Wildcats fight ticket touts

Correspondent

Wakefield have introduced a ticketing hit squad for their home games in a bid to discourage ticket touts operating around the Hearwell Stadium.

The club says that the squad will patrol the turnstile areas to assist Wildcats fans and to check that they have the appropriate ticket to enter the stadium.

They are also encouraging fans not to purchase tickets from ticket touts operating outside the ground, saying that it deprives the club of important revenue, that is used for maintaining facilities and paying players.

Wildcats Chief Executive James Elston said: “Like every other business and sports club we’re anxious to deliver a better quality service to the people who buy tickets for home games at the Hearwell Stadium.

“We want people whom come to our games to have a great experience and anything we can do to help them find their way round the ground will certainly help in that direction.

“At the same time we’re anxious to protect our revenue streams from any potential ticket scams. If we’re to create a successful and sustainable Wildcats team for the future, then every penny counts and we need to be vigilant.

“We’re aware that the Wildcats, like every other professional sports clubs, attract some people who would like to watch the game for nothing or exploit sales of tickets to which they are not entitled.

“True fans do not want to see their club financially damaged and the vast majority of our fans are brilliant at supporting the club. But we have to protect ourselves against those unscrupulous people who are cashing on their own behalves. At our last home game we found that adults were trying to gain admittance with concessionary tickets, which is not allowed.”