Dundee United will “review” their ticketing process for future big games after hundreds of fans missed out on the club’s biggest match in years.
The play-off final could bring the side back to the Scottish Premiership after three seasons in the Championship.
Fans are said to have camped-up outside the club shop overnight in a bid to grab tickets to the decisive match.
However Dundee United’s managing director Mal Brannigan has been forced to apologise after some fans with season ticket vouchers were able to make off with as many as 20 tickets in one sale.
Briefs were available on the phone as well as in person.
Mr Brannigan said the club had tried to secure more than the 1500 seats allocated to the United support at Paisley’s Simple Digital Arena – the lowest number ever set aside for the club in a play-off fixture.
He claimed the “tight allocation” was inevitable after St Mirren realised their opposition.
Dundee United fans queue up on city street overnight as hundreds vie for play-off tickets
He added: “The number of tickets allocated from St Mirren has been the lowest number for any of the play-off fixtures Dundee United has competed in over the last three seasons.
“The club did request additional tickets for the game from St Mirren, but due to the configuration of their stadium and the way they segregate the two sets of fans, they were unable to help us.
“The club believed that the system of one ticket per season ticket voucher was the fairest way of distributing these, but this has received some criticism, given that some of the purchases were in excess of twenty tickets by some customers.
“Suggestions that some supporters bought several hundred are unfounded as are claims that tickets were sold to non-season ticket holders.”
He said a new ticketing system will be brought in at the start of the 2019-20 season.
Mr Brannigan added: “One of the first areas that we identified when we came into the club was the need for a new ticketing system that could help us interact and engage with our fans better.
“The ticketing system being introduced ahead of next season will help alleviate some of the issues from this morning. In particular, it will include the ability to record those fans who travel to the away games as well as being season ticket holders at Tannadice.
“I take responsibility for the situation this morning, and it has been a learning curve.
“While there is not one solution that will work in today’s scenario, we will look now at all the suggestions that have been forwarded by fans since this morning, including the capping of tickets per person regardless of the number of vouchers they have.
“I apologise to the number of very loyal and passionate fans who missed out this morning after queuing through the night.
“It was neither the club’s nor my intention for that to happen, but there was only ever going to be a tight allocation from St Mirren once we knew they were our opponents.”
The Arabs will welcome the Buddies to Tannadice on Thursday in the first leg of the play-off finals before heading to Paisley for the game which could send them back to Scottish football’s top tier.
