Now that Sheffield Wednesday beat Barnsley in the Sky Bet League One Play-Off Final at Wembley, the 2022-23 league season has ended.
The physical security product company Heras reports a steady stream of enquiries over the last few months from clubs from the Premier League to the National League, fifth tier, who are looking at ways to increase the speed at which fans can safely enter football matches. The Dutch firm, which has its UK head office in Doncaster, says it has been in talks with football clubs that are building new stadiums, those that need upgrades to cope with an anticipated higher attendance after promotion, and clubs that are looking to modernise turnstiles – which would mean no more need for staff to operate them on match days.
Graham England, Heras’s Head of Installation, pictured, says that demand is being driven by the changing way in which clubs interact with fans – particularly on match day. “It wasn’t that long ago that football fans queued up a turnstile and showed their ticket to a member of staff who then admitted them to the ground. Top flight clubs are leading with the way in the use of smart card technology that not only admits a fan into a stadium, but that can also be used for purchasing on-ground refreshments and merchandise. Clubs are using this technology to get closer to fans by tracking their purchases and activity – to tailor their matchday experience.
“This summer we will be installing our turnstiles at one football club which has a state-of-the-art entrance control system which will integrate seamlessly to make it easier and quicker to enter the ground. This is especially noticeable at grounds that have stadium capacities in excess of 40,000 fans.”
Heras has been busy manufacturing its flagship B700 in the UK over the past few months and has been storing them ahead of deploying installers to fit them in the summer, before the 2023-24 season opens in August.
B700 is Heras’s best-selling turnstile that comes in a range of configurations to suit security levels, operational and aesthetics, such as: 90’ four-arm, 120’ three-arm , single or double, trombone or straight arm, mesh or solid rotor. Materials and finishes include polyester powder coating in a range of colours, and optional galvanised and stainless steel frame and rotors to withstand the outdoors.
Graham added: “Heras turnstiles are already in operation at the vast majority of Premier League football clubs and we are fortunate that our reputation proceeds us – so clubs specify our turnstiles.”
