MORE ON THOSE ‘DEAD' FANS

Last updated : 17 November 2002 By Editor

Karl Evans, Manchester United's head of ticketing and membership, said: "We contacted about 3,400 senior season ticket holders and about 1,600 responded and proved they were over 65.

"That means that at most we could have about 1,800 who may no longer be with us. I think the truth is that the figure of those who have died is going to be in the hundreds though.

"It's quite a sensitive matter. Quite often these tickets may have been in a particular family for years and there is a tradition of coming to see the team that the family wants to carry on.

"We can understand that. There is obviously a fear among some fans that they will lose the ticket if they tell us that their dad, grandad, uncle or whoever has passed away.

"We would look at each case and certainly do everything we could to see that the ticket is passed on to the son or grandson or brother, if they want to keep the tradition of supporting the team alive."