According to ESPN Soccer, Manchester United fans protested the club's ownership pre-derby kick-off, with a pre-match protest followed by players emerging under a banner reading "the way you treat us is a disgrace". The protest was sparked by the club's heavy-handed summer crackdown on ticket touting, which resulted in widespread condemnation from fans and supporters. United confirmed on Friday that they had removed 685 season tickets as part of the contentious process, claiming that they have disrupted organised ticketing networks. However, fans remain angry, with The Red Army supporters' group confirming that there will be no flag display against Manchester City in the wake of the club's investigation into ticket touting. The 1958 fan group had earlier called a protest about the so-called "season ticket ban fiasco", urging fans to "stand united" as a "line has been crossed".