above face value for second-hand tickets, or worse, purchase a fake or non-existent ticket. Our clubs are working hard to address the problem, and hopefully raising awareness will mean fewer fans become victims of touts.”

Chief executive of the Football Supporters Federation, Kevin Miles, added: “Fans from across the country and further afield are being duped by unauthorised ticketing websites that look genuine and even have the official Premier League logo.

“The ordering processes are professional even down to the purchase confirmation email that some fans receive. However, when fans arrive at the ground on the match day, they are left embarrassed and upset when they discover that they’d in fact bought a fake ticket. We welcome action by the Premier League and clubs to make fans aware of this problem and direct them to official channels.”