FAQs: Online Ticketing
Since we launched our season and Flexi ticket offers, we’ve been paying close attention to your feedback. Our recent progress on and off the pitch has only been possible because of the growing number of Yeltz fans backing the club week in, week out. We’re proud of the direction we’re heading in, but we know there’s still work to do.
Some of the changes and communications have been a bit confusing – so we want to be as transparent as we can by responding directly to some of the main points we’ve seen raised.
Online ticketing
We’ve taken the decision to move our ticket sales online. One of the big reasons behind this was the challenges we faced with limited allocations for away fixtures at Stourbridge and Telford where we simply didn’t have a good system in place for distributing them fairly or efficiently.
While exploring our options, it’s become clear that there are other big advantages to this move:
- It’ll help reduce queues at the turnstiles
- It significantly cuts down on staffing time and admin capacity behind the scenes. By reducing our overheads, we are able to ensure these savings are passed on to fans through our pricing structure.
- It gives you the ability to buy tickets wherever you are – whether that’s for home games, away allocations or coach travel
We know this is a bit of a culture shift, and we’re not rushing ahead blindly. As part of this change, there will be articles published on our website to provide step-by-step guides to assist fans with how to purchase tickets online.
We’re taking it step by step to support fans while we transition to a digital system of ticketing. We’ve got some exciting ideas in the pipeline to reward the loyalty of our fans through the system. We hope to have more on that later in the season.
Most importantly, we want to make sure no one is excluded. If online ticketing is a barrier for you or someone you know, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. The best way to do so is either by emailing support@halesowentownfc.co.uk or by chatting to us in person either on Tuesday 15 July from 6:30pm, or on Saturday 19 July from 12pm (before our PSF vs Hednesford Town at The Grove).
We will also be holding in-person sales on Tuesday 15 July between 6:30pm-8pm.
Season tickets
Season tickets will be issued digitally this season – you’ll receive a ticket that you can scan at the gate. We’ve listened to the feedback, and we know some fans would prefer a physical card. As we recognise that this is a transition year in terms of ticketing, the club will ensure that all season ticket holders receive a physical season ticket card which they can use to enter the ground.
These cards will be ordered after the Hednesford game on 19th July and we will be in contact about how to collect your card before the start of the season. We’ll also be in touch soon with details about how you’ll receive your season ticket holder pin badge before the season kicks off. Your personalised gift will be sorted later in the season.
Flexi tickets
We want to be upfront and candid about this. The previous Flexi ticket deal was fairly generous, and a number of season ticket holders have made point of this over the last couple of years. It included two free tickets and access to all-ticket games (like Stourbridge), which ultimately is very close to what a season ticket holder will receive.
As a club that relies on ticket sales as our primary revenue source, we have to make sure we’re using our capacity in the right way and continue to generate the revenue needed to keep driving forward. We’ve worked really hard to strike the right balance between affordability and sustainability.
We believe our current pricing across all tickets remains very competitive and accessible for a club at this level. We can ensure you that every last penny goes back into the club and hopefully you will see the difference to where we were some years ago.
That said, we’ve made improvements to the Flexi that we hope you’ll value. Most notably, it can now be used by multiple people rather than being restricted to one person. And for key home fixtures that are all-ticketed (this may only be Stourbridge), you’ll have a priority window to buy your ticket as a Flexi holder first.
In addition to this, you will have the second option on away tickets once season ticket holders have had the option to purchase. This will give you the best chance to get your ticket in the away end for those big games we’re hoping to be involved in.
Rest assured that Flexi ticket holders will be factored into any potential future reward schemes as the second priority behind season ticket holders. This is all a long way of saying we’ll ensure that your loyalty is rewarded as best we can!
Monthly instalment payment option
One downside of the transition to online ticketing is that our chosen provider doesn’t currently support payment plans or monthly instalments. We’ve fed this back to them and they’re looking at methods for introducing this next season, but unfortunately, we’re not able to offer this option for 2025/26.
We know this will be disappointing to some supporters, particularly when everybody is feeling the pinch. We aim to be as accessible as possible to our fans and local community as possible, so we completely understand the frustration this may cause. We’re truly sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Fan engagement
We’re committed to working closely with fans and making sure your voices are heard. With that in mind, we’ve set up some new ways to get in contact:
- support@halesowentownfc.co.uk – our new fan inbox for queries, ideas or feedback
- A Fan Engagement Group is also in development for this season. More info on that will be communicated in the near future.
We hope that you can get involved with the club and engage with us in a constructive and meaningful way. We want to make sure the matchday experience is as positive as possible for our match going fans, and we need your input to ensure we’re moving in the right direction.
In summary…
We know change isn’t always easy, but every decision we’ve taken has been about trying to build a better future for the club – on and off the pitch. We’re proud to be a community club, and that means staying financially healthy, open with our fans, and ambitious about where we’re going.
We as a club, chairman, executive team and volunteers, know that we are custodians of this club and our fans are its lifeblood. Your support – through ticket sales, volunteering, and turning up week after week – is what keeps this club moving forward. So thank you, truly. We’re always listening and we’re always learning, and we’re excited about what’s to come.
If you’ve still got questions or concerns, please do get in touch by the methods mentioned above. We’re in this together.
Up The Yeltz!