World darts champion Luke Littler was spotted celebrating Manchester United's 4-1 victory at Wolves with the away fans on Monday - but how did he get a ticket? It is not uncommon for celebrity football fans to be captured by cameras among the crowds on matchdays. Oasis' Noel Gallagher was at Craven Cottage for Manchester City's recent 5-4 win over Fulham, while England legend Alan Shearer regularly enjoys a trip with the Newcastle faithful.

Littler posted a picture at the game with United's director of fan engagement, Richard McGagh, sparking debate around the club's away ticket allocations. He had previously posted on Instagram that he wanted to buy three tickets and was "happy" to pay over the face value of £30 for each one. The 18-year-old received last-minute tickets from Adidas and later thanked the German sports goods manufacturer in a social media post. "Quality night seeing the boys win away, big thanks to Adidas for the tickets," Littler said on Instagram.

Adidas, the club's official kit supplier, is given a small amount of tickets and can then distribute them to staff or guests. A lifelong United fan, Littler opens the defence of his world title against Darius Labanauskas at the Alexandra Palace on Thursday, so is likely to be a bit too busy to watch Ruben Amorim's team in action until into January.

Some eagle-eyed fans spotted he was stood near United's head of fan engagement and questioned how the tickets were arranged at a time when there is more scrutiny on how tickets are distributed than ever before. Littler's United credentials are solid. He took his world championship trophy to Old Trafford for the home game against Brighton last season.

United refused to comment but officials confirmed privately Littler's ticket had come from Adidas. But they stressed the proportion of away tickets given to commercial partners was tiny - single digits in some instances - compared to the overall allocation, which is reserved for season ticket holders and executive club members. The club also said Littler's presence was welcomed by the fans around him.

Adidas could accommodate a request for a ticket as it gets a small number for every game - and duly obliged. The issue for some United fans is that away tickets are so hard to get hold of and the club are having a major crackdown over where tickets are going, amid concerns about a significant infiltration of touts, who are selling at vast profit. Some supporters are dubious about the club's intentions and feel 'normal' fans are being squeezed out, with new rules around how many times tickets can be downloaded and who they can be forwarded to and when.

For some, distrust is so great, even the seemingly innocent sight of Littler enjoying himself was enough to trigger irate social media posts, particularly as he was with a senior United staff member responsible for supporter engagement. The thrust of their argument is United are strict when it comes to application of their own rules, except when it comes to high-profile fans who portray the club in a positive light. According to the rules, if Littler had asked a 'normal' fan for a ticket, they would have risked being banned by selling him one.

United, clearly, would dispute they have a two-tier system and most clubs find ways for special cases to get tickets for games. But it emphasises a disconnect between fans and club that will not easily be resolved. The ballot system is arranged to stop touts getting their hands on tickets, but it doesn't really work. There are people in these ends who are not regularly at away games. I have heard from numerous fans the away atmosphere at certain grounds has really diminished and that is something United have been famous for.

I understand the frustration about Littler getting his hands on the tickets, particularly because he was on Instagram saying he was willing to pay over the odds. The fact United have this system in place to prevent touts, and it is not working, is worrying. United away tickets are in extremely high demand and come with limited availability. Around 2,750 were available at Molineux. Fans must be season ticket holders for a minimum of three years to be eligible to apply for away tickets and must also attend every home game, including cup matches.

Fans apply via a ballot and tickets are allocated at random. A section also goes to a 'loyalty pot' - enabling long-standing supporters to receive a percentage of the tickets sold. But many members and fans struggle to get tickets for fixtures - including former players Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt. Scholes told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast that he had to "ring a ticket tout" to get extra tickets after his four season tickets were already in use.

United also caused upset in 2024 when they raised Premier League matchday ticket prices to £66 per game, with no concessions for children or pensioners. A new digital ticketing system has also caused long queues outside Old Trafford on matchdays. A number of fans were also relocated at Old Trafford this season when the area was transformed into a corporate ticket zone.

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