Stuart WoodChelsea Football Club has launched a ground-breaking legal campaign against ticket touting, in a move expected to herald a wider crackdown from Premier League clubs.
The club has secured injunctions against two men accused of ticket reselling. The legal move continues the fight against ticket touts and second-hand sales from high-profile sellers, which have been increasing in recent years.
The injunctions will prevent the men from continuing to sell tickets, and threatens them with large fines or prison for failing to comply. One of the men claimed in court to be a “tiny, weeny cog” in a much larger machine.
Other high-profile groups which have taken a stand against second-hand ticket sales include Ed Sheeran and The O2. The O2 launched its own ticket resale service just last week, to provide fair prices on resold tickets.
Sites such as Viagogo and Stubhub have faced increasing scrutiny from the law, advisory boards and customers over the past year.
In January, the European Alliance for Ticketing (FEAT) was founded to help combat second-hand resale.