Sunderland address season-ticket concerns as family accept Block U1 move after renewal dispute | OneFootball

Sunderland have made progress on individual season-ticket cases following renewal complaints, with a resolution agreed for Karen Jacques and her family.

According to Sunderland Echo, supporters had flagged problems switching between corporate and general admission, direct debit issues and wider renewal concerns, and the club has been contacting fans on a case-by-case basis.

Jacques, 62, raised the lack of flexibility after her mother, Sylvia Pickard, learned she could qualify for a free over-85s season ticket having held one for more than three years. Because the family were in a corporate area, no reduction could initially be applied, leaving her mother facing a bill of more than £2,000.

The family felt compelled to stay put for fear of losing their tickets. After further talks, they accepted a solution for next season, with Mrs Pickard and another relative moving to Block U1.

The club had first suggested seats on the concourse and near the front, which the family felt unsuitable due to stairs in one case and exposure to bad weather in the other. They visited the Stadium of Light to assess the Block U1 seats and agreed to take them.

Jacques said the family were pleased it had been sorted, but felt it should have been handled earlier so they could have sat together and reduced the number of stairs for her mother.

The development follows a similar outcome for long-serving supporter Steven Poppleton, who sought to move from a premium area to general admission after his father George’s death. He later received a phone apology and an offer of general admission tickets for next season.

Source: Sunderland Echo