Manchester City confirm stance on facial recognition as supporters voice ticket identification concerns | OneFootball

Manchester City have clarified their position on the introduction of facial recognition technology at the Etihad Stadium, confirming the club have no current plans to implement the system in response to supporter concerns over its potential use in ticketing and access procedures, as per a new report.

The issue has gained renewed attention among the supporter base ahead of the 2026-27 season, with Manchester City having previously explored a facial recognition trial in 2019 before stepping back from the project, and more recent reports of updated turnstile infrastructure at the Etihad Stadium reigniting questions about the direction of the club’s matchday access policies.

The Football Supporters’ Association had raised concerns after news emerged of new turnstile equipment at the Etihad Stadium that was capable of housing facial recognition cameras, with supporter groups warning that the scope of the system could expand beyond its stated purpose to encompass a broader and potentially more restrictive approach to ticketing enforcement.

Manchester City have now moved to address those concerns directly, with communication from the club offering reassurance on the immediate position while acknowledging the wider context of a fanbase that has been increasingly vocal about the direction of the club’s ticketing policies over recent seasons.

The clarification arrives at a moment when the club has also introduced a number of changes to its ticket transfer arrangements for 2026-27, with the updated Friends and Family policy extending the pool of people Season Ticket Members can pass their ticket to – one of several adjustments made following consultation with City Matters, the club’s formal supporter engagement body.

Report: City confirm no facial recognition plans in supporter communication

According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City have stated that there are “currently no plans to introduce facial recognition software into the club’s ticketing or stadium access systems” in official communication to supporters who had raised the issue with the club.

The wording – offering reassurance about the immediate position rather than a longer-term commitment – reflects the sensitive nature of a debate that extends well beyond Manchester City, with facial recognition and biometric access systems becoming an increasingly prominent topic across sports venues globally as clubs look to manage matchday security and improve the speed of fan entry.

For City supporters, the concerns have been shaped as much by the context of recent ticketing policy as by the technology itself, with the relationship between the club and sections of the fanbase having been tested by decisions over the Viagogo partnership and the enforcement of the club’s ticket utilisation policies in recent seasons.

City Matters’ involvement in the ticket transfer changes for 2026-27 represents an attempt to rebuild some of that goodwill, and the club’s confirmation on facial recognition is understood to be part of a broader effort to keep supporters informed ahead of the new campaign.

What does Manchester City’s stance mean for supporters going into 2026-27?

The club’s confirmation provides supporters with a degree of short-term clarity on one of the more contentious questions of the pre-season period, though the specificity of the language – “currently no plans” – leaves open the question of what the club’s longer-term position on the technology might be as the matchday environment continues to evolve.

The broader ticketing landscape for the 2026-27 season carries more immediate good news for supporters, with the Etihad Stadium’s expanded North Stand increasing overall capacity to more than 60,000 and over 4,000 new Flexi Season Tickets being released across the stadium – 50 percent of which have been ringfenced specifically for Junior Members.

Ticket prices for Premier League matches have also been held at the same level for a third consecutive season, a commitment that will be welcomed by a supporter base that has been increasingly attentive to the affordability of matchday attendance as the club enters a new era under Enzo Maresca.

Whether the combination of expanded capacity, improved transfer flexibility and the club’s current stance on facial recognition is sufficient to ease the underlying tensions around ticketing policy at the Etihad Stadium will become clearer as the 2026-27 season approaches and matchgoing supporters begin to experience the changes in practice.