A Leeds United season ticket holder has used his knowledge of dat protection laws to help prove he attended several games at Elland Road this season to ensure he can renew his season ticket next season.
Melvyn Flower, who has been attending games at Leeds' iconic stadium since 1978, which ranked at No.16 in FourFourTwo's list of the best football stadiums in Britain, received a text informing him he was close to 80 per cent attendance threshold for renewing his season ticket, despite him only missing a few games when he transferred his ticket to his step-son following a family bereavement.
He then queried the message, and was told he did not attend three games, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle and Middlesbrough, despite he and his wife, and fellow supporters being adamant he did.
'Appalling' - Leeds United supporter slams clubs handling of season ticket renewal
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Flower said: "Initially, I got a text message that said I was near the 80 per cent threshold, which is about renewing next season.
"So I ignored it, because I thought it was just like a blanket text. But when my wife didn't get one and a lad I've been going with since 1978 didn't get one, that's when I contacted the club.
"I suppose the ticket office can just do what they see in front of them but they're asking things like 'are you scanning your ticket properly' but it's practically impossible to scan it wrong.
"There's a barcode reader of a QR code, zap, it turns green and releases the turnstile. It's not like the old days when you used to go in the boys' pen and you could slide somebody in underneath."
Flower was obviously upset about the accusation, and concerned that when he attended the final few home games of the season, his attendance may not be recorded properly, so contacted the ticket office and began taking selfies at each game.
When the renewal process opened recently, the club insisted he had not met the threshold and was therefore unable to renew his season ticket, leaving him quite obviously frustrated.
"I've been in the ground when there's been no waiting list and not that long ago, actually," he said.
"I've been with 13,000 in the ground when there was nobody sitting near us so part of that is a bit galling.
"I'm sending them pictures of me with the scoreboard behind me and the away team so that I can give them another £600 to renew and it's just a bizarre situation. Why would I buy a season ticket and not go this season, of all seasons given the **** I've sat through since 1978.
"It's an odd season to suddenly start not going, from a football point of view. It was almost like I'm arguing to give them money I could easily spend elsewhere - I could upgrade at Yorkshire as a member and probably have a better experience."
Flower urged club officials to use their CCTV to verify that he had been in attendance at the games in question, but they stated that as it was used to look for potential issues, they could not use it to identify him.
He eventually met with club officials, after sing his knowledge of relevant legislation to put in a subject access request, and pointed out he and his wife on the footage of each of the games, including them scanning their tickets.
"I was able to prove without doubt in 10 minutes that I was at all the games they stated I didn't attend," he said.
"The footage was so clear you could even see my phone underneath the ticket scanner. Club officials admitted verbally at the time that it has highlighted an issue with the turnstiles."
He has since received an apology from the club's head of ticketing, sent to him by the supporters liaison officer, but calls it 'appalling' and suggests he will not attempt to renew his season ticket for next season now.
He said: "The club's position throughout this whole situation has basically been that I have lied about the three games.
"The club at no point have been prepared to even consider there is an issue with the North East corner turnstiles. We have now proven without doubt and using the club's own ticket data, CCTV images and turnstile recording they have a problem.
I’ve had to chase this the whole time, even having to go as far as a subject access request under GDPR legislation. That's appalling. I had to take time off work to go into the ground to view CCTV images, doing exactly what I advised the club to do all along.
"There I was entering the ground with my own season ticket for all three games. This is how they treat season ticket holders?"
