Man Utd great walks away from season ticket after 28 years - "Enough is enough"
Manchester United legend Norman Whiteside and his wife, Dee, have decided against renewing their season tickets at Old Trafford after more than 28 years
Manchester United legend Norman Whiteside has decided not to renew his season ticket at Old Trafford due to a series of issues, including the relocation of his seat, leading his wife to declare "enough is enough".
Whiteside, who joined United as a teenager in 1978 and made his way into the first team, scored 67 goals in 274 appearances for the Red Devils before moving to Everton in 1989. The decision by Whiteside and his wife, Dee, to not renew their season tickets comes a year after they were forced to move their seats at Old Trafford to accommodate executive seating.
In a post on X, Dee Whiteside expressed her disappointment: "So, I've waited for a while to write this. It is with unbelievable sadness, that after more than 28 years of having season tickets at Old Trafford, @NormanWhiteside and I are not renewing next year.
"Having been forcibly relocated last season, "red carded" for not attending enough games, unable to give my "paid for" seat to my children... enough is enough.", reports the Manchester Evening News.
"And to cap it all, we've seen it all, we've won the lot, we're Man United and we're never gonna stop... except for so many seasons now, my match-going loyalty to my club has ended so sadly.
"I'll still be at games, I'm MUFC until I die, and I've seen worse times than now, but I'm not sure I've seen players less interested in pulling on our shirt for very many years. Times must change."
Whiteside and his wife, are platinum season ticket holders at Old Trafford, by virtue of having the seats for more than 25 years, but will now walk away. United's decision to move season ticket holders from block S122 at Old Trafford was reported by the MEN last year, a change that impacted the Whitesides.
A spokesperson for United acknowledged: "We have the greatest respect for Norman as a legend of the club, and understand the disappointment caused to him and other season ticket-holders by seat relocations.
"There are various reasons why this happens, including, next season, the moving of matchday hospitality seats into consolidated blocks to address fan concerns about them being dispersed around the stadium.
"Other changes next season include the removal of hospitality seating from the Stretford End and installation of further rail seating in the North-West Quadrant, bringing benefits to many fans but also causing some disruption.
"No additional hospitality seats are being created at the expense of season ticket-holders - in fact hospitality seating will reduce by more than 500 next season. We are committed to working with all season ticket-holders affected by relocations, including Norman, to find them the best possible alternative seats elsewhere in the ground."
During his tenure in Manchester, Whiteside set records as the youngest player to score in both FA Cup and League Cup finals. The Northern Irishman also surpassed Pele's record to become the youngest player to participate in a World Cup, representing his country at the tender age of 17 years and 40 days.
Injury forced Whiteside to retire at just 26, but he remains a beloved figure among fans for his contributions, particularly his match-winning goal against Everton in the 1985 FA Cup final.
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