Support for Barnsley Football Club is incredibly valuable and never more so as we find ourselves in a fight for our Championship survival. Your support, both at Oakwell and on the road, is a vital ingredient in our quest to be successful.
Unfortunately over the past few games the Club’s attention has been brought to the behaviour of a small group of individuals sitting at the rear of the CK Beckett stand. This behaviour involves the smashing of seats, damaging of stand hoarding and releasing smoke canisters as well as other related antisocial behaviour - the latter being the subject of a FA Report. In addition to this the Club found that fraudulent use of Season Tickets was taking place.
After further investigation it was found that a significant number of individuals were either sat in the wrong seat or were fraudulently using Season Tickets. This contravenes Ground Regulations and raises safety issues should the Club need to identify supporters sat in their correct seat.
May we remind all supporters that home areas of Oakwell are designated as reserved seating and as such, to comply with Ground Regulations, supporters must sit in the seat that they are allocated to either in their Season Ticket or matchday ticket. All supporters purchasing Season Tickets (or matchday tickets) have a choice where they can sit so long as this seat is not already taken (where an alternative will be given). The Club would like to refer all Season Ticket Holders to the Conditions of Use in their booklets which states that:
Clause 2: For First-Team league matches the individual match vouchers must be detached from the Season Ticket book in the presence of the Turnstile operator otherwise the holder will be refused admission. Turnstile operators have been given strict instructions to refuse admission to any person producing a loose voucher unless the complete Season Ticket can also be shown for inspection.
Clause 3: This Season Ticket book and its vouchers/coupons are NOT transferable. The Season Ticket is likely to be confiscated and cancelled without compensation, if used by anyone other than the person in whose name it is registered.
Clause 19: All Season Ticket holders must only occupy the seat to which their ticket is allocated unless instructed otherwise by Club personnel.
It’s very important that, as a Club, supporters and stewarding can work together to prevent these issues continuing to take place. To have policing within Oakwell will greatly escalate our matchday operational costs, which will have a direct implication on our playing budget as would any fines from the FA.
As always, any individual complaints supporters may have can be directed to the Club by email to thereds@barnsleyfc.co.uk.
