Change to Season Ticket Terms & Conditions

[Spud]

This formal complaint regarding a significant and unpublicised change to the Season Ticket Terms and Conditions for the 2026/27 season I’ve just written to Nicola Ibbetson, Chief Business Officer, may be of interest to some on the forum. If you agree with my sentiments why not write to Nicola or Doug King yourself?

In the 2025/26 T&Cs, Section 7.1 stated that supporters may not sell or lend their Season Ticket for value. This wording allowed fans to pass their ticket to a friend or family member for free when they were unable to attend.

However, in the 2026/27 T&Cs, Section 7.1 has been altered to state that supporters may not sell or lend their Season Ticket for value or for free. This is a substantial change to supporter rights and removes a long‑standing flexibility that many fans rely on.

This change was not clearly communicated during renewal or purchase. Supporters were not informed that a key benefit — the ability to transfer a ticket for free — was being withdrawn. This is especially concerning given that many fans, including myself, have paid extra for Premium League Packages in previous seasons partly because the ability to share tickets made the cost worthwhile.

Furthermore, the club’s own Digital Ticketing webpage states that digital tickets “make managing and transferring tickets easier, providing greater flexibility when you are unable to attend a fixture.” This statement is now misleading and contradicts the new T&Cs.

The consequences of this change are already visible: large numbers of empty seats in areas normally filled by season ticket holders, despite announcing a high attendance. Supporters who cannot attend are now forced to leave their seat unused, reducing the atmosphere and penalising loyal fans.

I’ve requested the following:

1. A clear explanation of why this change was made.
2. A justification for why supporters were not informed during renewal.
3. Clarification on why the Digital Ticketing webpage continues to advertise flexibility that no longer exists.
4. A review of this policy with supporter consultation.
5. Consideration of reinstating free transfers for 2026/27 or providing compensation to affected season ticket holders.

 

[covcity4life]

Well done spud. Fuck um up

 

[CV22SBA]

This formal complaint regarding a significant and unpublicised change to the Season Ticket Terms and Conditions for the 2026/27 season I’ve just written to Nicola Ibbetson, Chief Business Officer, may be of interest to some on the forum. If you agree with my sentiments why not write to Nicola or Doug King yourself?

In the 2025/26 T&Cs, Section 7.1 stated that supporters may not sell or lend their Season Ticket for value. This wording allowed fans to pass their ticket to a friend or family member for free when they were unable to attend.

However, in the 2026/27 T&Cs, Section 7.1 has been altered to state that supporters may not sell or lend their Season Ticket for value or for free. This is a substantial change to supporter rights and removes a long‑standing flexibility that many fans rely on.

This change was not clearly communicated during renewal or purchase. Supporters were not informed that a key benefit — the ability to transfer a ticket for free — was being withdrawn. This is especially concerning given that many fans, including myself, have paid extra for Premium League Packages in previous seasons partly because the ability to share tickets made the cost worthwhile.

Furthermore, the club’s own Digital Ticketing webpage states that digital tickets “make managing and transferring tickets easier, providing greater flexibility when you are unable to attend a fixture.” This statement is now misleading and contradicts the new T&Cs.

The consequences of this change are already visible: large numbers of empty seats in areas normally filled by season ticket holders, despite announcing a high attendance. Supporters who cannot attend are now forced to leave their seat unused, reducing the atmosphere and penalising loyal fans.

I’ve requested the following:

1. A clear explanation of why this change was made.
2. A justification for why supporters were not informed during renewal.
3. Clarification on why the Digital Ticketing webpage continues to advertise flexibility that no longer exists.
4. A review of this policy with supporter consultation.
5. Consideration of reinstating free transfers for 2026/27 or providing compensation to affected season ticket holders.

Isn't it Premier League rules regarding the change to section 7.1? Even so, agree it was never communicated. Customers should be sent an email if T&C's change.

Regarding Corporate tickets though, you can transfer these to others 100% this season. The company i work for has 4 and different people are using them for Brighton than they did for Hull. Its already done.

 

[chiefdave]

Did you really need to create a new thread for this when you're already posted the same thing in the three existing threads about this?

 

[CovRes]

Isn't it Premier League rules regarding the change to section 7.1? Even so, agree it was never communicated. Customers should be sent an email if T&C's change.

Regarding Corporate tickets though, you can transfer these to others 100% this season. The company i work for has 4 and different people are using them for Brighton than they did for Hull. Its already done.

Most clubs seem to let you transfer on a limited number of occasions or to within a limited network of friends.

At least going by the responses to this Reddit thread.

 

[paulcalf]

@Spud I'm pretty sure the new t&C's with that not transfer for free bit.......only came out after season tickets were already being sold.

Pretty sure they weren't created until later on the day the season tickets went on sale.

They only got added to the site after some people had already bought

 

[Nick]

@Spud I'm pretty sure the new t&C's with that not transfer for free bit.......only came out after season tickets were already being sold.

Pretty sure they weren't created until later on the day the season tickets went on sale.

They only got added to the site after some people had already bought

Nope, just checked and the ST Renewals went on sale 3.30PM and the terms were uploaded that morning.

 

[paulcalf]

Your probably right

At the time of buying I'm pretty sure I clicked the t&C's link in the email confirmation and it didn't work.

More recently I saw something with t&cs document only created at 2.40pm ish, the day they went on sale.

Have you seen a log of when the t&c's were added to Ticketmaster/ccfc? Was that definitely the version with the updated 'cant transfer ticket for free?'.

 

[ccfc1234]

This just smacks of a lack of fan centred thinking and judgement at the highest level of the club. The prices for juniors is another example of where leadership appears to have a perpetual blind spot.
It's a shame as they have undeniably moved the club forward in many respects.

 

[roberth72]

This formal complaint regarding a significant and unpublicised change to the Season Ticket Terms and Conditions for the 2026/27 season I’ve just written to Nicola Ibbetson, Chief Business Officer, may be of interest to some on the forum. If you agree with my sentiments why not write to Nicola or Doug King yourself?

In the 2025/26 T&Cs, Section 7.1 stated that supporters may not sell or lend their Season Ticket for value. This wording allowed fans to pass their ticket to a friend or family member for free when they were unable to attend.

However, in the 2026/27 T&Cs, Section 7.1 has been altered to state that supporters may not sell or lend their Season Ticket for value or for free. This is a substantial change to supporter rights and removes a long‑standing flexibility that many fans rely on.

This change was not clearly communicated during renewal or purchase. Supporters were not informed that a key benefit — the ability to transfer a ticket for free — was being withdrawn. This is especially concerning given that many fans, including myself, have paid extra for Premium League Packages in previous seasons partly because the ability to share tickets made the cost worthwhile.

Furthermore, the club’s own Digital Ticketing webpage states that digital tickets “make managing and transferring tickets easier, providing greater flexibility when you are unable to attend a fixture.” This statement is now misleading and contradicts the new T&Cs.

The consequences of this change are already visible: large numbers of empty seats in areas normally filled by season ticket holders, despite announcing a high attendance. Supporters who cannot attend are now forced to leave their seat unused, reducing the atmosphere and penalising loyal fans.

I’ve requested the following:

1. A clear explanation of why this change was made.
2. A justification for why supporters were not informed during renewal.
3. Clarification on why the Digital Ticketing webpage continues to advertise flexibility that no longer exists.
4. A review of this policy with supporter consultation.
5. Consideration of reinstating free transfers for 2026/27 or providing compensation to affected season ticket holders.

Some would say its all part of being in Premier league, other view is pure greed and shitting on supporters who have got the club where they are, it is widely publicised that the fans do not matter anymore in football, such a shame when everything depended on them.

 

[Covkid1968#]

I look after the policy for the key T&C’s for the organisation I work for and we bring out a new set of T&C’s each year. So some similarities with a ST sale.
if there are any significant changes that disadvantage the customer I am required to point them out in a separate published document. The important distinction that CMA law makes is around the fairness of any change. If it disadvantages the customer my Legal advisors ask me to give a whole years notice (ie say the change is happening next year in this years T&C’s. I think CMA law actually talks about 30 days notice in the examples they give.
So is this change fair? and if we think it isn’t, then where the fook was our notice???

 

[Covkid1968#]

Just referred to Chat GPT!!! and it looks like you are saying just the same Spud. Here’s the ChatGPT response

I wouldn’t base your complaint on “the CMA says you must give X days’ notice.” That’s not quite correct.

I’d base it on:

This is a significant adverse change to a consumer contract, removing a previously available benefit, and I want the club to explain the contractual/legal basis on which it considers this change fair, transparent and enforceable.

 

[Spud]

Most clubs seem to let you transfer on a limited number of occasions or to within a limited network of friends.

At least going by the responses to this Reddit thread.

It seems Coventry have taken a different interpretation of Premier League guidelines compared to other clubs like Crystal Palace and Fulham whose approach is far more amicable and fan friendly.

 

[Spud]

@Spud I'm pretty sure the new t&C's with that not transfer for free bit.......only came out after season tickets were already being sold.

Pretty sure they weren't created until later on the day the season tickets went on sale.

They only got added to the site after some people had already bought

I would not be at all surprised if that happened. Thankfully their Ticketing Update on Saturday appears to be relaxing their position somewhat. May be complaining has worked but they should have done better in the first place by getting fan input.