York City’s season will briefly restart later this month – and you could be there!
Well, to be exact, a photo of you could be there. Because City have today (Friday) launched the Fans At The Game scheme.
It means your likeness in cut-out form could be in the stands at Bootham Crescent during the critical play-off semi-final on 25 July.
In that game York will take on the winners of Altrincham vs Chester for a place in the play-off final.
Like all sporting fixtures at the moment, City’s game will be behind closed doors.
But the club has teamed up with The Football Company, to give you an opportunity to have your own personalised, recyclable, waterproof cut-out displayed proudly in the stands.
How does it work?
Each cut-out costs £25. Here’s how you get one.
- On your phone visit the York City Fans At The Game website
- Agree to the T&Cs
- Allow your smart phone device camera to take a picture
- Make sure you fit in the silhouette
- Approve your picture
- Make your secure online payment.
After that your cut-out is produced, delivered to Bootham Crescent and installed.
A club spokesperson said: “Before you know it, you’ll get back in the ground, and be a fan at the game once more.
“Watch out across our social media channels, as we’ll be sharing pictures once we start to fill the stadium.”
They are also allowing away fans, from either Altrincham or Chester, to support their team at Bootham Crescent.
“When crowds are allowed back into football matches, and we no longer have to use cut-outs as our fan representation, those who have purchased a cut out will then have the chance to collect it,” the club said.
To find out more, click the Frequently Asked Questions button below. All the info is supplied by York City FC.
How does it work?
We’ve teamed up with The Football Company to deliver brand-new technology that enables supporters to take a picture, complete a transaction and for that to be printed on uniform silhouette shaped cardboard. This works best on mobile devices using the native platform of the device eg; IOS/Safari or Android/Chrome.
What devices or browsers does it work on?
Fans At The Game works on mobile because it’s a much easier experience to take a ‘selfie’. We’ve tested it across multiple devices (smartphones, tablets) and it should work on most, as long as your software or browser version is up to date. If you find an issue, contact the club and they’ll try to help.
Who determines the cost?
Each club decides its own price point. They will decide based on the likely volume of sales alongside the suitability of cost based on its own supporter base.
Can I upload a picture of my own?
No, unfortunately not. Each cut-out is based on an individual silhouette which is pre-set to fix standard seats you find in almost all UK stadiums. For that to work your face needs to fit the space we’ve designated for it.
Can I ‘sit’ in my own seat?
We know this is something that plenty of supporters will ask. We’ve checked the viability of it, but in terms of being able to cope with demand the process of matching supporter to a specific seat is extremely time consuming. Clubs may also decide that they want fans to sit in what is known as the ‘TV arc’ (i.e. the part you see in front of the cameras). For that reason, we’re unable to offer this option.
Why is the cost of a cut out more than the price of a ticket?
Cut outs will be situated in the stadium for as long as crowd restrictions are in place, so your presence in the stadium will last longer than one game. You’ll also be able to keep the cut out after. The cut-outs are priced by Fans at the Game and in line with fan engagements like this across the county and indeed Europe.
Will the cut outs be in the stadium if York City reach the final?
We really hope so! However we are discussing this with the National League, whose decision this would be.
Who is taking the payment?
Your payment is taken by The Football Company (Scotland) Limited via their own payment provider, which is owned and controlled by NatWest. In the unlikely event that you have a payment issue you should contact [email protected] and one of the team will come back to you quickly. All orders will come with an email receipt.
How does the club make money?
Every week The Football Company runs a reconciliation, advise the club the commission earned and make a direct payment. It’s a quick process, which is extremely helpful for the club.
Is my data secure?
Yes, absolutely. The Football Company have built a model which minimises the data required to be collected. Further access to that data is only provided for different parts of the fulfilment journey. For example, the printers will only have your first and last name, your order ID and the club. Everything has been built on Amazon Web Service (AWS) which is regarded as the gold standard for creating secure digital platforms.
Can I buy an away cut-out?
Yes, if you add the word ‘AWAY’, in capital letters after your name during the booking process we will work with the club to ensure away fans are grouped together in the stadium.
If you have any issues with the Fans at the Game process, please email [email protected]