Delayed Arsenal Match: New E-Ticket System Causes Fan Entry Delays
“Delayed Start for Arsenal’s Premier League Season Due to Technical Issues Against Nottingham Forest”
The much-anticipated kickoff for Arsenal’s Premier League season against Nottingham Forest faced a 30-minute delay due to technical issues with Emirates’ new ticketing system. Approximately 35,000 eager fans were expected to enter the stadium around 12:30 PM when the match was scheduled to begin. Despite a sunny outdoor scene, spirits remained high as it became evident that the e-ticketing setup, previously untested in a top-flight game like this, had encountered a glitch. As the designated start time drew closer, it became apparent that if the issue persisted, the initial phases of the match might be played to empty seats.
The technical snag, initially estimated to be about half an hour, was resolved around 12:40 PM, allowing most fans to successfully secure their entry for the rescheduled kickoff time of 1 PM. The authorities responsible for crowd control ensured the nature of the issue was of no concern, assuring that there was no mishap or harm to those in the queue.
Following the team’s victory of 2-1, a statement issued by the club read, “We apologize to the fans for the inconvenience and thank them for their patience and support.” “All supporters were safely admitted to the stadium before the 1 PM kickoff.”
FT: Arsenal 2-1 Forest. First half goals from Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka seal victory for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in their opening match of the 2023-24 Premier League season. See @M_Star_Online for my take on a day marred by ticketing chaos that delayed kick off by 30 mins pic.twitter.com/kL5Vtdj4X4
— Layth (@laythy29) August 12, 2023
“The matter will be thoroughly investigated to ensure this doesn’t recur, and every possible effort will be made to assure that. We would also like to thank our staff who worked hard to ensure a safe and secure passage for everyone to their seats during the rescheduled kickoff time.”
On August 2nd, Arsenal had employed e-ticketing without any negative impacts during their Emirates Cup fixture against Monaco. The issues that arose on Saturday were an unfortunate start to the campaign and included a commitment from Mikel Arteta for a consecutive second Title Challenge at the beginning of the campaign.”
