Lincoln City will explore the possibility of introducing a ticketing loyalty scheme after recent issues surrounding demand for away tickets, as revealed in the Fan Advisory Board minutes released this afternoon.
The subject was reportedly discussed at length during the latest FAB meeting, growing out of the online experience supporters faced when tickets went on sale for the Championship fixture at Middlesbrough. There were a number of issues around our opening Championship fixture, prompting a lot of debate about a possible loyalty system.
The Imps acknowledged that the process had not been as smooth as hoped, with approximately 6,000 logins recorded during the sale. A waiting-room system had not initially been enabled, contributing to the difficulties experienced by some supporters attempting to secure tickets. Those problems have been partially addressed: a waiting room is now active and will be triggered whenever traffic exceeds a configured threshold.
No problems were reported during the subsequent Portsmouth ticket sale, although the level of demand was lower.
According to the minutes, the discussion also posed the question of whether a loyalty scheme could provide a fairer way of distributing tickets for matches where demand is expected to exceed supply. Members of the board recognised that there would be no perfect system and any proposed model could still leave supporters disappointed. Concerns were raised about points being gamed or effectively monetised, while family access and the question of how historic attendance should be recognised would also need to be considered.
No changes will be rushed through during the current season; that was the initial outcome. However, the club and the FAB intend to explore the issue before the next Gold membership sales window, usually in February, using ticket purchase data and wider supporter research. The club confirmed that historic purchase data has been retained, provided supporters have used their accounts as intended when buying tickets. That could allow previous attendance to be considered if a loyalty-based model is eventually developed.
Demand for tickets has inevitably increased following promotion to the Championship, particularly for popular away fixtures with restricted allocations. Introducing a loyalty scheme would bring its own complications, but the commitment to examine the options should provide an opportunity for supporters to help shape any future system.
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