A major black market sells thousands of Premier League tickets, an investigation has revealed. Companies operating from overseas locations, including a Swiss town of just 4,000 residents, drive the trade. They exploit memberships and software to secure tickets at scale from clubs’ online platforms.
Reselling tickets is illegal in the UK, and the Premier League maintains an “unauthorised list” of websites. Despite this, our journalists bought tickets easily for four matches last weekend. Experts describe the practice as widespread across English football.
Fans could purchase tickets for sold-out games, including Sunday’s Manchester derby, which was snapped up weeks in advance. Tickets were also bought for Arsenal, Everton, and West Ham fixtures. Our journalists gained entry to every game using these tickets.
However, other fans report paying for tickets that failed to grant entry. Prices ranged from two to four times the face value. Some tickets arrived via UK phone numbers on messaging apps with strict instructions not to speak to stadium stewards.
The findings prompted calls for clubs, the Premier League, and the government to act. Critics warn that the black market makes official tickets harder to access and undermines stadium safety rules. Clubs say they are cracking down, canceling tens of thousands of memberships and tickets.
Concern practice is endemic across the game
The Premier League’s “unauthorised” list contains more than 50 websites, including well-known resale platforms. Four websites accessible in the UK appeared to sell the most tickets. Together, they advertised tens of thousands of tickets. Arsenal v Nottingham Forest alone had over 18,000 tickets listed, nearly a third of Emirates Stadium’s capacity.
Experts warn that many listings may not exist. Ticket security consultant Reg Walker said, “Speculative listings create inflated numbers. Likely only 10–25% of tickets actually exist.” That still amounts to thousands of tickets per match round.
Prices varied from £55 to nearly £15,000, often including high booking fees. Walker cited a family of Japanese tourists who paid £2,200 for tickets with an £87 face value. Tickets for exclusive areas like Arsenal’s Diamond Club and Manchester City’s Tunnel Club were also advertised.
The Football Supporters’ Association called the findings deeply concerning. Chair Tom Greatrex said, “Long-term supporters struggle to get tickets due to the way secondary agencies operate.” The Premier League said ticketing is primarily a club responsibility but continues to support anti-touting measures.
Tickets arriving digitally with surprises
All purchased tickets transferred digitally, sometimes on match day, and worked as mobile passes. Seat numbers only appeared after tickets arrived. Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium tickets were advertised as upper-tier behind-goal seats but arrived as a Club View seat near the halfway line, normally reserved for £1,200-a-season members.
At Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium, a digital ticket automatically changed in our mobile wallet days after the game, showing a different seat number and a future Champions League fixture. Only two clubs responded to comment requests. Arsenal said they had canceled almost 74,000 accounts attempting unauthorised purchases. Everton said they conducted joint operations with Merseyside Police to tackle touts.
Companies exploiting loopholes and putting fans at risk
Reselling football tickets is illegal in the UK, except on club-approved exchanges designed to prevent rival clashes. The four companies we investigated are registered abroad—in Spain, Dubai, Germany, and Estonia—and fall outside UK law. Yet they actively target UK customers with online ads. Sellers contacted us from UK phone numbers.
One firm, Ticombo, registered in Germany with multiple offices in Engelberg, Switzerland, responded. The company claimed to be a trusted resale platform, rejecting allegations of wrongdoing, and highlighted the consumer choice benefits of secondary markets. Ticombo argued regulations banning resale create monopolies for organisers.
Greatrex warned that overseas agencies exploit a loophole, undermining segregation rules and risking safety incidents when away fans appear in home sections.
Inside the Etihad with Man City supporters
Tickets for the Manchester derby were widely available on unauthorised sites days before the match. The cheapest ticket cost three times face value and arrived via a mobile link with strict instructions. We were told to enter one hour before kick-off, not speak to security, and delete the ticket after the match. Staff advised claiming the ticket was a gift if challenged.
Despite these warnings, the ticket scanned without issue. Entry was surprisingly easy. Instructions also requested avoiding away team colours. Our seat was behind a goal in the home section, among the most passionate City supporters. The visit highlighted how resale sites compromise segregation rules designed to protect fans.
It’s an arms race
Companies refused to explain how they acquired tickets at scale. Many tickets end up in the black market through bots and fake identities. Walker noted that some clubs have tens of thousands of memberships controlled by touts. One Premier League club had over 900 memberships under a single resale site director.
Recent club figures reveal the scale of the challenge: Arsenal removed 30,000 suspicious entries, Chelsea blocked 350,000 bot purchases, and Liverpool shut down 100,000 fake accounts. Yet only 12 arrests occurred last season for ticket touting in the top six tiers.
Former Arsenal ticketing head Manal Smith highlighted the human cost, recounting disappointed fans who paid hundreds for tickets but could not enter games. She urged supporters: “Just don’t do it. Please don’t do it.”
