The excitement of Newcastle United hosting Barcelona in the Champions League has been overshadowed by a ticketing scandal that’s left fans frustrated and furious.
What was supposed to be a thrilling home fixture turned into a controversy about how season tickets were being sold — and by whom.
Staff Knew About Ticket Resales for Years
Contrary to the club’s recent claims of surprise, Newcastle United staff have apparently been aware for a decade that season-ticket seats were being sold to schools in Scotland and resold for profit.
A Daily Mail Sport investigation reveals that senior figures in ticketing and security knew about this arrangement since 2015, yet failed to flag it even after the Saudi takeover in 2021, when demand for tickets skyrocketed.
The club insists this was an “oversight” and says it has now been resolved.
But supporters remain frustrated that what was tolerated under Mike Ashley continued for nearly four years after new ownership took charge.
How Many Tickets Were Involved?
Our investigation uncovered that at least 100 season tickets have been sold to two Scottish tour operators for more than ten years.
These seats were resold almost exclusively to non-Newcastle fans for every home match.
Emails obtained by Daily Mail Sport show staff across ticketing, security, and safeguarding were aware of these “usual two groups” attending home games.
The tour operators identified are Premiership Experience, based in Glasgow, and PE5 Sports Tours in Edinburgh.
Schools receiving the tickets included the High School of Dundee and another Scottish institution.
Fans’ Complaints Went Ignored
Supporters seated in the East Stand/Leazes End corner report that Scottish schoolchildren have been attending matches in their sections for several years.
Complaints were made to the club’s supporter services team after the takeover, highlighting distracting and disruptive behavior, but apparently nothing was done.
The club maintains that no executive-level staff profited from these resales and that season tickets sold to third parties were never reported up the chain.
All 103 tickets identified in our investigation have now been removed from resale.
Outrage Over Barcelona Match Pricing
The issue came to a head when the High School of Dundee offered packages costing £295 per pupil for the Barcelona game.
Fans who had been waiting in huge online queues — over 100,000 for additional tickets — were furious.
Supporters’ groups have questioned why the club acted only after the story went public.
Even during Newcastle’s recent 1-0 win over Wolves, a group of Scottish children was still seated in the East Stand/Leazes End corner.
The club has now confirmed that tickets sold to third parties will be cancelled for all future matches and reassigned to Newcastle supporters.
Supporters Demand Answers
The Newcastle United Supporters Trust released a statement expressing deep disappointment over the delay in addressing the ticketing issue.
They criticized the involvement of external operators selling tickets at a profit to non-fans and called for greater transparency under the new CEO, David Hopkinson.
NUST said:
“The owners of these season tickets have been allowed to breach the terms and conditions.
We welcomed the club’s action once we raised the issue, but supporters will rightly ask why this was not stopped sooner.
We hope to see an improvement in leadership and transparency around ticketing, which has been sorely lacking.”
Club Response and Next Steps
In response to the controversy, Newcastle United stated that reselling season-ticket seats is a breach of the club’s terms and conditions.
A spokesperson confirmed:
“The relevant season tickets have been cancelled with immediate effect and without refund.
These tickets will be made available to Newcastle United supporters through the club’s existing ticket sale process.”
The incident raises questions about why third-party resales were allowed to continue for so long and why local children were not prioritized over groups from Scotland.
Evidence suggests the packages included travel and accommodation to disguise mark-ups on ticket prices.
Schools and Operators Respond
Kirkcudbright Academy recently informed pupils that a ‘Premier League Experience’ trip to Newcastle’s Wolves match was cancelled, citing advice from Newcastle United and Northumbria Police for safety reasons.
Police have since clarified they were not involved in ticketing decisions.
Meanwhile, Premiership Experience continues to offer packages for other clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, and Burnley, but neither operator responded to requests for comment.