Pictured: Man United fans 'falsely taking disabled tickets' and boasting about 'miracles' while sitting in a wheelchair at 'gold dust' away matches - as club launch investigation

These three Manchester United supporters are suspected of falsely gaining entry into the disabled section so they can watch matches.

Mick Groom, Neil Collins and Kevin Wood are accused of taking ‘gold dust’ tickets they were not entitled to use, in a move that has infuriated the club’s disabled fans.

Earlier this week, Mail Sport revealed that shocked bosses at United had received multiple complaints from members of the disabled supporters’ association who claimed that able-bodied fans were posing as disabled to grab precious spots. The club has been forced into action to prevent a repeat and vowed to step up ID checks at games both at Old Trafford and at away matches.

Mail Sport has now obtained material from three away matches this year, at Newport County, Luton Town and Brentford. 

At all three, Groom – from Essex – is acting as the carer. He is joined in a wheelchair at Luton and Brentford by Collins. Neither Groom nor Collins, who is also from Essex, are registered as disabled with United. 

Both have season tickets for home matches in the standard section of Old Trafford. Groom had previously posted on social media bemoaning the fact he was unsuccessful in the ballot for regular seats at each of the games involved.

Tickets for United away games – especially at smaller venues - are considered the holy grail among many thanks to the significant levels of the club’s support. Those in disabled sections are viewed as even more precious given how few in number they are. 

To be eligible for an away ticket in the disabled section, an applicant needs to be registered disabled and to have held an Old Trafford season ticket for two years, attending all cup games. None of the three involved meet that criteria. 

United are now trying to identify who, from what is a tiny pool of those who were given legitimate tickets, was responsible for handing the ticket over. Insiders do not believe those who did so are motivated by financial gain and are seeking to the reasons behind their actions.

Following the game at Kenilworth Road, for which United were only given five wheelchair spaces, Groom posted a picture on Facebook of an empty wheelchair with the caption: ‘It’s a miracle.’

At Brentford, in April, Groom and Collins – again in a wheelchair – were pictured in the disabled section of the away end. Another picture from a fourth match, of United fans in the away section at Stamford Bridge five days later, shows Groom and Collins stood up in the non-disabled section and celebrating a United goal.

Wood, from Uxbridge, joined Groom in the disabled section at Rodney Parade for the January FA Cup tie. While he was sat in a wheelchair he is also not registered as disabled with United, sits in general admission areas at Old Trafford and the club have no record of him being a wheelchair user. He later said to Mail Sport he was disabled but admitted not having a legitimate ticket for the fixture.

The situation has upset a number of the club’s disabled supporters. Mail Sport has been told that one, seriously ill fan had applied to attend the game at Rodney Parade but was unsuccessful. 

They are ‘deeply upset’ at the development - according to friends who believe that may have been their last opportunity to attend a game due to the subsequent progression of their illness.

United have launched an investigation and are thought to have suspended Groom’s season ticket. Groom’s partner, Rachel Stam, claimed he had done nothing wrong when she answered the door at their house. 

‘Mick is definitely not part of any scam,’ she said. ‘He's not that kind of person. I think that sometimes he’s branded because he’s covered in tattoos, but he’s got one of the biggest hearts and United is his passion.’

Wood, a 69-year-old Royal Navy veteran, admitted to not having a ticket for the Newport game but said he was registered disabled and used a cane. He added that he met Groom for the first and only time in a bar in Newport where he had gone with some old friends after deciding to go to South Wales. 

He also said that Groom sourced a wheelchair ‘from a bloke in the pub who used to work as a hospital porter’ and then spoke to a security guard at the ground who let them in.

‘I didn't have a ticket but I didn't want to turn down a freebie,’ he added, saying he applied for a seat in the disabled section at Old Trafford but was told there were no spaces left and so instead sits in a nearby section with fewer steps.

A woman who answered the door when Mail Sport attended an address it understood to be Collins’s house slammed it closed when the reporter started asking questions. None of those involved disclosed where the tickets had come from.

A Manchester United spokesperson said: ‘Tickets in wheelchair sections are always in extremely high demand, especially at away matches, and our number one priority is making sure that the fans who need to be in this section have the opportunity.

‘The suspected misuse of these tickets was discussed at our recent Fans’ Forum, and we will be supporting the request of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association (MUDSA) to implement ID ticket collections - as well as more spot checks - at away fixtures to ensure these tickets cannot be misused.’

Addressing a recent fans forum Chas Banks, secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters’ Association, slammed those involved. ‘This is something they seem proud of and see as funny, publishing photos of an empty wheelchair with a MUDSA bag on the back plus laughing emojis. 

'I clearly hope that anyone who gets caught receives the harshest sanction. This is not a victimless crime and some of the people losing out are the least deserving of being robbed of a chance to get a ticket.’