Exposed: new scam to get into Arsenal without ticket

Fans hoping to see the game are being asked to pay hundreds of pounds for a one or two night "loan" of membership cards that will get them into Arsenal's Emirates Stadium in north London.

It is the latest ruse by touts to keep ahead of football authorities clamping down on illegal but hugely lucrative re-selling of tickets to big Premiership and Champions League games.

The Arsenal scheme allows fans who take out membership of the club to "load" games on to their cards without ever having to receive paper tickets.

But touts and "rogue fans" are taking out memberships and applying for as many matches as possible.

They then loan out the cards to supporters looking for tickets who simply swipe them through the turn-stile when they turn up for the games.

The Standard found these cards being offered at a booth near Piccadilly Circus, where we were "leased" a membership card for a £50 deposit and a £225 fee to see tonight's quarter final first leg. Ticket prices for the match start from £46.

Our reporter first approached the booth on Monday evening. The touts at the booth gave their names as Maurice and Stan.

The reporter was told paper tickets were sold out but they were expecting a batch of membership cards the next day.

On returning yesterday we were sold a membership card " loaded" with access to tonight's game.

The card, with the Arsenal logo clearly displayed, had been taken out in a woman's name.

But Stan explained: "That's all fine. All you have to do is swipe the card on a box outside the turnstile. There will be no questions and Arsenal don't suspect a thing."

On the back of the membership card he attached a pink sticky note with a turnstile number, block number, and row and seat number.

When our reporter asked about the glaring discrepancy between his identity and the female name on the card he was told: "Don't worry, just tell them you've had a sex change. But honestly they won't stop you and if they do, tell them it is your girlfriend's membership card and she can't make it.

"I wouldn't let you have the card if I thought it would cause trouble as I need it back so somebody can buy it for Saturday's Premiership match.

He insisted the woman whose name appears on the card is a real football fan.

"She gives us her card and we give her some of the money, so everybody makes. Smile, you get to see the game mate!"

The Standard is passing the card onto Arsenal football club, so that it can carry out its own investigaton.

Arsenal's website clearly prohibits fans from selling on their tickets for profit and promises to take action against those who do.

A spokeswoman for Arsenal said: "The move from Highbury to the Emirate stadium has made it more difficult for touts because there are no paper tickets. But we have taken extra measures such as using police officers on every match day to carry out spot checks on cards. Also the technology able us to moniter activity so we can follow up and confiscate cards every match day."

HOW THE 'MEMBERSHIP LOAN' WORKS

THE scam is a clever exploitation of the new "Oyster card" style membership cards issued to Arsenal fans. This is how it works.

A rogue fan applies for membership. This costs £20 and gives the fan the right to apply for seats at the always fully sold out Emirates Stadium.

The fan then applies for seats on-line.

If successful, the seat for a particular game is "loaded" onto the member's card. The fan is also emailed the seat location details - but no paper ticket is sent out.

However, rather than go to the match, the fan loans the membership card to a tout with the seat details, in return for a cut.

The tout, in turn, will "hire out" the card for the night of the match to the supporter actually going to the game.

The tout will take a deposit of say, £50, to make sure the purchaser returns the card and will also charge a hugely inflated price for access to the match. The supporter will also get a piece of paper or post-it note with the seat details.

At the stadium, the purchaser will run the membership card through the turnstile and, should, in theory get in to see the game.

The next day the supporter returns the card to the tout and gets the deposit back.