This season, Brentford rolled out its new ‘every seat counts’ policy which applies to season ticket and premium seat holders.
It’s been introduced to reduce the number of empty seats at Gtech Community Stadium and give more Bees fans the chance to attend home matches.
In short, season ticket holders and premium seat holders need to ‘use*’ their seat for as many games as possible. If they miss a number of games, they risk losing the right to renew the following season.
*Fans can ‘use’ their season ticket or premium seat in one of four ways: either by attending the game themselves, passing their ticket onto a guest who attends in their place, listing their ticket on the club’s ticket exchange before 10am on a matchday (regardless of whether it sells), or listing it after the 10am deadline and it being sold to another supporter.
If a fan doesn’t use their season ticket or premium seat for a home league match, they will receive a ‘yellow card’.
If they get four yellow cards between the start of the 2023/24 season and the season ticket renewal date in March 2024, they will lose the right to renew for the 2024/25 season.
The policy was introduced at the Spurs game and the club is now going to issue the first wave of yellow cards to those who didn’t use their season ticket on Sunday.
These yellow cards will be issued later today via email.
Given that this is the first time that yellow cards have been issued, some key points have been listed below for ease of reference.
Disputes process - what happens if the system says I missed a game, but I was actually there?
In the event that you receive a yellow card email, but you were actually used your ticket, you must reply to the email within 14 days detailing the following information:
Any clear photo of yourself (or whoever was in your seat) to help with identification checks. This does not need to be a photo of you at the game
An explanation of why you think your card was not scanned/did not register
Your fan number
Details of the seat that you sat in during the game
The club will then check the CCTV from the game and will adjust your yellow card record if we can see that you did indeed attend.
The club will confirm in writing the outcome of any disputes that have been raised to the individuals involved.
Will the club accept any excuses if I don’t use my season ticket for a game?
With an improved ticket exchange in place, we don’t believe there should be any reason for fans not using their season ticket at every game.
However, we do understand that last-minute eventualities can happen that might prevent you from downloading and transferring, or listing, your season ticket.
If this happens, a yellow card will be issued but you will be allowed to get up to three yellow cards during the season before the season ticket renewal date in March 2024 without risking the automatic right to renew next season.
If you miss four games though, and therefore get four yellow cards, you will lose your automatic right to renew your season ticket.
The demand for season tickets within our stadium far outweighs supply, therefore it is only fair, if tickets are not being used, that the club is able to sell that season ticket in future years to fans who will attend more regularly.
Appeals later in the season
Fans should note that in the spring of 2024, at the time of season ticket renewals, there will be a separate appeals process for those who have received too many yellow cards and lost the automatic right to renew their season ticket and wish to challenge that decision by exception.
If you missed the Spurs game and you feel that you have a legitimate, exceptional reason, please make a note of this.
In the event that you need to make an appeal later in the season, this information should be submitted for consideration when making the appeal.
Please do not submit this to the club at this stage.
To read more about the detail of the policy, please read our FAQs.