Man United repeat old errors with 'terribly executed' plan: 'It's another big PR mistake'
Manchester United have effectively "used a sledgehammer to crack a nut" when it comes to their approach to tackling ticket touting at Old Trafford.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Red Devils have made "another big PR mistake" with their recent moves.
United recently moved to ban 685 season-ticket holders from Old Trafford, as part of their crackdown on ticket-touting at the club.
Wyness believes that the club are in the right in principle; they have handled the whole situation extremely poorly.
Fans in the Stretford End protested during last weekend's derby defeat to Manchester City, as they unveiled a banner directed at the club hierarchy reading: 'The way you treat us is a disgrace.'
Wyness is adamant that United haven't learned from their previous mistakes and have made a rod for their own backs when it comes to the discontent from supporters.
Man United overzealous with season-ticket bans
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that United have executed their crackdown "terribly" and it has further soured their relationship with their own supporters.
The Scottish businessman made it clear that certain fans have been punished merely for handing their tickets to friends and family members when they could not attend a game.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, he explained why United have been far too overzealous with their approach.
"In this case, I think the club are probably right on the ticket-touting side of things, but they've executed it terribly," he said.
"When you start doing a mass haul of people, there are bound to be some who are either innocent or who are marginal, who are caught in that big number. They're starting from a point where they haven't got great goodwill anyway with the fans, and they've just managed to make it worse.
"It just seems that time after time there are mistakes being made in the United hierarchy that just keep on repeating themselves, and it's surprising how it keeps happening, but it does.
"I'm not arguing with the fact of what they're doing; it's just the way they've done it. What they've got to start doing, if they're going to try and recover their situation, is allowing individual appeals and listening to the facts.
"There are people who've done it with relatives or friends and not made a ticket-toutting situation. There's no doubt that has happened in such a big number of people.
"They've got to try and recover the situation, but they've come in with a sledgehammer to crack a nut; I'm afraid it's another big PR mistake for United."
Ex-United scout slams club for season-ticket stance
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider earlier this week that he is fully in support of the fans in their battle over this issue.
The ex-recruitment man made it clear that he always paid for a season ticket at Old Trafford rather than having it given to him by the club, and still purchases one every season.
Brown acknowledged that people selling tickets at "extortionate" prices is a problem, but shares the view that passing them on to friends and family should not be an issue.
He also noted that the way United treat their match-going fans is "shocking," and added that it is largely consistent across most top Premier League clubs.