Hundreds of Sunderland fans sign petition urging ‘rethink’ on digital-only season tickets

The club announced on Friday, March 3, that from next season it will “discontinue” all physical season cards, with supporters having to download and store their ticket onto their smartphone.

It’s a move which has evoked grave concerns, particularly amongst older fans who may not own a smartphone or intuitively know how to use one, with many speaking with the Sunderland Echo to say they will be precluded from attending if the club goes down the line of a digital only policy.

One of those fans is 65-year-old John Dermody, from Hebburn, who has been a season ticket holder for 15 years since returning to the North East after his career working for the Ministry Of Defence in Scotland.

John said: “I went to my first game at five years old and even when I was in Scotland I used to travel down for games when I could. Having this imposed on us is going to alienate a lot of older fans.

"I travel to games with my friend, Ronnie Cordial, who is 73. He doesn’t have smartphone. He only carries an old style phone, which he says is for use in emergencies. When I saw him at the game on Saturday, after the announcement, he was so dejected, as he didn’t think he would be able to go back.

"Even if he had a smartphone, he wouldn’t know how to use it.”

Angered by the decision and “lack of consultation with supporters”, John set-up the online petition which has received over 900 signatures in just 48 hours.

The petition demands the club contacts all season ticket holders to gauge their opinion on the policy and to ensure the new system doesn’t preclude fans who don’t own a smartphone or know how to use one.

He said: “We receive emails from the club across the year about a range of things and so I don’t understand why they didn’t email season ticket holders to get their views on this change.

"I don’t know why we are rushing down this road. I’ve seen a number of times at games where fans have downloaded match day tickets on their phones and are struggling to get in the turn-style.

"There will be a lot of people of Ronnie’s generation who won’t have or be able to use a smartphone as well as people who have certain characteristics or disabilities.

"I also disagree that people should have to pay £10 to attend the stadium to be shown how to do this. A lot of fans live away in other parts of the country or work long hours and it’s not always practical to do this.

"I’m not against developing the option of a smartphone season ticket, but there should also be a choice to retain season ticket cards.”

John also feels the club needs to address other potential issues with a smartphone only policy.

He added: “I’ve had a number of fans contact me on the petition about what happens if you lose your phone, the screen cracks or you have a technical problem which results in your phone not working or losing power.

"I know a fan who lives in Doncaster. He can’t get to all the games and so he shares his season ticket and the cost with a friend. It’s one thing sharing a card but you obviously can’t do it with your phone. There will be a lot of people in this situation.

"I don’t think the club have fully thought this through and I really think this decision could have a significant impact on attendances.”

The petition follows on from Sunderland AFC supporters in the Bridges urging the club to “rethink” the policy which they branded a “big mistake”.

John added: “I was asked if I wanted to transfer my bankcard onto my phone and I said I wanted to keep my card. I actually have smartphone, but at the moment, after six decades of going to games, I’m seriously considering not renewing my season ticket out of principal.

“It should be a choice and I would urge the club to talk to supporters to see how they are feeling rather than having something imposed on us. Any supporters who share these concerns should sign the petition which will then be sent to the club.

"We’ve had nothing to shout about for years yet there were 43,000 fans there at the weekend. We have the best support around, but fans feel like they are getting pushed away and the club needs to talk to us.”

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SAFC have been contacted to see if they have an updated response to fans feelings and their current policy stance, but as yet, we have received no reply.

In the original announcement the club cited greater efficiency and security as the reason behind the decision, along with operating more sustainably.

A club statement said: “A digital season ticket is the safest, most convenient, and flexible way to receive your match ticket, whilst increasing security and protection against fraud.

“Once familiarised, the move to digital season tickets will also ensure a faster entry to the Stadium of Light for all supporters and the transition also forms part of the club’s long-term sustainability goals to reduce paper and plastic use.”

The club also said the digitalisation of season tickets is inline with systems adopted at many other Premier League and EFL clubs.

To help with the transition, the club will be running a digital support drop-in service at the Beacon of Light.

The club statement added: “Further resources, including video tutorials and ‘how to’ guides, will also be accessible to all fans throughout the build-up to the 2023-24 season.”