Liverpool have issued new advice to supporters ahead of the Reds’ pre-season friendly with Osasuna to help avoid the disruption that delayed kick-off against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
The club have introduced Near Field Communication for stadium access this campaign, with an electronic pass downloaded into a digital wallet on a mobile phone which is scanned for entry.
However, Liverpool’s match with Bilbao, which was due to start at 4pm, was delayed by 30 minutes due to teething problems with the new ticketing system as supporters returned to Anfield for the first time since March 2020.
Videos and images posted on social media showed significant queues outside Anfield leading up to 4pm, with plenty of empty seats inside the ground, with the Reds later publishing an apology and explanation for the delay to supporters.
And following a review they have issued guidance to fans and encouraged early arrivals at Anfield ahead of their clash with Osasuna on Monday to avoid a repeat.
One of the issues the club found was supporters scanning identified multiple tickets on one phone which significantly slowed down the entry flow rate, and are now asking supporters with multiple tickets to print at home if possible to make access quicker and more efficient ahead of Monday’s 7pm kick-off.
Turnstiles will open at 4pm and supporters are being encouraged to arrive early, with children who enter the stadium before 6pm able to receive free soft drinks as a thank you.
Supporters are also asked to ensure they are fully prepared when they come to the turnstiles, making sure that they have downloaded their NFC pass to their phone and are ready to scan their tickets when reaching the turnstile.
Liverpool’s friendly with Osasuna marks their final pre-season friendly before Saturday’s Premier League opener away at Norwich City, with Anfield returning to full capacity grounds once the campaign officially gets underway.
