Manchester United has restricted the season-ticket account of six-year-old supporter and former mascot Ruairi as part of a wider effort to tackle ticket touting. His mother, Katie, says the decision prevents her from applying for an away ticket for the opening Premier League match against Hull and could mean he misses the game, despite the family saying they have not profited from tickets.

The club says repeated access to Ruairi’s account alongside an extremely high number of other ticketing accounts suggested central control, and thousands of accounts have reportedly been restricted. Katie says she managed ticket applications for a group of 19 relatives and friends, often using shared devices and the club’s official ticket-forwarding system; her appeal covers six family accounts and remains unresolved. Manchester United has acknowledged that some innocent supporters may have been affected, although it believes most flagged accounts were correctly identified.