Arsenal must help ticket resales, says Supporters' Trust
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Friday 21 September 2018 21:58, UK
Arsenal must do more to help fans who cannot make games to sell on their tickets, according to Supporters' Trust chairman Tim Payton.
There were thousands of empty seats at the Emirates for the 4-2 win over Ukranian team Vorskla Poltava in the Europa League on Thursday.
The official attendance was reported as 59,000 but the club reveal only tickets sold rather than the number of people in the stadium.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Payton said: "The game coming up on Sunday [against Everton] live on TV, I know there will be overseas fans turning up at the box office trying to get a ticket but the game is sold out.
"There will be three or four thousand empty seats in the stadium from people who can't make it for whatever reason and the club need to do more to connect those who can't make it with those who want to get in."
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Arsenal have a scheme for reselling unused tickets at face value that does not rely on third parties but fans have complained about it.
"People aren't using it and it doesn't work very well. For example you can't use it on an app, you really have to have this on the mobile application now," Payton said.
"It shuts down a couple of days before the game and there is no incentive to use it. First of all you could offer credits and incentives for people who are not going to put their ticket in for someone to use it.
"And maybe if it's like Thursday night against low-level opposition, why can't you have a donate button, put it to a local kid.
"There are a lot of things that can be done but the clubs have to address this because watching football matches in half-empty stadiums doesn't work for anybody."
Arsenal face Everton at the Emirates on Sunday, kicking off at 4pm, live on Sky.