Stadium Management SA (SMSA) has resorted to high-level technology by changing its ticket operators in an effort to combat the sale of fake tickets at Saturday's Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium (3.30pm).
“We are definitely going to have fake tickets but the most important thing is how we're going to deal with that,” SMSA managing director Bertie Grobbelaar told Sowetan.
“We have installed 24 additional cameras around the stadium precinct to the search point and the access gates. They are inclusive of four LPR [licence plate recognition] cameras. The venue operating centre will have about 20 additional TV screens.”
LPR cameras are advanced traffic sensors used to capture and digitalise images from licence plates. In November last year Sowetan zoomed in on the sale of fake tickets at big PSL games.
During the Carling Black Label Cup in the same month we observed alleged members of a syndicate in operation, selling tickets at FNB Stadium. One ticket, which we obtained from outside the stadium, was shown to Grobbelaar but he could not ascertain if it was forged.
Yesterday, Grobbelaar said one of their measures to combat the prevalence of fake tickets was switching from Computicket to Ticketpro as a service provider, but he could not definitely tell if this would help stamp out forged tickets.
“Prior to the change, our ticketing agent was Ticketmaster, which was amplified by Computicket. We requested certain specifics from both Ticketmaster and Ticketpro. In the end we came to an agreement with Ticketpro because they convinced us that we can trust their ticketing system, that’s all I can tell you. I am not at liberty to disclose why we hope Ticketpro will help us in this fight,” Grobbelaar said.
At the Carling Cup, Sowetan also witnessed fans entering the stadium without their tickets being scanned. Grobbelaar reiterated the new Ticketpro system will easily react to ineligible tickets, adding they’ll make sure each and every ticket is scanned.
“When you arrive at the venue, with the current scanning system it’ll clearly indicate if you’ve got a fake ticket... you’ll then be referred to a verification point, if it’s not clarified or cleared as a legitimate ticket you’ll be removed,” he stated.
In a match early this month between Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at Orlando Stadium, a venue managed by SMSA, there were a few security breaches, with fans crowding the zone designated only for the media. This rang alarm bells that fake tickets may have been used to access the stadium. Grobbelaar refused to be drawn into this.
By yesterday about 39,000 tickets had been sold.
High-tech plan to curb fake tickets at derby
Additional cameras, new ticketing system in place
Image: Antonio Muchave
Stadium Management SA (SMSA) has resorted to high-level technology by changing its ticket operators in an effort to combat the sale of fake tickets at Saturday's Soweto derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates at FNB Stadium (3.30pm).
“We are definitely going to have fake tickets but the most important thing is how we're going to deal with that,” SMSA managing director Bertie Grobbelaar told Sowetan.
“We have installed 24 additional cameras around the stadium precinct to the search point and the access gates. They are inclusive of four LPR [licence plate recognition] cameras. The venue operating centre will have about 20 additional TV screens.”
LPR cameras are advanced traffic sensors used to capture and digitalise images from licence plates. In November last year Sowetan zoomed in on the sale of fake tickets at big PSL games.
During the Carling Black Label Cup in the same month we observed alleged members of a syndicate in operation, selling tickets at FNB Stadium. One ticket, which we obtained from outside the stadium, was shown to Grobbelaar but he could not ascertain if it was forged.
Yesterday, Grobbelaar said one of their measures to combat the prevalence of fake tickets was switching from Computicket to Ticketpro as a service provider, but he could not definitely tell if this would help stamp out forged tickets.
“Prior to the change, our ticketing agent was Ticketmaster, which was amplified by Computicket. We requested certain specifics from both Ticketmaster and Ticketpro. In the end we came to an agreement with Ticketpro because they convinced us that we can trust their ticketing system, that’s all I can tell you. I am not at liberty to disclose why we hope Ticketpro will help us in this fight,” Grobbelaar said.
At the Carling Cup, Sowetan also witnessed fans entering the stadium without their tickets being scanned. Grobbelaar reiterated the new Ticketpro system will easily react to ineligible tickets, adding they’ll make sure each and every ticket is scanned.
“When you arrive at the venue, with the current scanning system it’ll clearly indicate if you’ve got a fake ticket... you’ll then be referred to a verification point, if it’s not clarified or cleared as a legitimate ticket you’ll be removed,” he stated.
In a match early this month between Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns at Orlando Stadium, a venue managed by SMSA, there were a few security breaches, with fans crowding the zone designated only for the media. This rang alarm bells that fake tickets may have been used to access the stadium. Grobbelaar refused to be drawn into this.
By yesterday about 39,000 tickets had been sold.
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