Mansfield Town Football Club would like to provide an update to supporters on steps being taken ahead of this Saturday’s home match against Stockport County in response to the access issues experienced by some supporters at recent home games.
We would like to thank supporters for their feedback regarding delays experienced in gaining entry to One Call Stadium prior to home fixtures this season.
The club greatly values feedback from supporters and we are working as hard as we possibly can to remedy the problems which some fans encountered at the turnstiles before our midweek triumph over AFC Wimbledon.
In the short time window during the close and pre-season, the club recognised the requirement to revolutionise its online ticketing system, which included for the first time the purchasing of season tickets online.
In order to achieve this, an update to the access control software was required to allow the reading of QR code tickets. A very small percentage of season ticket holders chose to receive an electronic ticket format, which was much fewer than the club had expected.
We were heartened to see a 60% increase in season ticket sales which has led to a much-welcome increase in attendances when compared with the start of previous seasons.
The new, online customer journey has offered a one-stop platform in purchasing tickets at One Call Stadium and the positive feedback received has been encouraging. This has significantly enhanced supporters’ experience of purchasing tickets and we are very impressed by the service from Kaizen Ticketing Solutions which is separate to the access control software used to enter the stadium.
In the first three home games of the new season, we have recognised that the turnstile scanners have not functioned as effectively as they did during the testing phase which showed only a marginal difference between the various ticket types. Ongoing improvements to this continue to be made.
We understand that it has been frustrating for supporters who have experienced delays in entering One Call Stadium and apologise for the inconvenience caused.
How are we addressing this?
After each home game we have worked closely with our engineers as part of our priority to rectify the issues encountered.
We are continuing to work closely with our access control partners to ensure that the turnstile scanners are working as effectively as possible ahead of this Saturday’s fixture at home to Stockport County.
We are seeing an increased number of fans attending our fixtures and would encourage all supporters to consider arriving and entering the stadium slightly earlier. We will be opening the stadium earlier from 1.30pm at Saturday’s fixture to assist with easing the flow of people entering the stadium.
Additionally, it has become evident that supporters with match tickets/season tickets via an e-ticket or Apple wallet, are experiencing easier and simpler access into One Call Stadium.
For this reason, the club will be offering a trial to invite a number of season ticket holders who have barcoded season tickets, the option of exchanging this to an E-season ticket which can be stored in their mobile phone device and presented at the turnstile upon entry or to change their season ticket card to one with a QR code.
We invite those with a physical season ticket card, who are situated in Ian Greaves blocks N, P, Q and R, to call the ticket office to discuss an electronic ticket type or to visit the ticket office next week for a replacement card.
Our ticket office staff will be very happy to assist you in this exchange from Monday to Friday, between 10am until 5pm, or by calling 01623 482 482 (option 1).
We are confident that there will not be a repeat of the issues experienced prior to the previous home fixtures this season and encourage all supporters to also consider the following additional guidance when coming to One Call Stadium:
- Please arrive at One Call Stadium as early as is possible in consideration of our continued high attendances to ensure any ticketing issues can be dealt with quickly
- If you are collecting your tickets on the day then early arrival is strongly advised
- If you have experienced problems with your season ticket when trying to enter the stadium please contact the ticket office to discuss
We would like to thank you for your patience and understanding and reassure you that the club is continuing to work as hard as possible to further improve your matchday experience.
