Newcastle cancel school's tickets for Barca game

Newcastle qualified for the Champions League by finishing fifth in the Premier League last season

Newcastle United have cancelled tickets purchased by a school nearly 200 miles away for the Champions League home game against Barcelona.

Forty-five tickets for the group match at St James' Park on 18 September were bought by the High School of Dundee - days after 110,000 fans had been in an online queue for the remaining seats.

A spokesperson for the School said: "This afternoon we were informed by the approved provider that the tickets have been cancelled."

A school spokesman said the school purchased the tickets in good faith after being "approached".

But it is understood that the tickets came from unauthorised reselling by fans who have now had their season tickets cancelled.

A Newcastle spokesman said: "These tickets will be made available to Newcastle United supporters through the club's existing ticket sale process."

A similar number of students from the school attended Newcastle's most recent Champions League game, against AC Milan in 2023.

A spokesman for the school previously said the tickets were "bought as part of a group package".

But he confirmed they were "informed by the approved provider that the tickets have been cancelled".

Newcastle do not have an authorised reseller and the only way to sell season tickets is through the club's official platform at face value.

The Newcastle United Supporters' Trust "welcomed" the club "taking visible action to deter and penalise those who may be profiteering from other fans or, in this baffling case, a number of school pupils from Dundee".

"Along with the rise in ticket prices, according to our annual survey, one of the biggest concerns for Newcastle fans is reduced ticket availability due, not only to high demand, but the selling of tickets through third party sites or other unauthorised means," it added in a statement.

"The situation this week has highlighted those frustrations once again. Ticketing can be a divisive subject but we feel united in the stance that tickets belong in the hands of genuine Newcastle United supporters and thank the club for their approach to those who misuse the system. We will continue to request transparency across all ticketing procedures."

It is understood 78 Newcastle season tickets or memberships have been cancelled this season for unauthorised selling.

About 4,500 membership accounts are on an internal watchlist because of suspicious activity, while about 750 supporters are being actively monitored for potential touting.

Newcastle are purchasing unauthorised tickets in an attempt to identify the sellers.

More than 130,000 bot attempts have also been foiled for the Barcelona game.