1 day ago
8
Manchester City said they were aware of 'extended wait times'
Hundreds of City fans were left stuck outside the Etihad during the team's first home game in the Premier League.
Fans took to social media to complain of long queues at the ground ahead of the team's clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (August 23).
In an online post, the club said that they were aware of "extended wait times" and were trying to get all "ticket holders inside as quickly as possible."
Photos on social media showed scores of people still outside the stadium just minutes before kick off.
X user, Scott Game, said: "I missed the first 15 minutes of the game due to not being able to enter the stadium due to the ticket on my phone not being accepted by the turnstile.
"Can someone advise how I would raise a compensation claim?"
Also on X, Gary Phillips posted: "Absolute disgrace, chaotic and a shambles.
"Missed the first 30 minutes. Do I get any compensation for this s***show, I pay over £900 for my season ticket, I expect much better."
Another City fan, 9thjuly1976 added: "For 22 seasons we’ve been able to gain access through either B or K ‘stiles … today we queued up at B (the queues didn’t look too bad), only to be told (after queuing for 20 mins) that we could no longer gain access through B, only K Why didn’t you email / text us? Pathetic!!"
While another user, called FPLHUNT, said: "Pathetic. Missed the first 10 minutes."
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Manchester City Football Club said: "We are aware of extended wait times for fans queuing at Fan Support and we are working to get all ticket holders inside as quickly as possible.
Never miss a story with the MEN's daily Catch Up newsletter - get it in your inbox by signing up here
"We thank you for your cooperation during this time."
The incident comes after a new turnstile access system was introduced to the ground this season.
The method uses facial recognition technology that works by default on most Apple devices but some fans with Androids have reported issues.
Manchester City Football Club has been approached for comment.
Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE
English (US) ·