Newcastle United Cancel Season Ticket Of Disabled Gran After Missing Her First Game In 13 Years

Chris Wright

6th, February 2014

16 Comments

By Chris Wright

nufc-gran

Newcastle United have seen fit to confiscate the season ticket of a 65-year-old, disabled grandmother after she was found guilty of the heinous crime of lending it to her son for one match – the first Toon home game she’d missed in 13 years!

Lilian Held, who lives within 10 minutes of St James’ Park, allowed her 29-year-old son Christopher to use her season ticket for Newcastle’s game against Southampton last December while she was away on holiday.

About 20 minutes into the game, Christopher was approached by stewards and asked to produce his match ticket. Seeing that the stub was for a disabled fan, he was thrown out of the ground, leaving his two 14-year-old twin nieces (Lillian’s granddaughters, with whom she usually attends Newcastle games) alone in the stadium.

Christopher was then also informed that his mother would have to come down to the ground herself if she wanted to retrieve her season ticket.

After getting back from her holiday on December 20th, Lilian traipsed to St James’ to retrieve her ticket, only to be told that her ticket had been ‘suspended until further notice’.

Lilian told the Chronicle:

“I was told my ticket would be suspended while the club investigated whether my son had sat in the seat regularly. I told them he never sits in the seat – I always sit in the seat and this was the first game I’d missed in 14 years.

“I only wanted the girls to be accompanied by an adult because I’m always there at home games to look after them.

“When I asked if I’d be missing the Boxing Day match, I was told I’d not only be missing that, I’d be missing the Arsenal match as well.”

Newcastle then failed to contact Lilian until January 4th, when they kindly told her that her season ticket had been sold to somebody else and that she’d have to pay the full-whack if she wanted to renew it.

Lilian, who actually used to work for Newcastle, originally brought the season ticket as a gift for her now-late husband and, unsurprisingly, says she feels she’s been treated “appallingly” by the club she’s supported all her life:

“I have sat in that seat for years. I’m a lifelong fan of Newcastle United and I worked for the club in the 1990s where I had my picture taken with Kevin Keegan.

“Going to the match is the only bit of social time I get. I live for those home games. Taking my ticket from me and selling my seat without giving me the right to even argue my case has completely ruined my year.”

According to the Chronicle, Lilian’s daughter Nicola wrote to the club on January 10th asking for an explanation, but has not yet received a response – and, when approached by the paper, Newcastle declined to comment on the matter.

Top work.

(Image: Chronicle)

Posted in FAIL, Newcastle Utd, Newsnow

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16 Comments

  1. Gustavo says:

    she is right, this is appalling behaviour from the club (probably kinnear’s idea). she has bought the ticket she should be able to miss any game she wants to or give it to anyone else to use, but thats not the way modern football works. like the nanny state of the country, its abide by the clubs rules “or F**K OFF!”. i’d be surprised if all premiership clubs didn’t do this sooner or late (along with having to buy non-refundable “club credits” to pay for food/drinks/program etc inside the ground). clubs want the money, and if you dont abide their rules, they know someone else will happily throw their cash at them for the “privilege” of watching millionaire kick a ball around.

  2. AndyMac says:

    I love the Fatman he’s a gift that just keeps on giving not unlike an STD ?

  3. Keith says:

    I agree – the club does give two hoots about the loyal fans who turn up week in week out and buy merchandise. They should immediately apologise to Lillian and ensure her ticket is reinstated or even upgrade it. How will her nieces get to the games now? This is an absolute disgrace. Come on NUFC – do the decent thing.

  4. Aleks says:

    Disgrace!! They should give her another and big “we are sorry”

  5. bb says:

    and so the club kicks another longstanding loyal fan in the teeth, and continues their campaign to get fans out and spectators

    it just goes on and on

  6. Petrovsky KSC says:

    gosh, this is a crying shame. they merely saw a chance to rip the old lady off and took it instantly. greedy flatheads

  7. Gazz says:

    With a normal full price season ticket this wouldn’t be a problem. The problem is that she has a disabled ticket, so probably got it at a discounted price.

    If I tried to use my granddad’s bus pass I’m sure I wouldn’t get away with it.

    She got caught cheating and so she was punished (harshly).

  8. Joe Kinnear says:

    With this, my final act, I bid yewn FUCK OFF!

  9. A.P. says:

    @Gazz….go hold hands with DiCannio, you twat.

  10. Del says:

    Absolutely disgraceful conduct from the club, they should return her ticket and apologize for their actions.

  11. TravisKOP says:

    Mike Ashley is laughing his fat fucking arse off right now while we complain that hes a cunt

  12. 12BET says:

    Seriously just for a single ticket? When you are earning billions and billions from your fans and supporters.

  13. Eddy says:

    @Gazz

    I do agree with you that to use a disabled ticket, you do actually have to be disabled.

    And of course the problem is that the punishment is wwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy too harsh and there are multiple more fitting ways that the club could have dealt with this.

  14. Haway the lads says:

    Go support Sunderland….that’ll teach ’em.

  15. pedja says:

    reading this, i merely lose my believings in one of the main british characteristics: fair sportsmanship.an old lady just making sure that her two nieces are accompanied to a match…to treat her like this???a shame,a complete shame a spit in the face to every football fan.no discussions necessary disabled ticket/discount price blabla.the clubs don’t explain neither why them tickets get more expensive every year.and fundamental for every club: think what you are without your fans,a? so honestly: a bouguet of flowers for the lady and an extra ticket for the the son and some jerseys for the gradddaughters would be the minimum…

  16. Mike Davis says:

    She’s committing fraud. She’ll be lucky if she and her son don’t have a visit from the Geordie popo…

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