March 31 – Manchester City fans have accused the club of being “tone deaf” after announcing a global partnership with ticket resale giant Viagogo – a move that has reignited fears over soaring prices, ticket touting, and away fans infiltrating home sections at the Etihad.
Viagogo, already one of the most controversial names in ticket resales, will serve as City’s official global marketplace for hospitality tickets after a deal between the two was announced on Thursday. While standard match tickets are not part of the deal, supporters fear this is yet another step towards further commercialisation at the expense of loyal fans – particularly as City have yet to confirm season-ticket prices for 2025-26.
City supporter groups 1894, Trade Union Blues, and MCFC Fans Foodbank have hit back hard, calling for a nine-minute boycott of the club’s Premier League clash against Leicester on Wednesday.
They argue that City are undermining their own ticket exchange system, risking even more away fans buying seats in home sections – a growing problem that has already seen over 165 ticketing accounts banned this season, 354 suspended, and 223 placed under monitoring.
Their joint statement condemned the move: “Away fans obtaining tickets in home areas has caused safety issues and distrust amongst supporters who are unwilling to use the club’s [official] ticket exchange in fear of where their ticket will end up – yet another ticket partner may only add to this.”
Piling on more frustration, City have not responded to an open letter from seven supporter groups on ticket pricing, submitted seven weeks ago.
Even City Matters, the club’s official fan advisory board, has voiced its discontent. “To sign a ninth partnership with a ticket resale platform is incredibly tone deaf given the strength of concern,” said chair Alex Howell.
For City, the partnership marks the latest step in an aggressive commercial strategy that has seen them build an extensive portfolio of ticketing partnerships. Viagogo, unlike the other ticket resale partners, now has official status—meaning extra advertising rights and promotional access.
The club argues that hospitality tickets sold through Viagogo will be price-capped and protected from dynamic pricing, but this does little to quell fears that corporate interests are being prioritised over fan affordability. The deal also puts them in direct opposition to an ongoing UK government consultation on capping resale ticket prices, as well as scrutiny from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which has previously called for tighter controls on companies like Viagogo.
Speaking at the unveiling of the partnership on Thursday, Danny Wilson, managing director of Manchester City Operations, said: “By working closely with Viagogo throughout this partnership, we will be able to offer a secure, safe option for fans to purchase hospitality in this way, improving access and best practices along the way alongside our current ticketing infrastructure.”
The controversy comes at a time when the wider Premier League’s ticket touting concerns continue to gather pace. According to reports, touts control between 8,000 and 12,000 season tickets, memberships, and hospitality seats at top clubs – feeding a £50 million-a-year black market. Some touts reportedly operate with more than 1,000 club memberships, gaining access to vast numbers of tickets before reselling them at heavily inflated prices.
City are unlikely to reverse course, but the backlash is growing and fan groups are mobilising, City Matters has scheduled an emergency meeting for later this week, and the wider debate around ticket pricing and availability continues to intensify across the Premier League.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1743562290labto1743562290ofdlr1743562290owedi1743562290sni@g1743562290niwe.1743562290yrrah1743562290