Newcastle United to introduce digital ticketing for the new season – Sport Positive | OneFootball

Newcastle United are to introduced digital ticketing next season.

That information coming from a report by Sport Positive.

They are an organisation who ‘Highlight environmental sustainability initiatives of professional football clubs.’

This is what they do, in more detail:

‘The goal of Sport Positive…is to share information on climate action and sustainability efforts within the structures that currently exist in football clubs, encouraging increasing action and ambition from the sector.

In 2018 when Sport Positive Founder, Claire Poole, was being interviewed and asked about which football clubs were leading on sustainability, she kept coming back to the same few examples. That kickstarted a project to research and map out operational environmental sustainability efforts of top-flight football clubs. Starting with that information in the public domain, verifying that information with clubs and then publishing it in one place for the first time.’

In their latest updated report on Newcastle United, they have had the following (amongst a lot of other environmental info / initiatives) to say:

‘Information sourced directly from Newcastle United F.C. staff.’

‘Policy and Commitment

‘NUFC has signed the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework, committing to 50% emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2040

No sustainability strategy is in place yet, but will follow

NUFC have recently appointed a Sustainability Manager to lead on this agenda and develop a clear long term strategy for the club. Sustainability Commitment Statement has been produced, but not signed off by Senior Management.’

A couple of snippets of particular interest to Newcastle United fans maybe:

‘Digital ticketing will be introduced for the 23/24 season, significantly reduce the amount of paper.’

‘Options are being considered to implement allotments at the Training ground and the produce will be introduced into the restaurant menus. This is a future project.’

I think having first team players, especially those not getting regular time on the pitch, working on allotments at the NUFC training ground would be an excellent initiative…

However, of even more interest, is this reporting of Newcastle United set to introduce digitial ticketing for the 2023/24 season.

On 3 March 2023, Sunderland announced the same next season…

‘Supporters will have a new way to enter the Stadium of Light on matchdays from the 2023-24 season, with the launch of digital season tickets.

Following a comprehensive upgrade to the stadium’s entry system, all physical season cards will be discontinued upon the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign.

Supporters will receive their 2023-24 digital season ticket via email and will be able to download and store it directly to their smartphone using Apple Wallet (IOS) or Google Wallet (Android).

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.’

Now, I don’t know what position they are now at, but I do know Sunderland met a lot of resistance when announcing this.

Whilst the Mackems said they would be having sessions offering assistance and guidance to fans on using the new digital tickets, I’m pretty sure I have heard / seen in the media that whilst they initially said no physical season tickets at all would be issued, they have now (I think) backed down and will allow this for any supporters who can’t / won’t change over to the digital ones.

In the Sunderland info above, one line stands out for me: ‘Once familiarised, the move to digital season tickets will also ensure a faster entry to the Stadium of Light…’

Hmmm.

I am not so sure exactly how long it will take for the Mackems to be so ‘familiarised’ that it equate to ‘faster entry’ into their stadium, if ever…

St James’ Park for the first home match of the season.