This is something I predicted. I forget if I did it here or on another forum, but it's exactly what I expected would happen. I've been in that shop on gameday (usually to get away tickets for the next game) and the speed of getting served is shocking. Not a knock on the ladies behind the counter, but they can only do it as quick as the system lets them and if a lot of people are there, it gets very crammed. I've certainly given up before so it doesn't surprise me that others do.

Bit better signage would do it.

People go in to the shop out of habit I suspect. To the left of it there was a ticket office open specifically for walkups. I only went there cos there happened to be a queue when I arrived. I only noticed the sign for it after I'd paid there. Unless people were going in the shop to deal with multiple things at once, which seems likely in the early games of the season.

fwiw, tickets from there were like the ones they used to hand you after paying to get in at the turnstile. No QR code.

This is why I'd at least open 2 cash only turnstiles. That way only having 2 open may encourage people to buy online or in store through the week as there will inevitably be queues to pay and buying online would avoid that. But at least it gives people who can't access tickets online the chance to pay on the gate on the day. If that makes sense?



If it helps, the e-tickets come in separate attachments on your email. I did this with my sister. I had all 4 tickets for my group but emailed my sister her ticket so she could get in and meet her friends in the ground beforehand. So all it means is that if you and your friend have a smartphone, there's no need for you to drop it off. Just simply e-mail their ticket to them.

That does help, thanks. I could just forward him one of those attachments and make sure I use the other one.

I can see those less technologically minded to struggle with this system a lot. We have a lot of "aging" supporters, I can't see them being very happy. Hopefully most will have season tickets so they have it on a card (or whatever method the season ticket is now).

You're welcome And yeah just forward him the ticket. Tbf if they aren't scanning them you could use the same one haha!

And yes I agree. Those who aren't familiar with technology may struggle. I just hope they already do have a season ticket (it's been a card for a while now I think, since 2010 at least) and I hope the club opens up a turnstile for those who haven't so we don't lose them and try to get as many people in as possible.

A lot of the potential issues could be solved easily by a simple FAQ section of the website on the new ticketing.

They can alert people to where this ticket office that VBFG mentioned is, they can let people know that they come as separate e-mail attachments for multiple tickets etc etc. There seems to be a lot of issues and questions around it, which could be solved by good communication. Get ahead of it and answer questions for a large amount of fans before they turn up to the ground and wonder what the hell is going on.

Oh wait, communication. There's that word that seems to come up a lot.

To be fair, they have mentioned it on the website and social media a bit, but there just needs to be a bit more to pad out the basics. And what happens on game day needs to mirror what they've said, which it sounds like hasn't happened yet.

But its precisely the people that aren't going to be on social media or the website that are probably also going to end up befuddled by e-tickets and ticket scanners.

You're right in reference to 'ageing' supports. Around where I sit are hordes. I'm 58 and I'm like a spring chicken amongst people who are clearly struggling to get up the steps in the main stand. How many of them want to be messing around with e-tickets? Some of them have probably been paying at the gate since the club reformed in 1963 - what is benefit in alienating them now, just when we need their support more than ever??

One of my family members bought a ticket on the day. He's a season ticket holder and he didn't pay the extra fiver in the shop as he argued the fact that he works away so could not purchase a ticket at the store, and didn't have a smartphone (he does but was arguing it for this case) and that as a season ticket holder he was not e-mailed about the changes in price on the day (not sure how true this is maybe you season ticket holders can enlighten me on this) to which the guy at the ticket office basically said that's a fair argument.

Fair point. I'm not sure how you get round this other than going back to a cash turnstile or physical tickets (and better signage for the walk ups).

I got a mail from the club but it just gave me a link to the website so I'm not sure how much that would have helped anyway.

As for the ticket checking using phones, my experience on Sunday wasn't particularly good. My plastic card was scanned by a guy with a phone but it took him ages of moving his phone backwards and forwards to get it to 'ping'. This system may work with the relatively low crowds in the friendlies but I can see problems with the league games, given that most fans will tend to turn up at the last minute - after all, it shouldn't take any time at all to get a mere 2.5 thousand (ish) into the ground should it?

When it comes to scanning the hundreds of home printed tickets I can only see it being worse, unless they really do intend just let folk wave them at the stewards. #actionfraud

It wouldn't be so bad if they turned the turnstiles into automatic scanners like they have at Headingley. Imagine if even 10% of the turnstiles at Odsal were turned into scanners for this season and maybe next where the crowds won't be huge then every year add a couple more. It would allow those who can, to use them. And those who aren't sure can use the stewards. A bit like how some people are quick as hell using self service checkouts but others prefer to use a checkout with someone on it.

I don't think season tickets should be scanned yet, to reduce the queue times. Just shown at the gate. Each season ticket is paid for and every season ticket represents 1 person at every home game. Even if a season ticket holder doesn't attend and gives it to a friend etc technically that 'supporter allocation' is paid for anyway. So no need to make everyone scan.

In fact in an ideal world the scanners idea could be for season ticket holders only for the first season (as a trial) and the gate used by individual game tickets (like myself).

If the club were selling 'proper' paper tickets I'd agree 100%, but, unless they could be scanned and be shown to be single use, home printed tickets would be a big no-no to me. The potential for fraud is just too great and it wouldn't need more than a few abused tickets to make the cost of a couple of gatemen seem an absolute bargain. Incidentally, I think the story about "safety reasons" being behind the decision to not open a turnstile is the biggest load of 'fake news' Ive heard for some time.

I would reasonably bet that the lack of cash turnstile is only for the friendlies as they want to minimise the costs of opening and operating odsal.

I fully expect cash turnstiles to be open again (probably not many mind!) when the season kicks off proper. What business would turn away cash paying customers after all.... I expect the price hike to stay aswell.

Indeed. I was talking to a mate who's a walk up punter and he said he'd not bother at all if he has to queue up in the shop for a ticket.

So a cash turnstile is a must.

They probably only have to flog two or three walk up entries or so to pay for the costs of opening a couple of turnstiles. Not opening pay on the gate turnstiles is a false economy, all you're going to do is p!ss people off by making them queue. If they aren't put off going altogether, that is. It's an incredibly bad bit of business.