Hearts apologise to fans for ‘misleading’ season tickets
● Club’s offer of ‘18 guaranteed Tynecastle games’ changed to access to streaming
Hearts have offered an explanation to fans over their new streaming deal and how it will affect season ticket holders.
Having invested a five-figure sum in cameras and equip - ment to broadcast C hampionship matches live from Tyne castle this season, the club stressed they have not attempted to misleads upporters.
Season tickets went on sale in May guaranteeing access to 18 home matches, even if some spilled into season 202122. Championship clubs later agreed on a truncated 27-game campaign, so Hearts will play 14 home league fixtures and have now invested in new technology to stream the games.
Although fans hoped to be inside Tynecastle watching in person, they must make do with virtual access for now. They will get to watch 18 games but those matches must be viewed online while Covid-19 rules prevent fans inside Scottish stadiums.
The games will be free for season-ticket holders to stream and available on a payper-view basis for anyone else. The club suffered criticism from fans over the issue, particularly from families who had forked out for more than once ticket.
A Hearts spokesperson told the Evening News: “When we launched the Season Ticket Guarantee back in May we very much had hoped, based on the guidance at that time, that supporters would be back in the stadium at the star t of the season. We also wanted to
ensure that if the season was cut short once again then they would still be able to watch a full complement of games – hence the 18-game guarantee.
“Much has changed since May, with the ever changing landscape of the Covid-19 pandemic we still have no firm date for fans getting back into stadiums in numbers and as a club we wanted to ensure that season ticket holders would not miss out on the action at Tynecastle.
“So, like the majority of the clubs, the very best option we can offer our season ticket holders currently is to stream every home game, until we are allowed to bring them back into the stadium. This is why we have made the investment to bring cameras into Tynecastle so season ticket holders can watch the games live while not being able to attend due to the current government restrictions. The Championship broadcast deal is with the BBC, and they are only allowed to broadcast a maximum of two home games from any club. We have no cameras within Tynecastle as we would have in the Premiership, so need to arrange and pay for the camera and production facilities in order to stream the games.
“The guarantee was not meant to be misleading, we want to ensure season ticket holders can see every game, at the moment there is no other option but to offer these games ‘virtually’. The guarantee was made with the best of intentions, as has the investment to make sure season ticket holders can actually watch Hearts in action at Tynecastle. We can only apologise if fans feel misled, there has been no way to predict how the Covid-19 situation would change, and we are doing all we can to adapt to the current situation as it develops and make sure supporters can follow the action.
“We all hope to have our fans back in their seats soon, but until then we will do everything we can to make sure they don’t miss a kick of the ball.”
Hearts have sold more than 11,500 season tickets ahead of the Championship campaign starting on 17 October at home to Dundee. As it stands, there is no date for when supporters will be allowed back.
The Edinburgh club launched their new pricing scheme in May offering anyone who bought a season ticket a guarantee of 18 matches – even if that carried over into the following campaign.
The Season Ticket Guarantee pledge read: “The Season Ticket Guarantee pledge will ensure supporters get the full value of their 2020/21 season ticket regardless of how next season shapes up.
“To be absolutely clear, the club is making a very simple pledge to supporters who renew their season ticket for 20/21: no-one will lose out.
“A 20/21 season ticket guarantees you 18 matches at Tynecastle Park, regardless of what league we play in or of the duration of the campaign.
“If season 20/21 can not offer supporters access to a full complement of 18 home games then fans who renew their season ticket for the following season will be credited with the value of the outstanding number of matches for season 21/22.
“Those who chosen otto renew their season ticket will be offered the relevant number of match tickets for season 21/22. These tickets will be subject to availability.
“In short, the club is committed to ensuring that no sup - porter will be left disadvantaged as a result of securing their seat at Tynecastle for the 20/21 season.”