Football clubs are behind the times if they cannot integrate car park ticketing into their mainstream online ticketing says a ticketing software company.
Flame Concepts Ltd creates advanced ticketing for everything from music concerts to triathlon events. It claims car park ticketing arrangements are backward and full of loopholes that can be exploited to the embarrassment of club security teams. While football tickets are often issued via codes sent to mobile phones, car park tickets – for even the biggest clubs such as Manchester United and even top sporting events like the British Open Golf tournament – are still issued by post. Flame argues that this opens the opportunity to tamper with, steal or forge car park tickets, making grounds and venues less secure.
The firm asks that clubs with deep pockets should be exploring services that will allow for pre-registration of user and car or vehicle online, enable a customer photo to be uploaded to sit alongside their pre-booking of car parking, and ensure an electronically-issued car pass can be printed prior to entering a car park.
Hand-held devices, as operated by security staff, can check and validate tickets, while marrying up the photo of the original ticket purchaser with that of the person arriving at the car park and presenting the ticket. Taking things a step further, weatherproof screens with WiFi can push out, or broadcast messages to fans or event visitors, in the event of emergencies, or where general directional information is required.
Rather than spending sums on postage and administration, clubs could use car park ticketing to save time and money; and give fans an allocated space, gate and zone, if required. As for security, scanning can alert a car park attendant to the fact that a pass may be for another date.
Flame Concepts’ MD, Steve Bishop, says: “We are heading into a new football season and hearing of multi-million pound deals for players, but club security, particularly with regard to car park ticketing, is a potential Achilles heel. Whilst mega-bucks are being spent on players, it seems clubs are not wiling to examine advanced options that can enhance safety for fans, as well as cutting down on administrative costs. Current car parking arrangements are outdated and easy to exploit. In today’s world, that isn’t good enough. We call on all clubs to examine their car park ticketing arrangements and be more responsible.”
Visit www.flameconcepts.com.
