Foxes Trust calls for pause to digital ticketing roll out & clarity on exemptions

[Foxes_Trust]

Full article on our website here: https://foxestrust.co.uk/11808/leicester-city-and-the-digital-ticket-debate

 

As the deadline for season ticket renewals has now passed, the Foxes Trust is setting out what we want the club to do regarding its continued drive towards digital tickets. We also set out below the engagement we’ve already had with the club and our one-to-one assistance given to fans to help them navigate their way to successfully renewing a season ticket card....

 

What we now want the club to do

1. Stop the roll out of digital tickets if the club is relegated (make it digital by decision rather than digital by default).
2. Make the number of ticket transfers and re-sales in a digital ticketing policy unlimited.
3. Provide complete transparency on the full list of possible exemptions.

 

Recent Trust Engagement with LCFC

During March we were directly engaging with the club over two main concerns regarding digital tickets:

 

1) We believed that, in the event of relegation to The Championship, a significant percentage of Leicester City fans would want to maintain a physical season ticket card and not be forced into digital ticketing.

 

2) If we did avoid relegation, with Premier League rules seeking up to 70% of tickets being issued digitally in 2025/26, as the Premier League move towards a total digital format by the 2026/27 season, we felt it important that the number of ticket transfers and re-sales permitted should be increased beyond the five already permitted.

 

Leicester City responded quickly, and our letter clearly had impact, with their agreement to increase the number of permitted transfers to 10 (double what it was previously) and shortly afterwards they went public with this change. The Trust felt this was a step in the right direction on this particular issue – even though we would like to see this increased further still (17 out of 20 Premier League clubs currently have no limit).

 

But the Club also told us that they were unprepared to move on reducing the pace of introduction of digital tickets because they had been discussed via the Fan Engagement Framework and “received extensive support, with little or no objection”. This was surprising to hear and did not align with the feedback we had been receiving from our members and the wider fan base.

 

In view of this the Trust therefore launched its own a digital ticketing survey to understand fan sentiment towards digital ticketing. Our survey found as follows:

 

– Over 85% of fans surveyed disagree with the decision LCFC intends to make to adopt Premier League rules for digital ticketing even if the Club is playing in The Championship next season.

– Almost 50% of fans surveyed either don’t trust the technology for digital tickets or do not possess a smart phone to be able to use them.

– Almost 50% of fans surveyed have experienced difficulties using digital tickets.

 

All of this points to the Club’s drive to sell tickets on a digital by default basis being widely unpopular and unwelcomed by many Leicester City supporters.

 

Who can apply for a Digital Ticket Exemption?

 

Even if the club does not relent from its push for digital tickets, at the very least they could make it easier for fans to seek exemption from them. The Trust has found itself needing to help fans on a one-to-one basis engage with Club about digital exemptions. 

 

It is currently unclear what is classified as a valid reason for an exemption, and we would like to see the Club publicise with full transparency the full list of possible exemptions and make it easier for eligible fans to apply for them.

As things stand, the only information that has been shared by the Club is as follows:

 

– Seniors (aged 65 and over)

– Supporters aged under 16

– Supporters who have registered a disability with the Club

 

The deadline for registering an exemption for a season ticket card is Monday 19th May. We feel the current approach could be particularly distressing or confusing for elderly supporters, supporters who have legitimate reasons for not being able to use the technology and supporters with disabilities.

 

 Our Conclusions:

 

• The Foxes Trust believes that the Club would be making a bad decision to roll out digital tickets in The Championship where there is no mandate to do so. 

• The prospect of digital tickets is disincentivising loyal fans from renewing their season tickets, or purchasing match day tickets, and the apparent lack of openness to hear fan concerns on this issue is further damaging the relationship between the Club and its supporters.

• In a scenario where digital tickets would be necessity (due to the mandate from the Premier League), the current guidance for fans that are eligible for a physical season ticket card is unclear and the limitations placed on Leicester City fans is out of sync with other Premier League clubs.

 

A sample of what Leicester City supporters have told us in recent weeks:

 

– “This decision is discriminatory and entirely at odds with the current era of pushing inclusivity at every turn. I haven’t come across any organisation – of any type/size/sector – that has sought to exclude me from their customer base because I don’t happen to own a smart phone.”

– “As a season ticket holder, I simply don’t want or agree with it. I know people who don’t have a smart phone and/or don’t take it to games with them.”

– “You only have to look at the replies to the Club’s social media posts to see fans are very much opposed to digital ticketing. The club is so far removed from what it once was, it was a community, they used to look after their fans. It’s unrecognisable now to the point we don’t feel valued or respected.”

– “I’ve used digital ticketing on two occasions, on both occasions digital ticketing failed causing me to miss the start of the game.”

– “I can renew and have a digital ticket or not renew at all. That isn’t a choice, it’s an ultimatum.”

– “My work and travel situation means I have a number of occasions where I cannot make it to Leicester. For 12 years my mother has used my ST to accompany my father. This has allowed us to support the club as a family. It is a tragedy that the community and family aspect of easily sharing a ticket is such a problem for the powers that be.”

 

We ask any supporter whom has had difficulties regarding the exemptions for digital ticketing, or challenges with the current policy that are preventing them from renewing their season ticket, to contact the Trust via the email address [email protected] so that we can feed this back to the Club.

[davieG]

Let’s not forget it may be a PL decision but the clubs must have voted for it. Can you ask did LCFC vote for or against it. 

 

Let's have the truth on where they stand on this instead of hiding behind the PL excuse.

[Nolucklcfc]

They want it to control and know everyone coming into those turnstiles. Absolutely no surprise they are set on it. Well done on raising this issue with them though. 

[Richard]

It has never worked on my phone, not just at the KP but at Fulham and Millwall. Causes havoc at the turnstiles 

[jammie82uk]

1 hour ago, Foxes_Trust said:

they were unprepared to move on reducing the pace of introduction of digital tickets because they had been discussed via the Fan Engagement Framework and “received extensive support, with little or no objection”.

Was there a survey regarding Digital tickets because if there was I didn’t see one,

 

Was there an “your 90 minutes” about the introduction of Digital tickets?  

 

was there an FCC working group about Digital tickets?

 

Was it discussed on the Fan advisory Board? 
 

or have they ignored all the above because it’s a premier league rule? 
 

let’s not forget as well that according to the club themselves that there is at least currently 9,885 physical cards that can just be switched back on for next season, if everyone of the concessions had a physical card as well, it would mean that just over 70% of STH choose to have a Physical card

 

Of the 22,549 Season Ticket Holders for 2024/25, 9,885 opted for a physical card at a £25 fee, with a further 6,195 Concessions eligible for a free physical card.

 

https://www.lcfc.com/pages/en/media-article/leicester-city-confirms-charity-donations-as-season-tickets-sell-out

[Globalfox]

1 hour ago, Foxes_Trust said:

Full article on our website here: https://foxestrust.co.uk/11808/leicester-city-and-the-digital-ticket-debate

 

As the deadline for season ticket renewals has now passed, the Foxes Trust is setting out what we want the club to do regarding its continued drive towards digital tickets. We also set out below the engagement we’ve already had with the club and our one-to-one assistance given to fans to help them navigate their way to successfully renewing a season ticket card....

 

What we now want the club to do

1. Stop the roll out of digital tickets if the club is relegated (make it digital by decision rather than digital by default).
2. Make the number of ticket transfers and re-sales in a digital ticketing policy unlimited.
3. Provide complete transparency on the full list of possible exemptions.

 

Recent Trust Engagement with LCFC

During March we were directly engaging with the club over two main concerns regarding digital tickets:

 

1) We believed that, in the event of relegation to The Championship, a significant percentage of Leicester City fans would want to maintain a physical season ticket card and not be forced into digital ticketing.

 

2) If we did avoid relegation, with Premier League rules seeking up to 70% of tickets being issued digitally in 2025/26, as the Premier League move towards a total digital format by the 2026/27 season, we felt it important that the number of ticket transfers and re-sales permitted should be increased beyond the five already permitted.

 

Leicester City responded quickly, and our letter clearly had impact, with their agreement to increase the number of permitted transfers to 10 (double what it was previously) and shortly afterwards they went public with this change. The Trust felt this was a step in the right direction on this particular issue – even though we would like to see this increased further still (17 out of 20 Premier League clubs currently have no limit).

 

But the Club also told us that they were unprepared to move on reducing the pace of introduction of digital tickets because they had been discussed via the Fan Engagement Framework and “received extensive support, with little or no objection”. This was surprising to hear and did not align with the feedback we had been receiving from our members and the wider fan base.

 

In view of this the Trust therefore launched its own a digital ticketing survey to understand fan sentiment towards digital ticketing. Our survey found as follows:

 

– Over 85% of fans surveyed disagree with the decision LCFC intends to make to adopt Premier League rules for digital ticketing even if the Club is playing in The Championship next season.

– Almost 50% of fans surveyed either don’t trust the technology for digital tickets or do not possess a smart phone to be able to use them.

– Almost 50% of fans surveyed have experienced difficulties using digital tickets.

 

All of this points to the Club’s drive to sell tickets on a digital by default basis being widely unpopular and unwelcomed by many Leicester City supporters.

 

Who can apply for a Digital Ticket Exemption?

 

Even if the club does not relent from its push for digital tickets, at the very least they could make it easier for fans to seek exemption from them. The Trust has found itself needing to help fans on a one-to-one basis engage with Club about digital exemptions. 

 

It is currently unclear what is classified as a valid reason for an exemption, and we would like to see the Club publicise with full transparency the full list of possible exemptions and make it easier for eligible fans to apply for them.

As things stand, the only information that has been shared by the Club is as follows:

 

– Seniors (aged 65 and over)

– Supporters aged under 16

– Supporters who have registered a disability with the Club

 

The deadline for registering an exemption for a season ticket card is Monday 19th May. We feel the current approach could be particularly distressing or confusing for elderly supporters, supporters who have legitimate reasons for not being able to use the technology and supporters with disabilities.

 

 Our Conclusions:

 

• The Foxes Trust believes that the Club would be making a bad decision to roll out digital tickets in The Championship where there is no mandate to do so. 

• The prospect of digital tickets is disincentivising loyal fans from renewing their season tickets, or purchasing match day tickets, and the apparent lack of openness to hear fan concerns on this issue is further damaging the relationship between the Club and its supporters.

• In a scenario where digital tickets would be necessity (due to the mandate from the Premier League), the current guidance for fans that are eligible for a physical season ticket card is unclear and the limitations placed on Leicester City fans is out of sync with other Premier League clubs.

 

A sample of what Leicester City supporters have told us in recent weeks:

 

– “This decision is discriminatory and entirely at odds with the current era of pushing inclusivity at every turn. I haven’t come across any organisation – of any type/size/sector – that has sought to exclude me from their customer base because I don’t happen to own a smart phone.”

– “As a season ticket holder, I simply don’t want or agree with it. I know people who don’t have a smart phone and/or don’t take it to games with them.”

– “You only have to look at the replies to the Club’s social media posts to see fans are very much opposed to digital ticketing. The club is so far removed from what it once was, it was a community, they used to look after their fans. It’s unrecognisable now to the point we don’t feel valued or respected.”

– “I’ve used digital ticketing on two occasions, on both occasions digital ticketing failed causing me to miss the start of the game.”

– “I can renew and have a digital ticket or not renew at all. That isn’t a choice, it’s an ultimatum.”

– “My work and travel situation means I have a number of occasions where I cannot make it to Leicester. For 12 years my mother has used my ST to accompany my father. This has allowed us to support the club as a family. It is a tragedy that the community and family aspect of easily sharing a ticket is such a problem for the powers that be.”

 

We ask any supporter whom has had difficulties regarding the exemptions for digital ticketing, or challenges with the current policy that are preventing them from renewing their season ticket, to contact the Trust via the email address [email protected] so that we can feed this back to the Club.

The use of percentages is always misleading without context could you please share the actual numbers of respondents behind the percentages then a more reasoned argument can be made. If only 50 people responded it is not very representative whereas if it’s 15000 it’s a sustainable argument. The technology works just fine it’s people that don’t so what is the real agenda that fans want. I believe it’s more about having the season ticket discounted rate but the ability to use the ticket by anyone. Here there is a wider conundrum as under law it is illegal. In any action there is a reaction so be careful what you wish for there may be a move to say OK you can have full freedom but the amount of season ticket discount may disappear. Why are other clubs further along without the same supposed issues. Only today Chelsea made everyone change passwords to further strengthen digital deployment. You don’t do your account can go away and any loyalty points. I think you need to focus on what is real. By the way I have used digital 100’s of times at multiple grounds so why does it work for some. Oh and by the way I fall into that older category and find it derogatory that you suggest age has anything to do with it.

[Gazza3]

It's too late now . I ve not renewed. 

[Ric Flair]

10 hours ago, Globalfox said:

The use of percentages is always misleading without context could you please share the actual numbers of respondents behind the percentages then a more reasoned argument can be made. If only 50 people responded it is not very representative whereas if it’s 15000 it’s a sustainable argument. The technology works just fine it’s people that don’t so what is the real agenda that fans want. I believe it’s more about having the season ticket discounted rate but the ability to use the ticket by anyone. Here there is a wider conundrum as under law it is illegal. In any action there is a reaction so be careful what you wish for there may be a move to say OK you can have full freedom but the amount of season ticket discount may disappear. Why are other clubs further along without the same supposed issues. Only today Chelsea made everyone change passwords to further strengthen digital deployment. You don’t do your account can go away and any loyalty points. I think you need to focus on what is real. By the way I have used digital 100’s of times at multiple grounds so why does it work for some. Oh and by the way I fall into that older category and find it derogatory that you suggest age has anything to do with it.

17/20 PL clubs allow unlimited transfer of tickets or re-sales according to the trusts article. That might be why....

[goose2010]

Fair play and I hope the club go for it, but it feels too late. They would have already prepared for it, plus a lot of disgruntled fans haven't renewed will be even more annoyed if the club now reversed this decision. This should have been put to the club the day after the news came out really. 

[Ricey]

It's good to see the Trust being more active and setting the club actions. Long may it continue.

[markko]

I have a physical ticket. Season ticket holder. I did not want digital tickets. I have just transferred tickets as cannot attend and it took about 3 days to sort out. The club seems to take some pleasure in making everything more difficult than it need be. What is the reason behind wanting digital tickets?

[Big Dave]

Don’t really see the issue personally for the majority of fans. 
Digital ticket has always worked fine for me all season at the turnstile, and was a simple process when I transferred the ticket to a friend.

I plan to attend as many games as I can so the number of transfers is again not really an issue.

I do appreciate that some (children, elderly, disabled etc) may have issues.

[The Year Of The Fox]

17 minutes ago, Big Dave said:

Don’t really see the issue personally for the majority of fans. 
Digital ticket has always worked fine for me all season at the turnstile, and was a simple process when I transferred the ticket to a friend.

I plan to attend as many games as I can so the number of transfers is again not really an issue.

I do appreciate that some (children, elderly, disabled etc) may have issues.

Susan Whelan’s dream 

[Fox92]

29 minutes ago, Big Dave said:

Don’t really see the issue personally for the majority of fans. 
Digital ticket has always worked fine for me all season at the turnstile, and was a simple process when I transferred the ticket to a friend.

I plan to attend as many games as I can so the number of transfers is again not really an issue.

I do appreciate that some (children, elderly, disabled etc) may have issues.

Don't see the issue but do appreciate some people may have issues? 

 

This is a case of I'm alright so it's fine.

[The boy Linacre]

22 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Don't see the issue but do appreciate some people may have issues? 

 

This is a case of I'm alright so it's fine.

I think fans believe as an STH THEY'VE paid for their ticket and as a result they want to do with that what they want, so if they go on holiday for 2 weeks or are long term sick from nowhere etc. or whatever they can decide who has the ticket, its just flexibility.

The club we all suspect, want to reduce that flexibility, because if they didn't they would probably be more flexible themselves NOW that we are about to be outside the diktats of the FPL and they could take the fans "on the journey" more.

All their current approach has done, along with no visibility or communication about an abysmal season, much of which they are totally responsible for with bad decision followed by bad decision over 3-4 years now, is alienate a very unhappy fanbase further.  £25 last year didn't help either.

I want the card because I want the flexibility, I haven't missed more than about 1-2 games in the last 10 years, this year I AM going to miss probably more than 5 due to a big family event in the middle of the winter.

I've also seen the repeated fiasco with digital tickets at the turnstiles.  But I don't fit any exclusion criteria so down for Digital, probably frustratingly.

[Foxes_Trust]

2 hours ago, The boy Linacre said:

I want the card because I want the flexibility, I haven't missed more than about 1-2 games in the last 10 years, this year I AM going to miss probably more than 5 due to a big family event in the middle of the winter.

I've also seen the repeated fiasco with digital tickets at the turnstiles.  But I don't fit any exclusion criteria so down for Digital, probably frustratingly.

At least the adjustment from a fixed up to 5 transfers & up to 5 resales, to be a flexible 10 games which has now been agreed following our initial dialogue with the club should work for your circumstances, but we are still pushing for more

[ajthefox]

1 hour ago, Foxes_Trust said:

At least the adjustment from a fixed up to 5 transfers & up to 5 resales, to be a flexible 10 games which has now been agreed following our initial dialogue with the club should work for your circumstances, but we are still pushing for more

I have to question the ambition for this to be unlimited, at least in terms of resales.

 

I get people share and I've no issue with that, but if you're re-selling your ST for 60%+ of games then maybe you shouldn't be buying an ST in the first place.

[CosbehFox]

3 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

I have to question the ambition for this to be unlimited, at least in terms of resales.

 

I get people share and I've no issue with that, but if you're re-selling your ST for 60%+ of games then maybe you shouldn't be buying an ST in the first place.

To match what the other Premier Leagues club - my understanding is they are also contacted by the clubs if they notice a pattern form with their non attendance. 

[The boy Linacre]

11 hours ago, Foxes_Trust said:

At least the adjustment from a fixed up to 5 transfers & up to 5 resales, to be a flexible 10 games which has now been agreed following our initial dialogue with the club should work for your circumstances, but we are still pushing for more

And I genuinely commend and thank you for that.

And thanks for pushing for more, how sad there is such a "barrier" between the fans (who only want to spend their hard earned, look to an alternate route to the rest of their life for an personal/emotional/mental outlet) and the "club".  Supporting is generally a shared experience, I'm sure that hasn't been as happy of late.

Failure (over the last 3 years & the attitude on the pitch/in the dugout/in the posh seats, just magnify the disappointment.

 

But again, great effort, thanks, keep going, there are LOADS behind & with you.

Edited 17 April by The boy Linacre

[Foxes_Trust]

22 hours ago, Globalfox said:

The use of percentages is always misleading without context could you please share the actual numbers of respondents behind the percentages then a more reasoned argument can be made. If only 50 people responded it is not very representative whereas if it’s 15000 it’s a sustainable argument. The technology works just fine it’s people that don’t so what is the real agenda that fans want. I believe it’s more about having the season ticket discounted rate but the ability to use the ticket by anyone. Here there is a wider conundrum as under law it is illegal. In any action there is a reaction so be careful what you wish for there may be a move to say OK you can have full freedom but the amount of season ticket discount may disappear. Why are other clubs further along without the same supposed issues. Only today Chelsea made everyone change passwords to further strengthen digital deployment. You don’t do your account can go away and any loyalty points. I think you need to focus on what is real. By the way I have used digital 100’s of times at multiple grounds so why does it work for some. Oh and by the way I fall into that older category and find it derogatory that you suggest age has anything to do with it.

We had just under 600 responses to our survey but the survey results itself form only one element of why we are pushing the club on this.

 

We monitored the response to club announcements on digital ticketing across social media and message boards and, of course, know that a huge number of fans paid £25 to keep a physical season ticket card this season. We have also had many fans reaching out to us direct with challenges around digital tickets.

 

There are of course a number of reasons as to why some fans don't want digital. We've heard direct examples that range from wanting a physical momento, to having concerns over being tracked, to not having a smart phone or wanting to take one to the football, to wanting to share season tickets across family members, to having seen delays getting into the stadium at cup games where this has been used. As a Trust. all we can do is try to monitor fan sentiment and represent where we feel there is a need to.

 

You may personally feel that age is not a factor, the club would appear to think differently by offering an age-based exemption to digital. In contact we've had from fans, it has been mentioned as a factor in many examples so it's worth mentioning.

[Ric Flair]

@Foxes_Trust well played on this, some real noticeable attempts to hold the club to account and it's very welcome 🙌

[CH1_Fox]

6 hours ago, ajthefox said:

I have to question the ambition for this to be unlimited, at least in terms of resales.

 

I get people share and I've no issue with that, but if you're re-selling your ST for 60%+ of games then maybe you shouldn't be buying an ST in the first place.

You would be surprised how many people have a ticket or tickets that have been shared as a ‘family ticket’. I know someone who has 1 child ticket with his kids talking it in turns as an example. It is about community, family and common sense.

 

fully applaud the trust on this but of work, well done 👍🏻

[ajthefox]

1 hour ago, CH1_Fox said:

You would be surprised how many people have a ticket or tickets that have been shared as a ‘family ticket’. I know someone who has 1 child ticket with his kids talking it in turns as an example. It is about community, family and common sense.

 

fully applaud the trust on this but of work, well done 👍🏻

Yeah, I understand that. As I said, I don't have an issue with sharing. Selling is a different matter.

[Foxes_Trust]

4 hours ago, CH1_Fox said:

You would be surprised how many people have a ticket or tickets that have been shared as a ‘family ticket’. I know someone who has 1 child ticket with his kids talking it in turns as an example. It is about community, family and common sense.

 

fully applaud the trust on this but of work, well done 👍🏻

We wouldn't be surprised, it appears the club would be, but it has always been the case within families (from a time way before the Premier League was even a concept), we were pushing for more transfers last summer (as fan groups pointed out then, more fans would have chosen to go digital if the limit to a max of 5 transfers had been increased).

 

The family aspect of supporting has also been raised in regards to away games, at the 90 minutes session, the suggestion that families could pool points to enable younger family members to go (because due to age it would be impossible to acquire the required no of points required) was raised by fans present.

[fox_favourite]

18 hours ago, Fox92 said:

Don't see the issue but do appreciate some people may have issues? 

 

This is a case of I'm alright so it's fine.

I think you've jumped to a conclusion there, which is slightly unfair. 

 

Personally, I have never had an issue at all. Worked fine each time for every game. (Though I've jinxed it now). I have transferred my ticket to a friends son twice, without fuss. Granted he's a member which makes it easier. 

 

That doesn't mean I have the; "I'm alright, so it's fine" mentality. I can see why people don't want it, and I agree that forcing all to go to it is wrong. I understand those that want a physical card as preference and need one. I go with older supporters who don't like tech, or don't have very good phones because they don't need to in other parts of their lives. My mate is the same age as me and wants to have a card as a preference, but doesn't want to pay the £25 "tax" as he calls it to get one.

 

I agree with the stance from the trust that it should be choice rather than norm as we won't be premier league club next season, so why do we need to comply with their rules if the EFL don't have a mandate for it. That does annoy me. 

 

But it is okay for people to use the digital ticket system and either prefer it or never have an issue with it, so please don't jump on people who actually prefer it.