The Magpies have sold all 32,000 tickets for their upcoming Carabao Cup final against Liverpool on March 16th, with many heartbroken fans missing out on seeing a potential first trophy win in 70 years, and eyebrows being raised over the club’s general ticketing process.
The Geordies are making their second Wembley appearance in as many years, with ticket demand reaching unprecedented levels.
Liam Tyson, a lifelong supporter, was among those who missed out. “I understood my chances were slim,” he said. “Without a season ticket I can’t go to many games, but I always take the chance when I can. It’s really hard now with the high demand but I would love the opportunity to go more often.”
The club allocated tickets to fans through priority groups, using 6 pots to distinguish who would receive first selection based on Carabao Cup attendance this season, heavily favouring season ticket holders who are able to attend every home game.
But despite rewarding the loyalty of season ticket holders, the system fails to accommodate the broader loyal fanbase who were unable to attend cup games.
Oliver Chalmers was one lucky fan who got a ticket, but still voiced concerns, “I found the cup final in 2023 to be easier, with little hassle to log on, wait in a short queue and select my seat,” he said. “This year, I found myself in a far greater queue with error messages when trying to secure lower tier seats.
With such high demand and short supply, there’s always going to be people unfairly pushed aside.”
Oliver, a season ticket holder for almost a decade, also still struggles to get away tickets, which are released based on a points attendance system dating back decades.
“It feels unfair as many away fans have been going for years, accumulating points that I haven’t had the opportunity to. It’s not something I have a passionate problem with, just an unfortunate process as it limits fans like myself from attending away fixtures.”
Image by Joseph Chisholm
With demand at an all-time high, questions are being raised as to how the club can accommodate more fans and create more opportunities.
Marion Williams is the vice-chair of the official Newcastle Fan Advisory Board, who added, “I chaired the liaison board 25 years ago where the main issue was ticketing, and it still is now.”
Marion and the board have an extensive relationship with fans, holding regular meetings with officials at the club to discuss issues and how fans can be more accommodated.
“There is a very divisive thing now that seems to be season ticket holders against the rest. Demand creates demand, the fact you can’t get in makes everybody want to try and get in.”
Speculations around a new larger stadium have surfaced, however formal plans surrounding this remain unknown.
As for now, the magpies will be hoping for their first slice of silverware since 1957, with the luckier Geordies travelling to London despite thousands missing out on the occasion.