Stadium Admission Issues - Club statement

[Sambiasso]

Leicester City Football Club has today completed a full assessment of problems experienced by a significant number of supporters gaining access to King Power Stadium ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Of Saturday’s 31,902 in attendance, 397 supporters entered the stadium after kick-off – many as a result of problems experienced with Season Ticket Cards at the turnstiles. Of those supporters, 262 had entered the stadium by 3.10pm and all the remainder had gained admission by 3.25pm.

A number of factors contributed to the problems experienced and the Club would like to apologise, without reservation, to the supporters affected.

Unquestionably the most prevalent issue was that experienced by supporters needing to upgrade Concession Season Tickets in the Family Stand. Further to correspondence issued to relevant supporters during the summer, the Club is currently managing an audit process of the Family Stand. This includes working with supporters to ensure all Concession Season Tickets are suitably upgraded for matchdays, where necessary. This is to protect the Family Stand’s family atmosphere, the integrity of Concession Season Tickets and to ensure compliance with stadium safeguarding policy. It is a complex, layered, work in progress and we ask for our supporters’ cooperation and patience during its implementation. However, the Club acknowledges that some of the problems experienced on Saturday were unacceptable and will be urgently reviewing policy as a result of such failings.

In addition, 43 Season Ticket Cards were reported and handed in to the Ticket Office team, 17 of which were found to have a technical fault. All 43 will be re-issued and dispatched by the end of this week ahead of the visit of Chelsea on 9 September.

Once again, the Club would like to apologise to the affected supporters for any inconvenience caused and any impact this may have had on their matchday experience.

The Ticket Office is available for supporters to direct enquiries or report issues throughout the season by calling 0344 815 5000 (option 1).
https://www.lcfc.com/news/458742/stadium-admission-issues-lcfc-vs-brighton--hove-albion

[lifted*fox]

Sounds more like a list of numbers and excuses than an apology tbh.

[Guest Mee-9]

'We ****ed up, and won't do sod all about it.'

 

For those who cba to read. 

[boots60]

I love going down the City

I love the team

I love the atmosphere & camaraderie

I do not love the people at the club entrusted with organising anything non football related.

The hapless folk entrusted with running the ticketing/entry to ground have fecked up royally.

Then we're told to get there earlier!

Surely someone, somewhere is capable of running the entry to the ground properly.  Rocket science it ain't. 

[yorkie1999]

Wonder if anyone was caught trying to gain false entry on a concession ticket , which, as i originally understood it, was the reason for the clampdowns and hold-ups.

[Monk]

I think that's a fair enough statement from the club - but they've clearly not thought through the upgrade process or mid judged the volume. Next game I would imagine it'll be more practical to have a upgrade line or booth specifically for this. 

[stripeyfox]

40 minutes ago, lifted*fox said:

Sounds more like a list of numbers and excuses than an apology tbh.

apart from the bit where they say: "the Club would like to apologise, without reservation, to the supporters affected"

 

The statement is fair enough. It acknowledges there was a problem but that it only affected about 1% of those in attendance, and that the main reason for the delay was people trying to fraud their way in with kids tickets.

 

 

[stripeyfox]

That might just be the most coherent and unambiguous statement the ticket office has ever issued!

 

[st albans fox]

I assume those affected will be offered a free ticket to the next home cup tie as compensation??  (Assuming the issue is entirely of the clubs making and not due to the ticket holder failing to take any advice pre season) 

[DB11]

So of all the delays only 17 were due to a faulty ticket? It's reasonable to believe therefore that the rest were people trying to defraud the club by using a concession ticket?

[Wolfox]

So, 4 people in my group were delayed by 15 mins and missed the opening goal (I'd given fhem away to my family for the day as I was away)...  and you are offering to do precisely f@ck all about it...

 

Deeply ill thought out response... 

 

i'll be placing my request  for 50% off the cost of this ticket as my family missed 50% of the goals...  I'll then sit and wait for an equally pathetic response, assuming I get one...

 

p@ss off LCFC...  you've just compounded the situation and made it worse...

[stripeyfox]

6 minutes ago, Wolfox said:

So, 4 people in my group were delayed by 15 mins and missed the opening goal (I'd given fhem away to my family for the day as I was away)...  and you are offering to do precisely f@ck all about it...

 

Deeply ill thought out response... 

 

i'll be placing my request  for 50% off the cost of this ticket as my family missed 50% of the goals...  I'll then sit and wait for an equally pathetic response, assuming I get one...

 

p@ss off LCFC...  you've just compounded the situation and made it worse...

It's unfortunate if your party were delayed due to others trying to fraud the system, but it's hardly the end of the world.

 

The club have apologised, but  your beef really should be with the people trying to get in with kids tickets surely?

 

[sly1]

Must win

[gonnabeblueforever]

We received an email during last week informing us of extra checks in family stand with advice to arrive earlier to avoid delays. We did this however one adult in our party was arriving separately and they weren't going to let him in as he had no children with him, he had to explain we were already inside.

[Wolfox]

1 hour ago, stripeyfox said:

It's unfortunate if your party were delayed due to others trying to fraud the system, but it's hardly the end of the world.

 

The club have apologised, but  your beef really should be with the people trying to get in with kids tickets surely?

 

I feel completely entitled to feel disappointed, when I did nothing wrong…. I paid for my cousins upgrade to go I place of my son…

 

just because others are up to no good is no reason for people who have been legitimately let down to feel aggrieved…

 

it sounds like a right royal cock up and there response was weak 

[yorkie1999]

12 hours ago, DB11 said:

So of all the delays only 17 were due to a faulty ticket? It's reasonable to believe therefore that the rest were people trying to defraud the club by using a concession ticket?

it says all 43 will be re-issued.

[jammie82uk]

17 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

it says all 43 will be re-issued.

So 43 people had legitimate issues getting into the ground

Still leaves 354 people trying to fraud their way in to the ground 

[Bayfox]

14 hours ago, Monk said:

I think that's a fair enough statement from the club - but they've clearly not thought through the upgrade process or mid judged the volume. Next game I would imagine it'll be more practical to have a upgrade line or booth specifically for this. 

It's 2017 and they have paid for a new website, it's about time they just added the option online. But it does sound like a lot of people trying to enter on the wrong band, for the sake of a few quid upgrade, people will do anything to save a few quid.

[Monk]

9 minutes ago, Bayfox said:

It's 2017 and they have paid for a new website, it's about time they just added the option online. But it does sound like a lot of people trying to enter on the wrong band, for the sake of a few quid upgrade, people will do anything to save a few quid.

I think the club doesn't like people upgrading kid to adult tickets as getting kids in the family stand is the whole point! As a result, why would they incentivise this by making it easy?

[yorkie1999]

46 minutes ago, jammie82uk said:

So 43 people had legitimate issues getting into the ground

Still leaves 354 people trying to fraud their way in to the ground 

Wheres that come from?

[stripeyfox]

43 minutes ago, jammie82uk said:

So 43 people had legitimate issues getting into the ground

Still leaves 354 people trying to fraud their way in to the ground 

 

I suppose the problem is that some people who DID have valid tickets were delayed by those with non valid ones.

 

There has clearly been an endemic problem with people buying kids tickets and then adults usuing them. The club warned it was going to clamp down. 

 

[Monk]

Just now, stripeyfox said:

 

I suppose the problem is that some people who DID have valid tickets were delayed by those with non valid ones.

 

There has clearly been an endemic problem with people buying kids tickets and then adults usuing them. The club warned it was going to clamp down. 

 

 

Yes and in the club's defence, they would probably not have known the extent of the problem until after 2pm on Saturday.

[stripeyfox]

Just now, Monk said:

 

Yes and in the club's defence, they would probably not have known the extent of the problem until after 2pm on Saturday.

Agree. I have been often the first to criticise the club/ticket office for their poor communication and bad handling of any number of situations, but I think they are pretty much in the right on this one.

 

They warned they were clamping down, told people to arrive early and then within three days have communicated clearly how many people were affected, the reasons why and apologised to those who were inadvertenly incovenience.

 

 

[Bayfox]

Just now, Monk said:

I think the club doesn't like people upgrading kid to adult tickets as getting kids in the family stand is the whole point! As a result, why would they incentivise this by making it easy?

But you are allowed to do it, although only 4 times a season in the family stand, so why not just make it as simple as possible to do that. if it took 2 mins online, over a 30 minute drive to the ground queuing up and a 30 min drive home, i'm just suggesting more people would do it in advance rather than take the risk.

 

My money would be on, this being a pretty much 1 off exercise to try make a point that they are clamping down on adults abusing the system, but by the end of sept all will return to normal.

 

I admit that my daughters card failed twice last season and at the point of re-issue I used it to gain entry to the ground, mainly to check it worked and despite a steward standing right behind the gate, clearly clocking i was not a concession in any way shape or form, he looked at me, looked away and ignored the fact, as he clearly decided it wasn't in his remit to confront me. Yet that is part of his job.

 

But in the main, upgrading a ticket is a pain in the arse and making it easier would help i'm sure.

[stripeyfox]

1 minute ago, Bayfox said:

But you are allowed to do it, although only 4 times a season in the family stand, so why not just make it as simple as possible to do that. if it took 2 mins online, over a 30 minute drive to the ground queuing up and a 30 min drive home, i'm just suggesting more people would do it in advance rather than take the risk.

 

My money would be on, this being a pretty much 1 off exercise to try make a point that they are clamping down on adults abusing the system, but by the end of sept all will return to normal.

 

I admit that my daughters card failed twice last season and at the point of re-issue I used it to gain entry to the ground, mainly to check it worked and despite a steward standing right behind the gate, clearly clocking i was not a concession in any way shape or form, he looked at me, looked away and ignored the fact, as he clearly decided it wasn't in his remit to confront me. Yet that is part of his job.

 

But in the main, upgrading a ticket is a pain in the arse and making it easier would help i'm sure.

Yes, I agree that there should be an easy option to upgrade. Currently, I have to visit the sub ticket office on the day. Whilst it is not too much of a problem it would be better if I could just do it online.