Liverpool FC joins with Merseyside Police to tackle ticket touting

Liverpool Football Club has joined forces with Merseyside Police to strengthen its ongoing fight against all forms of ticket touting. 

Working with the club’s Investigations Team, the Force’s Economic Crime Team has so far successfully detainedover £1.2 million in assets related to organised ticket touts, with a number of active cases ongoing under Proceeds of Crime legislation. 

In addition to the monies detained, there have also been three cases of touting in the past 12 months, all linked to Liverpool Football Club, two have been convicted and one is due to appear in court next month.

The police operation focusses on the laundering of criminal proceeds from illicit ticket sales and sits alongside the club’s continuing crack down on all forms of ticketing touting, both online and on the ground, to protect genuine fans from being exploited, ripped off or scammed.

As well as assets detained– with the money split between Merseyside Police and the Home Office – LFC analysed almost 700,000 ticket registrations last season alone, with 67,663 suspected fake accounts blocked or cancelled, and a further 121,379 accounts currently under investigation.

The work has also led to the club issuing 432 lifetime bans – 383 to All Red Members, 41 to Season Ticket Holders and eight to Seasonal Hospitality Members – and 115 indefinite suspensions – 91 to All Red Members and 24 to Season Ticket Holders – across the 25/26 season.

A lifetime ban is a permanent ban. An indefinite suspension has a minimum period attached to it (typically 3 years) after which the account holder must apply for reinstatement.

Both have a right to appeal and then the right to appeal to the Independent Football Ombudsman.

The vast majority of lifetime bans and indefinite suspensions were handed down for unauthorised selling of season tickets, membership tickets or hospitality tickets, in breach of the club’s terms and conditions – reflecting its zero-tolerance approach to all forms of illegal sale of match tickets.

With more club investigatory resources on the ground on matchdays there was a 33% increase in the number of burner phones either identified and entry into Anfield denied or seized by Merseyside Police last season.

There was also a significant increase in targeted stops carried out on matchdays by LFC, preventing access to the turnstiles for accounts with suspicious activity – rising from 381 across the 24/25 season to 3,608 last year, an increase of 847%.

These stops were carried out at Anfield – with an average of 300 per home game – and at away games both in the Premier League and in Europe.

A further 3,847 tickets were cancelled for suspicious purchase activity across the 25/26 season, and put back on sale as general admission tickets, increasing the number available for genuine fans.

On top of ticket touting sanctions there were also 28 cases highlighted as part of the club’s Red Together initiative, its long-term commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, concerning behavioural issues at Anfield and demonstrating the club’s unwavering stance in ensuring Anfield and St Helen’s are inclusive and welcoming to all.

This led to actions ranging from lifetime bans to indefinite suspensions including three for racist and homophobic abuse, 13 for inappropriate touching or language, four for assault and one for tragedy chanting.

Liverpool FC recently announced a number of ticketing changes for next season following a comprehensive review, and will continue to take robust action with further increased resource targeting those involved in the proliferation of touting activity.

The club operates an official sanctions process, where club officials and a member from an independent supporter association hear cases and decide on an appropriate course of action, including potential sanctions which may include lifetime bans or indefinite suspensions.

Supporters should be aware that if they are in possession of a ticket that has not been forwarded in line with the club’s terms and conditions, or are present inside Anfield without a valid ticket, they will be ejected by stewards or the police.

The only authorised way to share a General Admission ticket is via the club’s Ticket Forwarding service and supporters who are found using a burner phone to distribute their tickets to others risk suspension or cancellation of their season ticket / All Red membership and the associated ticket access. Supporters are encouraged not to risk their ticket access by using burner phones.

Supporters are also reminded not to buy tickets from unofficial online channels or from unofficial sellers, as more and more sophisticated and organised ways to defraud or extort fans continue to be discovered. Club research suggests that upwards of nine out of ten tickets listed on these unofficial sites either do not exist or are touted tickets that have been sold multiple times.

As a result, the club would like to reiterate the places where fans should purchase Anfield tickets from in order to guarantee they are genuine.

The club’s official match break partners – and their sub-agents, which are listed on their websites where applicable – are the only other places to guarantee the purchase of official LFC hospitality tickets.

Here is a list of LFC’s official match break partners and the hospitality area they provide official tickets for.

LFC supplies these agents with genuine hospitality tickets, and these packages are sold as match breaks with travel and/or at least one night’s hotel accommodation.

Fans can report unofficial ticket sales or fraudulent tickets to LFC here – and to Crimestoppers here. More information on the LFC official sanctions process is available here.

All general admission tickets should be purchased from Liverpool FC only. For more details, go here. LFC also sells official hospitality direct to supporters here.

Find the latest Liverpool FC news here.

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