What kind of person pretends to be disabled just to watch a game? This is downright shameful and those behind this should be ASHAMED of themselves.

We used to laugh at Lou Todd and Andy Pipkin in Little Britain because the concept seemed so outrageous.

The idea of ​​an able-bodied man tricking his well-meaning but gullible partner into pushing him into a wheelchair when he was perfectly capable of walking seemed too far-fetched to be true.

The allegation that Manchester United fans posed as disabled supporters to attend away games this season is no laughing matter, however. In fact, it’s downright shameful.

What kind of person takes a ticket intended for a disabled fan and goes so far as to get a wheelchair to get into a stadium and watch a football match? The kind of idiots who think you won’t see them jumping around celebrating a goal in the next game.

And what about the people who facilitate this in the first place? The disabled ticket holder who could be complicit in the scam and the intermediaries looking to make a few pennies?

Manchester United have received heartbreaking allegations that “bastard” fans are pretending to be disabled fans to get valuable away match tickets.

What kind of person takes a ticket intended for a disabled fan and goes so far as to get a wheelchair to get into a stadium and watch a football match?

Because, as Chas Banks, secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters Association, points out, this is not a victimless crime. Other disabled fans are being denied a valuable opportunity to see their team play. “I promise you, for a lot of them, time is not on their side,” he says.

Mr. Banks dedicated himself to helping those less fortunate. Two years ago he was appointed MBE for services to disabled people in Greater Manchester and the North West of England. So he was understandably outraged when he made these allegations during a recent fan forum.

“Scumbags” was the word he used, and it’s hard to find a better one.

It is fair to point out that the problem could exist at other football clubs in the country, where interest is high and tickets scarce. But it came to light at United, where the club had to resort to high-tech measures to keep unscrupulous fans away.

These fans were rightly branded “bastards” for trying to watch United.

The people behind this should be ashamed of themselves and it is downright shameful.

Last week, Mail Sport revealed United had rolled out plans to beat touts by locking digital tickets to specific devices and hiding QR codes to scan at turnstiles up to three hours before kick-off.

But beyond increased identity security, how can we eliminate impostors in wheelchairs without subjecting disabled supporters to degrading controls? As usual, it is the innocent who will pay the price.

The people behind this should be ashamed of themselves