Liverpool's controversial Anfield change still splits opinion but is here to stay

Almost two years have passed since Liverpool's decision to ditch paper tickets in favour of a modern approach being followed by many clubs.

NFC (Near-field Communication) passes were trialled by the Reds ahead of pre-season friendlies with Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna in August 2021, initially resulting in many fans missing match action after issues with the technology were experienced.

Similar problems were encountered prior to Premier League fixtures versus Burnley and Chelsea later that month with teething trouble over scanning phones to gain access through the turnstiles, as opposed to the traditional method of scanning paper tickets or membership and season ticket cards

Fast forward to the present day and the operation has become far smoother after a period of transition, with a number of others clubs also following suit. A change made in light of the pandemic, NFC appears here to stay. But is that for better or worse in the overall supporter experience?

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Tom Cavilla: NFC passes are simply one of the many Covid-related changes that have, unfortunately, remained after the worst of the pandemic.

Making giant strides in the digital era, plenty of organisations were forced to change their way of thinking after Covid to be more mobile-focused. This began with scanning a QR code to check into a venue, followed by adopting a similar approach to order food at your table.

While such activities are no longer required up and down the country after thankfully being ditched, football clubs decided using your mobile phone for access would