Hundreds of City fans delayed getting into stadium

7 hours ago 3

@Ticketmancity Large crowd of about a 100 people waiting. Most are wearing blue tops, including the City shirt. Many are looking frustrated or unimpressed, with some on their phones. A club steward in an orange stands to the left.@Ticketmancity

Large crowds were waiting outside the Etihad stadium as they faced technology issues

Hundreds of football fans were stuck in long queues outside Manchester City's first home game of the new Premier League season following ticketing issues.

In a statement, the club said they were "aware of extended wait times" and were "working to get all ticketholders inside as quickly as possible" as the game with Tottenham kicked off at 12:30 BST.

Images on social media showed hundreds of fans waiting outside the Etihad stadium shortly before the match against Tottenham Hotspur began.

Shaun Fogarty, who was queuing outside, told the BBC that he and his partner arrived an hour earlier but Android users had difficulties gaining access with their mobile tickets.

He called it an "absolute shambles", adding he had "never known such a pig's ear made of it".

Mr Fogarty said all of those stuck outside were eventually let into the stadium en masse about 10 minutes before kick-off.

Reuters Manchester City's Oscar Bobb and Tottenham Hotspur's Djed Spence grapple with each other, with the ball at Spence's feet. Bobb is wearing the sky blue strip while Spence is in his club's black away kit. City fans watch on from a packed stand in the background.Reuters

The game between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur kicked off on time at 12:30 BST

On the x platform, the club's official support team said: "We are aware of extended wait times for fans queuing at Fan Support and we are working to get all ticketholders inside as quickly as possible.

"We thank you for your cooperation during this time."

City recently added new screens to scan mobile tickets at their turnstiles but previously said it should not affect fans' entry to the stadium.

The tickets use a contactless form of technology that is enabled by default on most Apple devices but require a switch-on for Android devices.

The BBC has asked the club for a response.

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