NUFC threaten ticket and ID checks at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday

The club has today released some crucial information for supporters ahead of our opening away game of the 2023/24 Premier League season at the Etihad Stadium.

Supporters travelling to the match against Manchester City on Saturday evening are asked to be aware of the following ticket guidelines:

• Ensure that the name on your match ticket corresponds with your personal identification. This is crucial as spot checks will be conducted by club staff at the stadium.
• If there's an issue with your ticket at the turnstiles, you'll be directed to the away box office. After verification, a new ticket will be re-issued to you.

• This verification process is in place to uphold the integrity of the club's loyalty points system. It ensures that tickets are used by the rightful purchasers and helps prevent ticket touting.
• The loyalty points system is designed to reward our most dedicated fans. Those with the highest number of points, earned by attending away matches, get priority during ticket sales. As tickets continue to sell, the threshold for required loyalty points is lowered, allowing more fans the opportunity to purchase.
• Due to the high demand for away tickets and concerns about tickets being used by those who might not meet the purchasing criteria, you may be asked to show a photo ID upon entry to the stadium.
• If you've acquired tickets as part of a travel group, ensure you can provide identification proving you're a member of said group.
• If you're collecting a replacement for a ticket that hasn't arrived, you'll need to present your ID to receive it.

Most starkly of all, the club has again reiterated the threat to remove loyalty points from anyone found to be in breach of these guidelines:

• Discrepancies between the ticket and identification could result in the original ticket purchaser losing all their loyalty points. Repeated discrepancies may risk the cancellation of the purchaser's season ticket.

We can see why the club have implemented these measures, but they do appear to go too far.

It will be interesting to hear the experiences of supporters attending the Etihad this weekend. We hope some common sense is applied by all parties, though, as alienating regular away match-goers is the last thing NUFC should be doing when everything else is so positive at the moment.