From The MEN:
‘The Independent Manchester United Supporters Association has been pushing for the Reds to build a loyalty scheme into the way tickets for big away games are allocated.
They also claim that the club sets aside around 40 per cent of tickets for all away games for private box holders and executive club members.
But United claim that a loyalty scheme would be unworkable, and that execs and club members deserve priority. They stand by their new, automated random selection process which replaced the old system of ticket office staff literally pulling names out of a box full of applications. And they also dispute IMUSA figures - revealing that of the 3,000 tickets received from City, 2,000 went to season ticket holders, 700 to private boxes and execs and 300 to players, officials and commercial partners.
IMUSA chairman Mark Longden, from Eccles, said: "If you are prepared to make a Tuesday night away trip in the League Cup, it should be rewarded when it comes to games at Liverpool and Manchester City.
"This will be the last Maine Road derby, and there are going to be a lot of disappointed United fans.
"The private box holders and execs should go into the ballot with the rest of us."
United communications director Paddy Harverson says he has sympathy for the loyal fans who will miss out, but says: "There is no easy answer. When we switched to an electronic system we decided it would be run with fairness and transparency, and the way to do that would be to have it done completely at random."’