Recently, we’ve received some questions regarding the admission of fans aged 14 and under to the ground. We hope the club has resolved these concerns, and we thank Chris Garland for his prompt response and clear clarification.
We thought it would be helpful to clarify the access regulations for fans aged 14 and under, as well as the ticket purchase process. We appreciate Andy Duff for his quick intervention and his assistance in clarifying these details.
The following aims to help us attract as many fans as possible to the COA. Building our fan base from an early age is not only advantageous but also essential for the development of future generations of supporters. We all want to see our young ones, from around the age of 0 onwards, experience the football arena, but it must be done in accordance with the regulations in place. So here goes…
The bottom line is that no under-14s are allowed unaccompanied access to any area of the matchday ticketed zones. This is part of the Ground Regulations and has been in place for several years. It is understood that enforcement of this in previous years may not have been as diligent, but with the arrival of the new stewarding company, this is one area that, for all the reasons mentioned, will be tightened and more closely monitored.
The club must ensure that no minors enter the stadium unaccompanied to reduce the likelihood of any safeguarding issues arising. All stewards at every match are entitled to ask for proof of identity and age. If concerns still occur, they will be reported to the safety officer at the ground control room, who can then request the club’s safeguarding lead to intervene.
From a Trust perspective, it would be sensible for any accompanying adult to be present with the young person. Alternatively, where the young person is of age, some form of ID may be helpful.
Recently, the club’s officers and safety officer observed what appeared to be several young fans whose ages seemed to be lower than 14 entering the ground unaccompanied. Where this is observed, a supervisor will probably be asked to intervene and check. This would enable the Stewarding team to locate the appropriate accompanying adult or take appropriate action if the young fans are unaccompanied.
Ticket Purchases for those 14 years and younger.
All tickets sold for juniors aged 14 or younger must be purchased alongside an adult ticket or linked to one, including season tickets. This rule applies to tickets bought on the “FANBASE” website or in person at the ground on any day, including match days. For a ticket to be linked to an adult’s ticket, the adult holder must be the purchaser, either in person or online.
It will be assumed that the adult/parent/guardian ticket holder will be supervising the young person on the day.