Valletta FC Call Out Lack Of Planning That Kept Supporters Out
Taking to social media in a statement, Valletta Football Club called out the ‘lack of foresight’ and ‘poor planning’ that ended up seeing hundreds of supporters outside.
‘Saturday’s opening match once again showed the incredible passion and loyalty of our supporters. The Valletta stand was sold out well before kick-off, creating a sea of red and white that any club would be proud of, as it should be for the largest club in Malta.’
‘Yet, while hundreds of our supporters remained outside the stadium, large sections of the ground stood empty, kept closed due to poor planning and a lack of foresight. This is not acceptable and Valletta FC will not be accepting it.’
‘At a time when Maltese football is struggling to attract people to the stadiums, Valletta FC has worked tirelessly to promote the game and bring fans back. Our supporters deserve better, their commitment and love for the Club should be met with respect, not obstacles.’
‘We will be formally raising this matter with the relevant entities as this should never be allowed to happen again. Our message is clear: supporters are the lifeblood of football, and they must never be turned away.’
The club thanked the fans who attended the match, whether they made it inside or not.
‘Your loyalty drives us forward, and we will continue fighting for you, both on and off the pitch.’
In response, Malta Premier issued an apology in regards the situation.
‘This disruption was caused by a failure in the ticketing system, provided to Malta Premier as part of the lease of the venue, which incorrectly marked Valletta’s ticket allocation as sold out.’
‘The issue was identified and resolved on site, and the supporters still on site were eventually granted entry.’
‘We deeply regret the inconvenience caused and greatly appreciate the patience and understanding shown by our fans during the incident. The Malta Premier has taken immediate steps to address the matter with the system’s owners.’
‘Additional safeguards and system checks are being introduced to ensure this does not happen again and to provide a smoother experience for all supporters in future events.’
Update: Malta Football Association Statement:
The Malta FA also issued a statement, noting the separate press releases issued by Valletta FC and Malta Premier regarding the ticketing system and access to the National Stadium for Saturday’s match between Valletta FC and Birkirkara FC.
‘Following our independent verifications, the Malta FA can confirm that the ticketing system operated correctly and without fault, a finding corroborated by the system’s supplier’, the MFA confirmed.
‘More importantly, the system functioned exactly as designed: it flagged and restricted entry once the Valletta FC stand (WEST C) reached its calibrated capacity, accurately indicating that the stand was full based on the set capacity available for those tickets that were sold online together with those sold from the ticket booths.’
‘The remaining capacity within the WEST C stand was reserved for Valletta FC season-ticket holders.
The Malta FA would like to state clearly that planning, organisation, and matchday operations are the responsibility of Kampjonat Malta Limited. The Malta FA remains available to provide support and cooperation as required.’
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