Rangers director Stewart Robertson apologises to fans for Malmo ticket fiasco
RANGERS managing director Stewart Robertson has apologised to supporters for "issues" in the ticket system that left some fans unable to get into Ibrox for their Champions League qualifier with Malmo last Tuesday. Steven Gerrard's side lost 2-1 as they dropped into the Europa League whil...
RANGERS managing director Stewart Robertson has apologised to supporters for "issues" in the ticket system that left some fans unable to get into Ibrox for their Champions League qualifier with Malmo last Tuesday.
Steven Gerrard's side lost 2-1 as they dropped into the Europa League while disgruntled supporters waited outside, unable to gain access to the ground.
Fans' group Club 1872 issued a statement last Wednesday where they demanded a response from Robertson, claiming that "hundreds" of fans were "locked out" for the duration of the game.
One season ticket holder of 30 years, who asked not to be named, told Herald and Times Sport that they recieved emails with "contradictory information" before the game, and their smartcard was refused when they arrived at the ground.
The supporter arrived 45 minutes before kick-off and had to wait in a "ridiculous" queue, finally receiving their printed ticket from the ticket office with just three minutes of the match left to play.
In a statement released via the Rangers website, Robertson apologised to those affected by the fiasco and said the club would "work tirelessly" to resolve the situation.
"The last week has been a challenge for our club, both on and off the field," Robertson wrote. "In particular, I am aware the current online ticketing system requires significant upgrading and improvement. Rest assured, we are investing in this area and are working tirelessly to rectify the issues experienced by supporters.
"I would like to apologise to those supporters who have had issues with the system, whilst we also recognise communication regarding ticketing needs further clarity.
"The board has invested in improving our digital platforms, with a new club website, app and RangersTV improvements. This is an ongoing commitment, and we will constantly seek to improve the platforms that we have. The ticketing platform was already a planned area of focus but is now our top priority given supporter feedback.
"In parallel, we are committed to increasing our customer service levels across the club by expanding resource and technology in this area. This will mean more contact points for supporters and faster response times to queries in the future. We will invest in live chat features and increased staffing available to reply to queries.
"We have committed to an increase in staffing in our customer service division and will add further numbers by the end of this week. For any supporters that have had challenges with any part of the ticketing system and for those unfamiliar with technology, a number of drop-in sessions will be offered at Ibrox in the coming weeks."
