Coventry City Football Club has implemented smartcard technology as part of a complete overhaul of its ticketing systems.
As one of the first clubs outside the Premiership to offer radio frequency identification (RFID) enabled smartcards to season ticket holders, Coventry will this month extend the scheme to casual fans to speed entry, improve security and reduce paper tickets.
Commercial director Ken Sharp says the club's ticketing system was among the worst in the Championship when the new management team took control.
‘The old system was not robust and would not process quickly enough during peak games, which led to long queues and unhappy fans,’ he said.
A report recommended a complete upgrade, so the club implemented Talent Sport, a hosted ticketing system from Software4Sport.
‘We are only in the first phase, but the new system is proving robust, intuitive and straightforward for staff using the system,’ said Sharp. ‘It has improved efficiency and delivers better intelligence on our fans.
SkiData provided the smartcards and readers for all 45 turnstiles, integrated with the ticketing system.
‘Fans keep the smartcards for three years and renew their season membership or buy new tickets online,’ said Sharp. ‘This saves on the paper involved in season ticket booklets and fans can also pay in monthly instalments.’
Smartcards could also be used for other transactions, such as purchasing refreshments and merchandise, direct marketing and retail sales tracking, says Sharp.
He says the IT overhaul has helped to reduce operating costs and develop revenue, which will be vital if Coventry City returns to the Premiership, where a number of other clubs already boast full smartcard rollout.
Butler Group analyst Teresa Jones says smartcards work particularly well in a closed environment, such as that at football stadiums.
‘There is potential for added value once a club implements smart card technology, such as enabling fans to add cash,’ she said. ‘This can speed service and enable more targeted marketing to fans because it is integrated with the ticketing software.’
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