The case of the Manchester United supporter created outrage in England » Where it all started
Article by Maria Olteanu – Published Wednesday, March 25, 2026 10:14 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, March 25, 2026 10:14 p.m.
A 76-year-old Manchester United supporter is being forced to give up the seat his family has occupied at Old Trafford for 77 years to make way for a new hospitality section. The move, initiated by new billionaire owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, will affect a total of 1,100 supporters, according to British media.
Tony Riley, who travels from the Midlands for every game, occupies a seat that has belonged to his family since 1949. Next season, he and around 500 other supporters will be relocated to create seats in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, costing between €364 and €491 per person.
It should be noted that already this season, approximately 600 supporters were moved to the lower stand, according to abola.pt.
The place inherited from the family, lost after the last organizational decision
Riley's connection to the club runs deep: his name is engraved on the chair and his father-in-law, Laurie Cassidy, played for United in the 1940s and 1950s, later helping to shape young stars such as David Beckham.
“We feel it's an injustice, not just to us, but to everyone else”Riley told The Guardian. “I feel very sad about this. I feel helpless and hopeless.”
The new hospitality venues offer luxury experiences. For around €364, viewers are entitled to a three-course meal at Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat restaurant. The €491+ option includes champagne and a “premium” experience designed to “impress important business contacts”.
Riley criticizes the new occupants, whom he names “shrimp brigade on toast”. “Now I have the pleasure of sitting next to them,” he said. “I don't hold a grudge against them, but they spend more time taking selfies than anything else. They're not die-hard fans. It's starting to look more like American football.”
While the club is offering an alternative seat to every supporter and is not canceling season tickets, there is no guarantee that families and friends will be able to continue to sit together. In Riley's case, he will be separated from his son because there are no two seats available next to each other.
While increased revenue could, in theory, help the team's competitiveness and allow ticket prices to be reduced in other areas, this is not happening. Season ticket prices will increase by 5% in the 2026/27 season, with basic prices rising to €76 without discounts last season.
Catherine, Riley's daughter, accused the club of a “complete failure… to understand, let alone value, the supporters who turn up regardless of the weather, day of the week or competition to support their team”.
“I know Premier League football is now a business, maybe even more than a sport,” she added. “But I am outraged at the treatment of my father, who does not have a high enough 'net worth' to justify keeping a seat he has earned through a lifetime of supporting a club that is literally part of my family's history.” Catherine also described the loyal supporters' relationship with the club as “abusive”.
These kinds of problems have prompted regular protests against the club's management by the Manchester United supporters' group known as “The 1958”.
