Portsmouth FC blames scanner confusion for entry delays

The club said it had monitored problems other stadia had experienced with new entry systems

Confusion over new ticket scanners and staff shortages led to delays for fans getting into Fratton Park, Portsmouth FC has said.

Saturday's match against Cambridge was the first time a new entry system for season ticket holders was operational.

Fans complained of "incompetence" as some missed up to 15 minutes of the match due to hold-ups at turnstiles.

The club admitted fans were not made properly aware of new ticket scanning procedures.

In a statement apologising to fans, Portsmouth said it had monitored the difficulties many other clubs had experienced recently with season ticket delivery and wi-fi connectivity at turnstiles.

Fans turned to social media to vent their frustration at the hold-ups ahead of the League One match.

Adam Darke said it was "feeble justification for lack of organisation" and Derek Lewry said it was a "total shambles".

Paul Vinten accused the club of a "lack of communication".

He added: "This is not good enough. Nowhere in the letter accompanying the season tickets does it tell supporters how to use the card."

Video guide

The club said it faced the additional challenge of relocating many season ticket holders due to stadium development works and capacity cuts.

Cards were rejected as supporters were not aware they had to be scanned rather than inserted into a barcode reader, leading to cards being rejected, the club said.

"The consequence of this was to more than double the entry time for many supporters, as they sought guidance on the new process from stewards who, in turn, are still not at the optimum numbers we would like, due to the staff shortages that the leisure industry continues to experience," the statement said.

It added the "unique circumstance" of the pandemic meant it had not been possible to test the system at a pre-season friendly.

The club said it would be releasing a video guide for fans on how to use the system before the home match against Sunderland next month.

Other clubs including Southampton experienced issues with new entry systems at the start of this season.