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Selhurst Park plays host to a European last 16 clash on Thursday evening as Crystal Palace welcome AEK Larnaca to SE25 once again.
The team from Cyprus recorded a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park in the league phase of the competition, so Oliver Glasner has a task on his hands to shake off that defeat and steer Crystal Palace to a better result on this occasion.
Ahead of the first leg of the UEFA Conference League last 16 tie, the Eagles have announced a minor change to the stadium as new turnstiles are introduced in some sections.
Crystal Palace introduce new turnstile system for ‘quicker and smoother’ process
Some supporters may recall the chaos caused by digital tickets during the 2021/22 campaign and again towards the end of the 2022/23 season, as large queues formed outside Selhurst Park due to problems with the technology.
Hopefully this does not turn out to be the case, but there could be a repeat for the visit of AEK Larnaca.
Crystal Palace have announced ahead of the game that a new turnstile system will be used in some areas of the stadium. The statement explains that fans who have a ticket in their digital phone wallet should tap it towards the top of the new screen, as they would when using Apple Pay on an iPhone for example.
However, if you have a ticket on your phone showing a QR code, it is to be shown at the bottom of the screen for a camera to read.
It is unlikely to be a problem for younger fans, but these new instructions risk puzzling the older generation – some of whom may not even have a smartphone or any phone for that matter.
As aforesaid, going digital has already caused problems at Selhurst Park this decade.
A 0-0 draw against Brentford back in August 2021, Patrick Vieira’s first home game in charge, was marred by huge queues outside the ground, with some even missing the start of the match as fans struggled to handle the new digital system.
There was another issue in April 2023 ahead of a 4-3 win over West Ham. Crystal Palace even had to delay kick-off by 15 minutes as one supporter collapsed whilst waiting in the heat.
Ironically, the away end was full long before kick-off as West Ham fans, who only had paper tickets, experienced no problems whatsoever, according to The Athletic.
If this new update to the digital system causes similar issues for the clash against AEK Larnaca – a hugely significant game – supporters will surely be livid.