Full information for Town fans returning to Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Following Monday’s announcement, that the Government will allow football supporters back into stadiums in a limited capacity from 2nd December, depending on the local tier structure in which the Clubs are located. Club staff - together with our SLO’s Roger Groves and Mike Davis - have been working behind the scenes to plan for the long-awaited return of some supporters to Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Now that the new tier structure has been announced today and Shropshire is in Tier 2, we know that we can have a maximum of 2,000 fans to be in attendance from our next home League match on Wednesday 2nd December against Accrington Stanley. The kick-off for this match has been moved back to 7.45pm kick-off now that supporters are in attendance.
As we have successfully completed the 1,000 pilot v Northampton Town, we are now able to move on to 2,000 socially distant capacity.
The 2,000 available tickets will be within the following areas:
Roland Wycherley (Main Stand)
Family Stand
West Stand
Safe Standing
Therefore, the DM Recruitment North Stand and the seated area within the Salop Leisure South Stand will remain closed.
As we did for the 1,000 pilot, all season ticket holders, Sovereign members, and box holders will be required to either have a physical ticket, an e-ticket, or a digital ticket in order to gain access to the stadium footprint.
This will be via the three entry points; Superblues Way, the stadium car park entry gates, and gates between Lidl and the five-aside pitches. Ticket checks will be in operation at each of these points.
Since we are in national lockdown until Wednesday, and only essential travel is permitted, we advise that whenever possible you obtain your ticket(s) online at https://www.eticketing.co.uk/shrewsburytownfc/ Alternatively, since we cannot open the Ticket office for face to face sales without breaking the law, we will have ticket office staff dealing with phone calls, to help those supporters who are unable to go online to obtain their tickets. Please note, however, because these staff have to access the ticketing system whilst also adhering to social distancing guidelines, we will be restricted to 3-4 staff covering this.
The 2,000 available tickets have been split into options for bubble sizes, as we did for the pilot, ranging from 1-5. Please ensure, that if you are getting tickets for others to sit together as a group, that they are all within your bubble and also are season ticket holders etc.
After discussions with our SLO’s, we felt that the fairest way of distributing the tickets would be initially to allow priority to those season ticket holders, sovereign members and box holders who did not obtain a ticket for the Northampton 1,000 pilot for the first 48 hours they are available.
Therefore, tickets will be available as follows:
For Season Ticket Holders, Sovereign members and Box holders who did not obtain a ticket for the 1,000 pilot against Northampton on 19th September
Online from 10am - Saturday 28th November & Sunday 29th November via https://www.eticketing.co.uk/shrewsburytownfc/
Ticket Office (Telephone call only) – 01743 273943:
Saturday 28th November – 10 am-2 pm
Sunday 29th November 9 am-12 noon
For all remaining Season Ticket Holders, Sovereign members and Box holders:
Online from 9 am – Monday 30th November online via https://www.eticketing.co.uk/shrewsburytownfc/
Ticket Office (Telephone call only) - 01743 273943
Monday 30th November 10 am-2 pm (subject to availability)
Tuesday 1st December 9 am-1 pm (subject to availability)
At present, we intend that there will be no access to the stadium footprint (outer stadium green fence) prior to 2 hours before kick off, with stadium access gates open 90 mins before as normal. However, we would encourage supporters not to leave it until the last minute, as the entry process will be slower than normal, to allow for social distancing.
No ticket collections will be available until after the national lockdown ends therefore from Wednesday 2nd December at 10 am onwards from the Ticket Office and until the Ticket Collection point which will be located on the pathway between Lidl and 5 aside pitches) opens at 4 pm.
Below is an FAQ which hopefully will answer supporters’ queries:
Will fans be allowed back in for the next home match v Charlton and beyond?
Our understanding is that now that the tiers have been announced, this will be reviewed every fortnight and therefore we cannot plan any further than that. However, we can offer all home matches over the next fortnight.
Will supporters have to stick to their home group or safety bubbles?
Yes, as it stands, social distancing rules will still apply within the stadium, so you will be able to sit with those from your own household or safety bubble, but larger groups will not be allowed to sit together. The seating plan that we have worked on will accommodate as many family bubbles as we can, within the stadium template of seats available, that adhere to social distancing guidance.
Can supporters share cars into the stadium?
You should try not to share a vehicle with those outside your household or support bubble. Please see guidance…
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers#private-cars-and-other-vehicles
Will face masks/coverings be required?
Yes, facemasks/coverings will be required to be worn by all those attending matches, with the exception of those exempt from wearing them. We expect all our supporters who should wear facemasks to do so, to help minimise the spread of infection and as any breach could lead to crowds being further reduced for future games.
Will supporters be allowed to sing?
This is currently being discouraged, to reduce the risk of potentially passing on the infection, so we ask our supporters to be understanding that refraining from singing means more vulnerable supporters will feel safer attending games
How will safe standing work?
Exactly the same as the seated areas, you will be assigned a standing place row and number based on our socially distant stadium plan and will be expected to remain in that place throughout the match. There will be no need to issue wristbands whilst only the Safe Standing area of the South Stand is open.
How will getting around the stadium and into toilets etc work?
There will be a one-way system in operation around the stadium and into the concourse area, for use of the toilets. All food and drink vendors will be outside of the stadium but within the footprint of the green fence, which will in effect act as the entrance to the stadium during this time. We will not use any turnstiles, with all supporters entering via the 4 corner gates, to maintain social distancing. Ticket checks will be in place at the 3 entrances to the stadium footprint (i.e. Main gates, Superblues Way gates and the new gates at the footpath between Lidl and the 5 aside pitches) and then scanned at the 4 corner gates to gain entry.
Do season ticket holders need a physical ticket and why are tickets required for season ticket holders?
Yes, however, you will have the option of having your ticket(s) emailed to your email address to be printed off. We also now have the ability for a digital ticket to be sent to supporters’ smartphones/mobile wallets with a QR code on the ticket, to be scanned on entry. This will come with the option for an e-ticket by email. By doing this, it is much easier and quicker for us to check tickets, and it also takes away the chances of someone bringing an invalid season ticket. Also, as its unlikely that you will be sitting in your normal seat, the ticket will have your seat details to make life easier for the supporter.
Will I be able to sit in my normal seat?
Unfortunately not; we are having to undertake strict restructuring of the seating plan, to get supporters seated in the ground as effectively as we can within bubbles. We do understand your frustration, but at this time getting loyal fans back into the ground is paramount. Because of social distancing some seats will not be available at all, so it is most unlikely that ST holders will be able to select their normal seat
Will there be hand sanitizer at the ground?
As with most locations we will be supplying hand sanitizer stations throughout the stadium.
Will the fanzone and Smithy’s be open on a match day?
Smithy’s Bar and the Fanzone will remain closed.
How will exiting the stadium post-match work?
Stewards will give instructions to supporters to exit the stadium on a block by block basis, to ensure social distancing is maintained at all times. Please adhere to the Stewards instructions.
How will the stadium car park operate?
As we haven’t been able to sell car park season tickets this season and don’t know if the tiers will change at any time, we have decided that the easiest way would be to charge £10 per match on a game by game basis.
Do season ticket holders have to pay anything for getting their match tickets?
No this will be free of charge and without a booking fee. The only cost would be if you require the ticket is required to be posted.
Will there be a ticket collection point to pick up tickets on the day?
The Ticket collection point will be as operated for the pilot, on the pathway between Lidl and the 5 aside pitches. This is because we need it to be outside of the stadium footprint so that everyone is in possession of a ticket at the ticket check at the 3 entry gates.
Will I be able to buy a pint at the mobile catering units?
The Club is currently awaiting clarification from the relevant authorities and an update will be provided in due course.
Are we doing temperature checks on entry to the stadium?
Yes, temperature checks will be in operation prior to entry to the stadium. They will be conducted under gazebos as you enter the stadium to avoid weather complications. The Club urges supporters not to congregate in these areas in order to minimise traffic congestion.
Will the normal coach services from outlying areas and town centre/Shirehall shuttle bus be available as normal?
This is unlikely due to the reduced capacity of 2,000 and in the short term.
I am a CAT ‘A” season ticket holder will I be able to get priority for CAT ‘A” seats that are available?
We will ensure that tickets available within our socially distant stadium plan in CAT A areas will be obtained only by CAT ‘A” season ticket holders on a first-served basis, but due to the restricted number of seats in each block, it may not be possible to satisfy every CAT “A” season ticket holder. We will do all we can to assist.
What is the maximum bubble size you intend allowing for?
We have looked at this closely on our ST holder database and decided to make the maximum bubble size 5 people. There will be a limited number of this size, with the most available seats being single seats and pairs. We appreciate that there may be groups of more than 5, but we hope that by accommodating up to 5, at worst families of season ticket holders who normally come in bubbles of more than 5 will understand that we can't cover every scenario, but by offering larger bubbles as an option, people can hopefully still be with family members and close by others.
The government guidelines allow restricted numbers of households to meet outside can we sit together at the match?
No. The government guidelines allow a restricted number of households to meet outdoors, however, they are still required to social distance and therefore cannot sit together. However, if someone living alone from another household but is in your extended social bubble, they would be allowed to sit with you.
Are children required, where possible to wear masks?
We are treating this the same as guidelines as for shops, where it is not compulsory for children aged under 11 and under to wear face-masks, it is, therefore, at the discretion of parents/guardians. However, we hope most adults etc will follow the guidance and wear face-masks to games to ensure that we minimise any potential spread, to keep all of our supporters safe.
Will season ticket holders who prefer not to come to home league matches be offered a free streaming pass and how would I get this?
Yes. Any season ticket holder who prefers to watch the stream rather than try and obtain a ticket, will continue to receive a streaming code to your registered email. Also, any Season Ticket holder/Sovereign member or box holder, who isn’t successful in obtaining one of the 2,000 tickets, will be sent a code to watch the stream. Once all the tickets are allocated, we will work to extract from our database all those who haven’t obtained a ticket and allocate a code to each person and this will be sent to them by email.
I am a Sovereign member, will I get access to the Sovereign Suite if I have a match ticket?
Due to the restrictions in Tier 2, we are unable to sell alcohol in the Sovereign bar without a substantial meal and even then with the numbers severely limited for the Sovereign Suite, to meet social distancing guidelines. Unfortunately, it is therefore not possible to open the Sovereign Lounge, however all members will be entitled to try and obtain a match ticket.
I am a Box Holder will I be able to access my Executive box?
Due to the seating configuration for the boxes, we can only get 3 people seated, whilst adhering to social distance guidelines. We have therefore taken the decision that boxes will not be open at present, however all box holders will be entitled to try and obtain a match ticket.
If anyone wishes to ask any further question please contact media@shrewsburytown.co.uk