Newcastle United have cancelled tickets purchased by a Scottish school for their upcoming Champions League home game against Barcelona, after uncovering that they were acquired through unauthorised resale.
The High School of Dundee, nearly 200 miles away from St James’ Park, had secured 45 tickets for the September 18 group-stage fixture. The purchase came just days after 110,000 fans queued online for the last remaining seats.
A school spokesperson insisted the tickets were bought “in good faith” as part of a group package, after being “approached.” However, Newcastle confirmed the tickets originated from unauthorised reselling by supporters, with the season-ticket holders involved now having their memberships revoked.
“These tickets will be made available to Newcastle United supporters through the club’s existing ticket sale process.”
This is not the first time the school’s pupils have attended a Newcastle Champions League fixture. A similar trip was organised for the AC Milan clash in 2023.
Newcastle United, however, maintain a strict no-resale policy, with the only legitimate way to transfer season tickets being through the club’s official platform at face value.
The clampdown comes amid rising frustration from supporters struggling to access tickets for high-profile games. Lisa Mole, chair of the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST), said many paying members were repeatedly left without tickets last season.
“It does sting when they see people who are not necessarily Newcastle supporters being given an opportunity to go to such a high-profile game.”
So far this season, Newcastle have cancelled 78 season tickets or memberships for unauthorised selling, while a further 4,500 accounts are on a watchlist for suspicious activity.
