Brentford FC Chief Executive Mark Devlin spoke to Bees Player about the busy summer off the pitch that has seen a new ticketing system installed so that Griffin Park can cope with second tier football.
The ability to pay by cash on the turnstiles has been removed, with electronic card readers supplied to all Season Ticket Holders and Club Members. Other areas of the stadium have been improved as Brentford take their first step into the Sky Bet Championship next Saturday against Charlton Athletic. “Some things probably should have happened years ago, and some things have had to happen,” said Mark. “Every time you go up a step, you have to provide more media facilities; they have to be more state of the art, so we’ve had to invest in that area. “The TV gantry area has been improved, certain stands have been sponsored; we’ve entered into a new partnership with Matchbook, which means that the New Road roof has been repainted.” A new ticketing system was considered essential given the Club’s promotion and the anticipated rise in attendances. “Probably the biggest single change, which has taken a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of thinking about has been ticketing and access into the ground,” said Mark. “Our turnstiles are hardly state of the art; the ticketing system we’ve moved forward with is used by Premier League clubs with huge fanbases so it’s a proven system, one that we’ve had to put in because we know we’re going to come under pressure on matchdays. “The Season Ticket numbers – we’ve already sold 5,200 – fantastic sales, great support but it does mean we’ve had to change some of the access systems to make ourselves a bit more professional.” With the advent of new software, Mark expects the changeover period to have its stress points. “The key thing here is that we are asking people to change their habits, and that’s never easy,” said Mark. “We tested it last Saturday at the Nice game, and it gives me a really clear picture of when people come in. “You won’t be surprised to know that nearly half the crowd gained admittance in the final ten minutes. “But if people work with the Club, and help us to help them, then we will be able to speed up the way people are able to get into the ground.” You can watch the complete interview with Mark Devlin on Bees Player.