Aberdeen fans chief Neil McDougall believes the Dons have been caught by surprise by the huge demand for tickets for next month’s Viaplay Cup final.
The rush for tickets came after priority groups were given from 8am to 5pm to buy their tickets before the general sale and has sparked fears long-time fans could miss the final.
McDougall, chairman of the Dons supporters group, the Northern Lights, believes the demand for tickets is unprecedented and is as surprised as the club is at the speed in which tickets have been snapped up.
He said: “It sounds as if demand has gone through the roof and the club has been caught by surprise.
“It’s clear to me the club felt pretty confident the ticket policy they put in place was the right way to go and I don’t disagree with it.
“I know there was a big debate about whether the final allocation should have been split 50-50.
“But when you factor in the ticket prices, the game being on a Sunday and the fact it is being held the week before Christmas then I would have thought 19,500 of an allocation was about our limit.
“But the speed in which tickets have been snapped up has been unprecedented.”
‘I’ve never seen anything like this’
As a result of the incredible demand the final 2,500 tickets remaining will be allocated on a priority basis.
McDougall hopes the hardcore support do not miss out on a chance to watch the team at the National Stadium.
He said: “It’s good to see so many fans wanting to go to the final but it will be a shame if season ticket holders and those who are DNA members who have been slow off the mark miss out.
“I hope the remaining 2,500 tickets are distributed to those fans first as they deserve to be there.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime as an Aberdeen fan.”
Supporters club members included in initial sale
While club members who missed the initial sale will be given priority for the remaining tickets, supporters’ club members should be able to look forward to attending the final after avoiding the clamour for match briefs.
McDougall said: “We get our tickets through our association with the club and all the supporters clubs will have been part of the initial 17,000 tickets sold.
“We were given until 9.30am on Monday to submit our requests and I came into work on Saturday morning to make sure our request was sent to the club.
“We had more people wanting to go because it is a final but I was telling those asking not to worry as there would be lots of tickets available on general sale.
“But the scramble has surprised me. I don’t think we’ve ever sold 17,000 tickets in such a short period of time in our history.”
The Dons released a statement on Wednesday morning which read: “Our initial allocation of 17,000 tickets for the ViaplayCup Final has sold out. Around 2,500 tickets are yet to be released & these will be issued based on Priority Points.
“Supporters should email ticketoffice@afc.co.uk to be added to the waiting list. The ticket office will be closed today as staff begin to prioritise requests.
“We understand the frustrations of our fans and we want to reassure them that during the course of our work today we will be ensuring all those who have purchased a ticket for the cup final meet our usual stringent rules.
“A further update will be issued later today.”
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