Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]
CASTLE Lager Premier Soccer League (PSL) chief executive officer Rodwell Thabe has outlined how the online and pre-match ticketing system will operate ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster clash between Highlanders and Dynamos at Barbourfields Stadium.
Thabe said the league has introduced both online and physical ticketing platforms to improve access for supporters while also curbing ticket fraud and recycling.
However, he said recent developments at Highlanders, which saw players embarking on a strike over outstanding dues, negatively affected advance ticket sales as many supporters were uncertain whether the match would proceed as scheduled.
“Fans can buy their tickets online and receive a QR code, which they can either print or present on their mobile phones at the gate. The QR code will be scanned to validate entry,” said Thabe.
“We have two methods of ticketing. There is the online system and the pre-generated physical ticket system. Fans who purchase physical tickets will also have them scanned at the gate. This is meant to prevent ticket recycling. If a ticket is fake or if someone attempts to pass it on to another person after it has already been used, it will be easily detected.”
Thabe said supporters with physical tickets will use designated priority gates, details of which will be announced ahead of the match.
“Those with physical tickets will go through priority gates, which we will announce well before the match,” he said.
He expressed concern over the slow pace of advance ticket sales, attributing it to uncertainty surrounding the fixture following the Highlanders players’ strike.
“Unfortunately, because of the strike by Highlanders, only a few people have bought tickets in advance. By now, we would have expected at least 50 percent of the stadium capacity to have been sold. However, people were sceptical about whether the game would go ahead and this has really affected our sales,” said Thabe.
The league expects ticket sales to increase significantly now that uncertainty surrounding the fixture has been resolved. The match, one of the biggest fixtures on the domestic football calendar, is expected to attract a large crowd to Barbourfields Stadium.
