Fan Advisory Board hosts Digital Ticketing Town Hall
From the official Chelsea FC website:
As part of the club’s commitment to supporting fans through the transition to digital ticketing for the 2025/26 season and beyond, Chelsea Football Club’s Fan Advisory Board, in collaboration with club officials, recently staged a Digital Ticketing Town Hall.
Club representatives included president and chief operating officer Jason Gannon, chief strategy officer and head of business operations James Murray and chief digital officer Phil Lynch.
Hosted by Fan Advisory Board co-chairs Neil Beard and Tracy Brown, club officials presented the journey to digital ticketing and the importance of the transition to ensure the club can provide the best fan experience for all supporters.
During the town hall, representatives of multiple supporter groups were taken through why the club is moving to digital ticketing. The club’s aim is to ensure that we have a fair, safe and modernised approach to digital ticketing which in turn will create an enhanced matchday experience for fans.
Club officials explained the ‘how’ of digital ticketing including the functionality and the support that will be provided for supporters to help them through the transition. They explained that all ticketing functionality would be moving to the Chelsea Official App to make it simpler and easier for fans, with Ticketmaster as our new ticketing partner providing the platform.
The benefits of digital ticketing were also discussed, including increased fan safety and convenience as well as it being a key tool for the club to clamp down on ticket touting. This is thanks to enhanced visibility for the club on who is attending matches at Stamford Bridge.
Supporters were presented with the significant and holistic support that Chelsea FC will provide to guide fans through this change, as well as the bespoke and sensitive approach to those who may be eligible for an exemption from using digital tickets.
Following this, a number of pre-submitted questions were asked and there was an open Q&A for those present.
Summary of digital ticketing Q&A
In response to the following questions, the club’s responses were as follows:
Q: Will there be one-to-one sessions available via video call?
A: Yes, we will be doing online sessions to ensure that we have a wider reach so that we are accommodating for all of our supporters.
Q: Some supporters will be anxious about the change and prefer physical tickets or may be unable to use digital ticketing. What will the club do to support?
A: Any supporter who has concerns will be able to attend our workshops and webinars as well as having all the available information on the website regarding digital ticketing. We will assess supporters’ needs on a case-by-case basis and ensure that anyone who applies for exemption will receive an impartial and fair review process.
Q: It is challenging to always attend every game and on occasion I pass on my season ticket to another fan, will this still be possible?
A: Yes, there will be the ability to forward tickets for individual matches to people within the new system. We want to ensure, for safety and security purposes, that we are aware of everyone that is coming into our stadium and it is important that tickets end up in the hands of genuine supporters. However, we understand fans have reasons why they cannot attend all fixtures and we will provide a suitable platform and scheme to provide flexibility.
Q: On occasion, there can be ‘bottlenecking’ at parts of the ground and the speed of entry is a problem. How will digital ticketing help?
A: The QR code entry via your phone will be an enhancement on mobile or print-out tickets and you should see an improvement as fans adapt to digital ticketing. Throughout, our communications will continue to encourage fans to arrive into the stadium early and ensure our signage is appropriate to help way-finding at Stamford Bridge.
Q: Will there also be test events at Kingsmeadow and how will it work for fixtures there?
A: Due to the connectivity challenges at Kingsmeadow, we will need to take a different approach to our ticketing service in the short-term. We are still doing technical due diligence on the site and may consider a slower roll-out of digital tickets at Kingsmeadow, with both digital and physical options available for the 25/26 season. More information will be shared with supporters as the approach for next season is confirmed.
Q: When will we be informed regarding the ticket pricing for next season?
A: We will announce the pricing in early June after the end of the season and fans will have a similar season ticket renewal window as previous years. We will ensure that details for renewal are fully communicated to our supporters upon announcement.
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