From the start of the 2025/26 season, Brentford FC announced they will scrap physical season tickets and go fully digital, a full year ahead of the Premier League’s 2026/27 deadline. This isn’t just a club decision; it’s a league-wide directive, and Brentford is simply moving early. However, the implementation doesn’t work for all, even if the motives behind them are understood and I’ve included some Beesotted Brentford fan comments to give some different perspectives on the new ticket system.
For some, this change can’t come soon enough. Too many times, fans have spotted away supporters or total strangers in the home end for the glamour fixtures. It kills the atmosphere and, in some cases, has caused clashes. Going digital won’t magically fix everything, but it’s a way to control who ends up in those seats and make sure they’re genuine Brentford fans.
Tickets will now be managed through your Brentford FC ticketing account. You can still share tickets, but only with people in your Friends & Family network who also have their own account. This is about rewarding regular attendees with Ticket Access Points (TAPs) and stopping one-off handovers that let casuals or neutrals bag the biggest games.
“Personally, it’s a pain for me trying to encourage my eight-year-old nephew, who lives 200 miles away, to become a Bees supporter rather than a Liverpool supporter – because my brother and he might only be up the weekend of an A* fixture to see my folks. But they’ve already set up their own ticketing accounts, so we’ll go from there. Within my group it’s a pain to manage a season ticket for someone who’s away travelling for a period, or for someone at uni who can’t make every game. Sure, we can put the tickets into resale, but then we end up with randoms (hopefully Bees supporters now) instead of people we know. Still – I get it. We’ll find a way to make the new rules work.”
Enter disgraced ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie, infamous for the paper’s vile and false Hillsborough smear. Now loudly proclaiming himself a Brentford supporter – despite long-standing whispers of past Chelsea loyalties, with a dash of Charlton on the side – he’s on Twitter complaining he can’t pass his top-category tickets to his children because they lack the TAPs.
The bare-faced cheek of it is staggering. Coming in, taking a season ticket off fans on the waiting list who genuinely care about the club, then, instead of raising things real supporters talk about, like “why is Wissa taking the piss?” or “will Henderson fully replace Norgaard?”, choosing to moan that he can’t pass his season ticket on to his kids.
“It’s another instance where MacKenzie has put something out without checking the facts… it’s actually just Cat A+ games, not all Cat A, that require the account you forward to hold TAPs. And there are just four Cat A+ games in the season: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool (which I doubt he will be showing his face at). Worth pointing this out to genuine fans who might be confused and believe his bullshit.”
His tweet oozes entitlement. The subtext is clear: rules are for other people. In his mind, the season ticket isn’t a commitment to attend every match; it’s a family pass to hand out the big games to whoever he likes.
“Personally, I like the digital system… in principle. Having sat in the East Stand and been the only fan singing on several occasions amongst loads of away fans and neutrals, I’ve seen it kick off with a Liverpool fan right in front of me who thought it was okay to give it large in the home end (in front of my children). The atmosphere in the East Stand is actually better for ‘lesser’ team matches, because it’s full of Bees fans who get behind the team. I realise this creates some problems, but in a small stadium, the priority should be those who actually attend, not those who want a one-off big game. Yes, it means I probably can’t bring my daughter as often because she doesn’t go enough, but that’s the way it is. My son is coming with me to Forest and is keen to improve his TAPs.”
It’s an attitude straight out of the “cheap Premier League football” playbook. Would his ‘love’ survive if we weren’t in the top flight?
The irony is, Brentford doesn’t need fans like that. There’s a waiting list for season tickets, and the club has no trouble attracting new supporters who are in it for the right reasons, including international fans who fly in from places like the USA after falling for the club watching on the TV and through the Beesotted podcast. These people are buzzing to watch Brentford play Burnley or Bournemouth because they’re here for Brentford, not the opposition badge.
“Sharing your season ticket at Brentford is free. Some clubs, Brighton, for example, actually charge you to do it. And if MacKenzie’s kids used his tickets for four or five other games during the season, they’d probably have enough TAPs to get into the big games anyway.”
Years ago on the podcast, we joked that new season ticket holders should have to pass a Brentford quiz before getting their season ticket… knowing every word to songs like It Was Down in the Town of Northampton. It was tongue-in-cheek, but the principle was real: when demand outstrips supply, you want fans who’ve bought into the culture. Can MacKenzie honestly say he has?
When we played Wolves the first time, they were everywhere – and not being subtle. Dancing on the tables in the South Stand and everything. Arsenal. Manchester United. Liverpool. Their fans are found in every stand and they’re not exactly hiding it. In the East Stand especially, away fans try to get tickets because it’s close to the travelling support. Away fans in that stand have been seen to take the absolute piss. We’ve also discovered that some new Brentford fans have bought season tickets but only plan to attend four or five matches a season, then pass those tickets on for a profit to away fans. Yes, the new ticketing system is a pain. But the workarounds just take a bit of extra effort and won’t exclude any real fan. Those who aren’t real fans? They might find it more difficult. Unless, of course, the tickets are coming from the club’s partners and sponsors. Now that’s a different issue — and something that needs stamping out immediately.
As we have read in the fan comments, none of this means digital ticketing is perfect. Some fans will miss the tradition of a physical card or book of tickets, and technology can be tricky for those less tech-savvy. That’s why the club has urged real Brentford supporters with genuine problems to contact them so they can help resolve issues. Those voices, the ones who care about matchday atmosphere, not just personal convenience, are the ones that matter. However, for those who see their Season Ticket as a Family and Friends Flexi Pass, to do with ]exactly as they wish, those days look over… people who have been selling on tickets to away fans have ruined it for you.
The bottom line is: Brentford needs fans who bring noise, colour, and passion… not people who treat the club like a handy way to see Manchester United. And if protecting that means Kelvin MacKenzie doesn’t get his own way? Well… don’t expect us to pass him a tissue.
Dave Lane
