Working with Ticketing Engagement Platform, SecuTix, Brentford Football Club was delighted to welcome 2,000 fans to Brentford Community Stadium last Saturday for the visit of Blackburn Rovers.

The Bees were the first SecuTix client in the UK to take advantage of SecuTix’s social distancing tool, which seats fans automatically according to social distancing guidelines.

Mike Morris, Brentford’s Technology Director, said: “2020 has been a difficult year, but something that hasn’t changed is the fact that Brentford is a truly fan-centric club. Being in Tier 2, we are currently limited to welcoming back 2,000 fans a game, but we set out to manage that in the fairest way possible by giving our season ticket holders access to games on a rotational basis.’’

Using the SecuTix social distancing tool, when tickets are booked, surrounding seats are automatically blocked off, ensuring social distancing restrictions are maintained.

“We were really impressed with how the tool worked,” said Morris. "Being automated obviously helped from a logistical perspective and gives us the confidence to scale up when more fans are allowed back. Via the tool we managed to hit 30 per cent occupancy across the stands we opened, which was at the higher end of our expectations."

David Hornby, Managing Director SecuTix UK and Ireland, added: “As we saw at the weekend, the return of fans is crucial to the recovery of sport in the UK. Brentford are using our recently developed social distancing tool to help welcome their fans back, and we are delighted that our technologies are facilitating the whole experience. For Brentford as a partner and ultimately their fans as well.”