Aberdeen have released a statement to reveal they have refunded tickets to Rangers fans who purchased them for the Aberdeen end at next month’s Viaplay League Cup final.
The Pittodrie fans were furious this week after the initial 17,000 tickets for the first final of the season sold out almost immediately after a general sale on Tuesday. Chief executive Alan Burrows conceded that tickets were free to buy on that option too quickly after being made available toDons fans with 200 points.
A fight to secure the final 2500 will soon commence but it comes after Aberdeen’s appeal for a 50-50 split of tickets was rejected.
Aberdeen have responded to the furore by releasing the following statement which explains the mix-up and how it has been resolved.
It read:
“Following our communication on Wednesday morning, we wish to further alleviate any concerns Dons fans may have about the ticketing process for the Viaplay Cup Final.
“Firstly, we apologise for any undue frustration or panic the general sale period may have caused. We understand this is a hugely important match for all our supporters who are keen to see their team play in a national cup final for the first time in five years.
“When determining arrangements for this match our experienced ticketing staff planned the process with the intention of trying to allow larger groups and families to sit together at the Cup Final.
“With hindsight, we should have created additional tiers to the sales process before going on general sale, and not doing so, has caused unneeded anxiety for our loyal fans. We are very sorry for this error.
“We have standard protocols in place for high-demand fixtures to prevent non-Aberdeen fans from purchasing in the designated Aberdeen fans’ sections. However, due to an unfortunate human error in our ticket office, an element of these protocols was missed on this occasion.
“As soon as we became aware of the issue, we worked quickly to rectify the problem with the ticketing team investigating all transactions purchased after 5pm on Tuesday.
“We have stringently checked all purchases made during this window to ensure they are compliant with our normal purchasing criteria, which includes a significant buying history.
“The small number of the ticket purchases, which did not meet these standard protocols, are being deactivated and refunded with immediate effect.
“Over and above that, we have been in dialogue with the SPFL and await the final number of additional tickets we get which will take us up to approximately 19,500 in total.
“When we receive these, the ticket office team will work to ensure all those who have registered for the waiting list, and meet the criteria, are given priority (based on Priority Points) to purchase both the small amount that will be relisted, and the approximate 2,500 South Stand Upper tickets to be provided.
“Once again, we sincerely apologise to our fantastic supporters who have backed the team in huge numbers this season.
“We are confident we have resolved any potential issues and look forward to seeing a colourful and noisy Red Army at Hampden.”
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