On the passing on of season tickets…

Please be reassured that The Department of Work and Pensions has your number.

Actually, our only other pensioner, one Dave Abrahams, posted something on this thorny topic... let me see if can find it...

I went to Goodison yesterday about getting a season ticket card like I've always used at Goodison for the new season at Bramley-Moore Dock.

I've never had a mobile phone — which you need for an app to gain entrance to the new stadium. The young lad at the ticket office told me they would be sending details out and a form to fill in to get a season ticket card for those who wanted or needed one to gain entrance next season… but wouldn't be sending this information until after the Roma game.

I said to the lad this doesn't leave much time to receive the form, fill it in and then wait for the card to come and be ready for use.

It seems, going on this, that Everton are still in the time groove that they have been in for the last few decades. I'll wait and see what happens and if I get sorted out in time for the Brighton home game!

ps: There's a fair bit more on the thread from whence this came:

Everton Membership and streaming access

Obviously doesn't help those without a phone.

There is also the 'threat' in the terms and conditions, that if you don't personally use the season ticket a certain number of times, it can be taken from you.

As Michael points out, Dave brought this up last week and it's come up a few times.

I understand that a card can be applied for on an individual basis, and seem to remember it being an extra £10 on top of the season ticket.

As for paper tickets for individual matches, there are still a few clubs issuing them, mainly for away supporters, but it is becoming increasingly common to have digital ones issued. I'm unsure what Everton's policy on that will be.

The digital system works perfectly for me, but I appreciate not everyone has a smart phone. As I always say, with Everton tickets, train tickets, British Airways and online banking, just don't lose or misplace your phone. Disaster!!

Don't start me on people being obsessed with their mobile devices. I often see them, glued to them, not able to put them in their pockets for even 10 minutes. Headphones on, they obviously walk into people and even road traffic with no spacial awareness. I deliberately walk into them and apologise for their mistake and suggest they put their phone in their pocket.

In other news, the new store opens at 9am this morning, located in the East Stand.

As Danny says, the new club store will be opening its doors for the first time today......in fact it will be open right now. Interesting to see the store will be open 24/7 with extended opening times of 9am - 8pm Monday - Saturday and 9am - 5pm on Sundays. Maybe TFG mean business after all!.

Because I'm now "an aaaaarl age pensioner lad" it maybe that there was a clear announcement made and I've simply missed it, but it seems to me Everton maybe running the clock down so they can say a week before the season "well it's too late now anyway."

If there's no plazzy ticket, how will I give a ticket to a mate if I can't make a game?

What if someone doesn't have a phone?

Is it a ticketmaster scam of some sort?

Will it be (phones box-office) - "well your mate will have to sign up as a member, then buy the new away kit, then we can transfer the ticket...if he's got credits."

Anyone know anything?

Are they not aware that retirement age is now 66 and will soon be 67. Why discriminate against people of working age who are older than their piers?

Why have they not tied it to the official retirement age so it is another perk of being paid a pension?

Once you have a ticket, you can transfer it to your friend through the online ticketing platform. You'll need to select the ticket and choose the "Forward to Friend" option, then select your friend from your network.

Ensure your friend is an Official Member:

Everton's Season Ticket Terms and Conditions state that tickets can be transferred to Official Members, and that they are supporters of the club.

So I think you are right in that your friend will have to be a member.

I have read that sadly no physical tickets will be available. I wonder if special circumstances would come into effect to obtain one?

They need to know who is sitting in that seat in case of any problems.

(If so, it's something I clearly missed).

The last thing I remember (nb: as I say, memory not great) is that the whole thing was 'under consideration'.

Since then, I've never seen or heard anything definite from Everton along the lines — "You must own a phone or you can't be an Evertonian, your mates must own phones and pay to be members or they can't be Evertonians".

Something (ie: being born suspicious) tells me this is some ticketmaster fol-de-rol.

Seriously, I understand most people are connected to digital miracle, but I spoke to a feller (STH for decades) a couple of months back who said "I'm not sure what's going to happen coz I don't have a phone".

I was a little startled but then thought... fair enough, why does anyone have to own a phone?

(I have a feeling Everton won't offer to buy him one).

Handing the plazzy card to mates/family for games I couldn't make was SO easy, so I can't see why the option hasn't been retained.

I wonder if you could put all the details on an old phone and just hand it to a friend. Aren't there screens at the gates now that you have to show your phone to get in?

I've read the Premier League want all season tickets, and match day tickets to be totally digital by 2026, so I can't see, if that's the case, club's printing physical tickets.

If a season ticket holder doesn't have a smartphone at Everton Stadium, they can still access the stadium. Everton Stadium is a digital-first stadium, but there will be options for those who don't have smartphones, such as printing tickets at the box office or receiving assistance from the club.

Here's a breakdown of the options:

Box Office Assistance:
Everton Stadium will have a box office where fans can get assistance and potentially print paper tickets on request.

Special Arrangements:
The club is developing policies to ensure support for those who need it, which may include alternative entry methods.

Contact the Club:
Supporters can contact the box office or customer service for specific help or to arrange alternative access.

Transferring Tickets:
If a season ticket holder can't attend a game, they can transfer their ticket to another registered Everton member, who will need their own smartphone and membership.

Physical Cards:
While the stadium is digital-first, there may be special circumstances where physical cards can be provided for a limited time, according to some fan discussions.

The teams of what criteria will be sent to people when season tickets are issued.

Reading all the replies, I'm encouraged that I might be boxed-off if there's a plazzy card available for 65s and over (or rather my 66-year-old mate would be boxed-off and wouldn't have to spend £60 to become a 'member').

One of the things (reading some of the opinions) that brought a wry smile to my grid (re no plazzy tickets) was the idea that – "the reason is so the club know who's in the seat in case 'something happens'."

There's no doubt some truth to this, but what a depressing idea and what awful 1984, Big Brother vibes it brings to mind (or maybe Big Ticketmaster would be more apt).

I mean, If I can't get to a game and want to pass the ticket on, who are they afraid I'll pass it on to?

Vlad The Impaler?

Cass Pennant?

Farage?

Why not simply make me liable for any problems created by anyone using my seat/ticket and give me a plazzy card?

(Actually, tbf, I could see their point re letting Farage in…)

It seems the only thing we can guarantee is communication from Everton will be shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiite!!!

It's all a load of bollocks and just an attempt to force people to become a member and pay.

All this about knowing who is in the seat in case there is bother is just a smokescreen. Haven't seen any problems inside the ground at the match for about 40 years.

You don't have to pay anything or be a member, shame it couldn't be like that everywhere!

The club is in a competitive sector and needs all the revenue it can get.

If you aren’t paying for a season ticket is a fiver a month really going to put people under financial pressure?

I’d certainly consider it money well spent if it allowed me to use a mates season ticket whenever they couldn’t.

I changed phone a couple of years ago and had to request a new download half way through the season.

I'd ask the club if this is absolutely necessary to treat a loyal fan base with decades of purchases in this way.

I know I'm behind the times but there has never been anything dodgy about me using my season ticket.

If I never went to the game, which was very rare because of illness or holidays, my ticket went to a family member or friends. No money changed hands, I never gained. More importantly Everton never lost any money, so what's the bleedin' problem!

Mind you, phones cause some problems like holding the queue up because the app is not working, same as people getting on the buses using their phones.

I love life but this modern one is a pain in the arse for me and when it becomes a cashless society, which it will, I'll be glad I'm no longer a bleedin' part of it.

Unless you need an app to get into Paradise — if I get there! If I go the other way, there will be no problem as the devil lets everyone in, no bother!

The reality probably is that it costs money to have secure plastic cards made and the phone may be the cheapest and most convenient method going forwards for the club.

I'd imagine they'd prefer if everyone went on the same system so they probably won't go out of their way to enable you to use a different option, but as long as they do have options and they don't actually deny anyone their season ticket just because they don't have a phone then they aren't doing anything too terrible.

I thought I had the option of getting a season ticket; now, I'm not too sure. I'm waiting for the club to get in touch with me as the lad in the ticket office told me they would.

You are correct, the club are not doing anything terrible if they are giving us the option to buy the plastic card.

If the season ticket goes into the Google Wallet, then whichever phone you are signed into, the ticket should be in the wallet. My Costa App and bankcards are on both phones.

I have always had a plastic card so I don't know how the ticket is displayed if it's in the wallet, be it Google or Apple. Then, if the person you want to use the ticket signs into your account, then in theory they should be able to use your ticket.

If it's not someone you trust, just pass them a cheap phone with Google or Apple Wallet on it.

I do agree though that there should be an option for ST cards. I spoke to a lad on Sunday night who's phone was one of those old Nokia ones, size of a brick, could barely text on it never mind download a season ticket, but he told me he could get a ST card just for being over 65 years old. He was phoning the club on Monday morning so I'll have to wait until next Sunday to see how he got on.

Dave, I've written to the club. I understand it's still possible to transfer to friends and family, but I've asked for clarification on season tickets being revoked if the holder doesn't attend a certain amount of matches.

If so, out of order. The ticket is still being genuinely used, and, as you say, at no cost.

As for cards, I can't imagine for one minute that the stewards will check the name and ask for ID, just as they've never done.

It's on another thread, but this is surely one for the FAB or Supporters' groups.

Liverpool v Spurs last season around £300 a ticket. I am led to believe a hotel on Anfield Road is handy for a home game at Anfield.

Obviously I have got one but I want a card like I have done for seasons. That way, if I do miss a game, I can give it to a family member or mate (yes, I do have some).

I'm not technological savvy, so why don't the club make concessions for, as Eugene said, aaarrrl bastards like us lads?

Bad enough getting old without all this claptrap.

However, the club’s point of view is probably along the lines of:

* it’s far easier to identify and prosecute a culprit in the event of any sexist, racist, xenophobic abuse if they know who’s sitting where

* some fans with discounted tickets pass their ticket onto others who should be paying full whack, thereby depriving the club of income (chicken feed, admittedly but part of the drive to new maximise income).

It’s not uncommon for other clubs to go digital only. I had the good (?) fortune to be passed on a Spurs away ticket last season and it was digital - albeit one that could be forwarded. Even some lower league teams issue digital tickets, unless you purchase on the day.

Personally, I hate the way we are dependent on phones. Especially the elderly, like me, who grew up in a non-technological age. However, I can sort of (just) see the other point of view. I think we might all be less up in arms if the club didn’t demand that you pay to register for the right to have a ticket passed onto you - especially if you only benefit maybe once a season.

There was no option to do so this season.

There's not been anything official since about whether you can/can't or how you get one.

Any club outside the Top 6, baring Spurs and Man Utd, will be deducted 6 points for passing a ticket over to a friend, c/o Richard Masters.

Next thing about twenty West Ham burst in, and one of them says to me "What's the time?

I said do us a favour, I'm only going the fuckin match, and he replied fair enough scouse, you're are on your own.

I got a walkover, and although I've never gone the match looking for trouble, like most people, trouble never stopped many of us going.

This is different, this is loads of fucking trouble, because I only want to go the fucking match, but it's all getting a little bit too complicated nowadays.

Although not directly answering my question about revoking season tickets, here is what they replied with:

Thank you for writing to Everton Football Club and for your continued and valued support.

We have no plans to introduce limits on how many times a season a supporter can transfer or resell their ticket. There will be communications going out shortly outlining our ticketing policies for the upcoming season, which I hope will reassure you.

I suppose read into that what you may. More to follow when ticketing policies are announced.

I hope revoking is not on the table. As already mentioned, some can't attend every match, be that through work, personal life, health or holidays. They shouldn't be penalised for that.

NGO’S, which might still be funded by the Government, are the perfect example of divide & conquer, which is prevalent everywhere, right now and if you want a cash machine, then make sure to make a note of where they are, because they seem to be getting slowly eradicated, because the masters in charge don’t really want us to use cash.

When I was in the supposedly “Land of the free” a few years ago, I remember saying to my partner, look around, look at how impossible it would be if you wasn’t here with your mobile phone, because it would have been impossible to do much without one.

I never minded West Ham, Andrew,I never had many problems anywhere and always loved going to London, above anywhere else, although that Seven Sisters road, was a very dangerous place, with vacant eye’s everywhere!

They are all Vietnamese and got Aus$ in cash to take with them. Nobody takes it, all payments must be done by card, even taxi from the airport.

Luckily one is a bank manager and managed to get her card permitted to use in Aus.

Recently in VN the government have tied card / electronic payments to companies to their taxes. A lot of businesses have now switched to cash only.

Personally I will greatly prefer paying cash but as you say ATMs are not convenient anymore. To get around 'card only' retailers input your pin incorrectly and see what they do!! After you've consumed their product of course.

As I mostly do tap and go, I have to think twice when eventually asked for a PIN.

Probably the only time I really take cash out is when I've been to Goodison as most of the places on County Road and near Goodison are cash only.

But more and more stadiums around the country now are card only.

They also had this annoying, and completely against the rules, habit of charging you 5-10% if you paid by card at hotels (even debit cards). I managed to get that stopped using industry contacts from a previous job, but I see it's creeping back again.

They're trying to move to a "cash-lite" economy here (where only around 2% of people had credit cards as of 4 years ago). Reality is they're trying to clamp down on under-payment of taxes by businesses. They're not going after the rural economy where a lot of people don't have bank accounts. Mobile wallets here are also big business. I suspect Vietnam will be similar in many respects.

Danny #50 - there was a pub in Leeds that went contactless only as soon as they were able to. There were grumbles from customers, but also from the baseball bat-wielding gang that used to turn them over a couple of times a month. Although it's been a few years since I was there, I believe they're still open - purely because of that (Insurance costs etc etc).

Pros and cons of course but the bigger problem was felt recently with the power outage in Portugal and Spain which took everything off-line. Including POS terminals and ATMs.

Tony #47, a big problem with banking in UK (and other places) is the real estate is a huge expense. Even ATMs at railway stations etc incur rental costs – sometimes substantial.

In more rural areas, it's more pronounced. They were told years ago to work with each other and create community banking hubs but retail banking in the UK are very slow to embrace that sort of "radical" (it's really not) thinking.

The amount lost to fraud every year is astronomical – and the criminals are always one or two steps ahead of the banks, and the crime detection agencies.

I won't bore everyone here, but one of the biggest problems is the old analogue telephone network in the UK. It's a scammer's dream. I'm sure many on here are familiar with "spoofing" – where even on your Smartphone it can appear like your bank is trying to contact you. It's easy to see how people fall victim to these scammers – and the banks largely try to blame the customers, and not their own antiquated systems.

Anyway, to paraphrase Nick Ross. "Remember, crime is still rare. Wherever you are, sleep well."

I realise I'm fighting a losing battle when even the very logical and matter-of-fact Germans want to pay me by card, but when I explain my reasons and give them what I consider to be the perfect example, using the city, which they all seem to be enjoying, then most of them smile and start coming around!

Roger Waters sang a brilliant song about “having choice” (I forget the title) which is exactly the way it should be, but the paranoid cynic inside of me always has me shaking my head when I remember a famous line from another Pink Floyd classic.

I think a bigger concern for me than Everton is the state of the nation. The Government is borrowing more money than ever, helping to pay for illegal immigrants (amongst other things) which they can't really afford, and that's before you talk about the tensions that are simmering just below the surface (and that's before I think about fuckin Everton!) everywhere.

I have a friend who is a trader and he takes his family to New York every year. He texted me the other day and said Trump is definitely a volatile loose cannon who has cost him a lot of money, but comparing how it felt walking around New York, with 12 months ago, then he had to admit that New York felt so much more relaxed and so much more like the city he fell in love with.

Mother should I trust the government, who are at best being dictated to by their globalist friends? Not a fucking chance!

I have lived in Canada since 1976 and on average I have used my annual holiday every 3/4 years usually in September to come back to Liverpool for family and to watch Everton. I have usually got tickets in advance through friends and relatives, the last time was in April 2024 and I seen the games between Nottm Forest, Liverpoo,l and Brentford and I know I was given a seat by a season ticket holder for 1 of the games.

I am now coming up to my 85th birthday and, with health problems that don't make my life look too promising for the future, I was thinking of coming over to see a game at the new stadium. It seems I will be better off using my money to take vacations in a more warmer vacation area.

This is not a letter asking for help to get to see a game at the new stadium it just showing the difficultly any one living abroad will face wanting to watch a game.

I was a season ticket holder before leaving for Canada, but these new rules appear to make it too difficult to watch a game. I do not have a cell phone and have managed to live coming up to 85 years old without one, and the only thing I see most people use them for is playing games.

I'm sure if you make the trip, there will be many who will help you out if you are making that pilgrimage to the new home.

Edit: As Liam said, you can have mine.

Stay fit and healthy Bill and god bless.

It will not be without a fight that I will get there but, being born in Liverpool in 1940 when the bombs were falling, I have the scouse spirit in my body and there is no way I will give up without a fight.

However, I have just been informed by the club there will be no transfers of tickets due to being a friendly game. Did anyone hear or know about this when purchasing tickets? Thanks.

My wife has a season ticket but is unable to use a smartphone for physical reasons. Everton are completely hopeless at helping her with this new digital ticket rubbish and when I tried reading what was required, it was way beyond my technical competence to understand what was required or what they were even talking about with things like 'Android' and something called 'NFC'.

We both have phones which work with simple button presses and the thought of buying a smartphone and looking like all those zombies on buses fills us with dread. Only a fool would put their financial details online given the stories I have been reading and have heard. This digital thing may be great for the young but, when you are over 80, it is an absolute anxiety-ridden disaster.

I suggest that Ray (41) has the real understanding of the digitalisation of financial transactions. Sooner than anticipated, everything financial will be digital, so best prepare for having all your bank account transactions accessible (and money deductible) for future governments (eg, the controversial legislation currently in discussion relating to changes in the State Pension system).

On a less important issue regarding the digitalisation at BMD, I would expect some resulting loss of older supporters - and of non-STs, now needing to enter the ticket application balloting process for every fixture. Witness the ongoing fiasco in the balloting of the distribution of the opening Premier League game against Brighton.

If you forward the club email, you should have received by now, containing the link to the digital ticket to your mate, he can download it into his phone wallet. I've done this with someone in my group who doesn't have a smartphone.

I've transferred digital tickets this way before and never had an issue. One person can swipe multiple people in from a single phone.

Do you really think that this system is worth the loss of older supporters who in some cases have been following Everton for longer than your age? Is that what new technology means, a decline in moral and ethical behaviour?

If it is, I await the inevitable hacking that will result and the lockdown of the entire Premier League. Or, of course, you are putting all of these transactions in the hands of just two American companies: Apple and Google.

Just wait until Trump forces them to put a tariff on all of the users outside of The States. Digital ID is a disaster waiting to happen.

I am not a fan of cash only transactions and was appalled when Everton introduced cash purchasing only. We'll see whether the new ticketing system has a negative impact on supporters.

One area it might positively impact is the club's ability to follow up on reported unacceptable behaviour in the ground – expect the club to dish out many more bans.

With regard to the Premier League requirements, they've set a bar of 70% of all home tickets being digital on the phone. So Everton have huge discretion to hand out several thousand physical cards. The language kinds of annoys me because when you have a card it's storing the information digitally! Anyway if you're 70 or over and you don't have a phone you'll automatically get a card if you apply. If you don't meet that criteria they will look at every application on a case by case basis.

Anyway, I was told that my application for a card would be reviewed and I would find out before the season starts.

The Roma game? My ticket will be left at the BMD box office.

My thoughts exactly! It just needs an internet outage or cyber attack and there'll be utter chaos.

As someone well over 70 I'm quite comfortable using smartphones etc (it was our generation who developed them) and have used digital tickets many times, with no issues, including v Roma last year and Blackburn the other week.

Having said that I'd feel a lot more comfortable with a plastic card as there's a lot less chance of something going wrong with one.

I assume you mean card-only transactions, and not cash-only transactions.

Unfortunately every single club in the Premier League, and maybe even through the entire football pyramid, now insist on contactless payments ever since fans were allowed back into stadiums following Covid.

Previous seasons you could transfer your ticket to someone on your friends and family list through the season ticket transfer portal. However at the moment this part of the site is 'under maintenance'.

I emailed Everton to query how to do this then and am told somebody will be in touch within the next 21 days. Not good enough, Everton!

Or would they need your fingerprint? You could always lop off a finger.

I phoned the ticket office this morning (0151 556 1878) and they took details. I've since received an email, and the club have my details and the recipient's, who is on my friends and family network.

The helpful gent asked me if I was attending the AS Roma match.

As I am, he told me to call into the ticket office and they will sort it there and then.

He made one mistake, he initially said pop into Goodison. I double checked if it was still the office on Goodison Road. He realised his error and corrected himself saying it was at the new stadium. To the left as you enter the plaza, so I'm presuming the East Stand, which is where my seat is for next season.

Can't play 'War Pigs' very well anymore, but I've asked Tony Iommi to borrow his tips.

Spoke to the ticket office and anyone I want to give a ticket to has to have a membership and be in my friends and family circle... bullshit if you ask me.

The club just want my ticket back to sell on for more money than they already earned when I bought my season ticket.

And I bet in your purchase contract, which I'm sure you didn't read, it says as much and also says you must return the ticket to the seller if you are unable to use it.