Arsenal will be urged to address the issue of empty seats at the English Premier League football club’s Emirates Stadium and its annual meeting today (Monday).
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, freedom of information requests over the past two years have shown how thousands of tickets are snapped up every season, but are then not filled by supporters.
Other fans are not given the chance to buy a ticket for the empty seats, depriving thousands of supporters the chance of going to games.
The newspaper added that as many as 4,000 seats went unused during games in 2014, according to the Metropolitan Police’s official gate attendance figures. The announced attendances include season-ticket sales.
The latest figures suggest that about 1,000 seats are going unused for every league game.
Some fans believe incentives and potential sanctions could encourage more seats to be filled, while a more accessible digital re-sales system could be established.
“It’s disappointing to see so many empty seats at ‘sold-out’ matches when the demand is clearly there,” Arsenal Supporters’ Trust spokesman Tim Payton said. “If someone is only using the ticket a few times a year then they should be warned and after that they should lose their priority for the next season. It is a win-win to get this sorted. More people on a match-day means new fans and extra revenue in other areas but, crucially, it would also improve the atmosphere and benefit the team.
“If Arsenal are concerned only with making money then the board won’t be bothered how many ticket holders actually attend. If they’re interested in the atmosphere within the ground and in encouraging the next generation of young fans to become regulars then this issue should be a major concern.”
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