Selling your seat at The Amex

[Simster]

If they are "not keen" to facilitate it, they shouldn't be charging £495 for the facility.

Very true, m'lord.

 

[Beach Hut]

Can't see that point there. You won't need a PSL to offload your ticket to a friend on single match basis.

Exactly and in my inability to read NSC I had thought the club had not put forward a solution and they have which is a way to transfer a ticket if you cannot go to a game (legally) as opposed to trusting handing over your card to someone else.

Still like the idea that Arsenal do with the tick exchange being an internet based thing where you log on and do it on-line and hopefully the club will look at this.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Unfortunately that is about right now in the brave new world - money talks but needs must if the club wants to move forward.

I realise this, and I know the club, when it comes down to it, is a business that needs to operate profitably.

At the moment, however, I just feel like it's one money making opportunity after another. Private boxes- if you can't afford that, here's the 1901 Club. Can't afford that? Here's a new way to get your cash! It's the PSL! What's next? Hey, for you absolute peasants, how about a lump of concrete with your name on? Anything else in the pipeline?

Yes, I appreciate that ultimately if I don't want to pay, then I can say no, but then the club knows that I (and the rest of us) won't because I've been going for years and that's not going to change now. It seems to me that they're capitalising on the excitement caused by the new stadium to generate a fear of missing out, that if you don't spend money on this or that, you will be somehow disadvantaged or at risk of losing out by comparison to others. They're also saying "but look at the great facilities" to justify some of the high prices on offer, ignoring the fact that we've all being paying WAY over the odds for diametrically opposite (in quality) facilities for the past twelve years, with no comparable discount there. If I want a seat in the equivalent position to my current Withdean seat, it's going to cost me about £150 more per season, without any PSL or other charges. So I'll probably move on to one of the cheaper areas, with all the other "less valuable" supporters.

I know this is probably a bit moany, given where we're going in comparison to where we've come from. But I just don't want this club to turn into yet another faceless machine, or to create a situation where a sort of supporter apartheid operates, and some fans are valued more than others simply because when the new stadium opens they happen to have the cash to hand. And I'm kind of starting to resent all these mailings urging me to splash out even more for various reasons, "just in case", because if I don't, something mysterious *might* happen to my seat at some unspecified and distant point in the future.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I am trying to be fair about this, because fundamentally I agree with every word Was Not Was says.

But I also see that the die is cast on this one, and we can't wallow in some ancient victim culture, things have changed, and presumably we'd all rather see the club run well commercially than badly - within financial reason.

From the club's point of view, every seat resold/reallocated by a season ticket holder to mates or family costs the club money in additional ticket revenue IF there is spare capacity (likely). So they're never going to be too enthusiastic, obviously. Even getting some processing fee from a PSL holder is not as much as selling another ticket at full price, and that is where their priorities lie. They have already got that money once, why spend a load of admin time for little benefit reallocating those seats? I'm afraid this is the world everyone has got so excited about, so there isn't much that can be done complaining now. It is a fait accompli.

Likely outcomes - Club gets more revenue, STHs unable to recoup much of their outlay, harder for people to use their relatives/friends cards, more empty seats (but paid for). Maybe now those prices are beginning to look a bit more expensive.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Can't see that point there. You won't need a PSL to offload your ticket to a friend on single match basis.

"provided they are used on a like for like basis i.e. Adult for Adult, Child for Child or Senior Citizen for Senior Citizen this practice will be tolerated".

 

[Beach Hut]

I think the issue with this is also a sort of insurance policy if you want to take it on the value of your seat.

Go forward 5 years and we are a Premiership team so what price a season ticket ? Could be a lot more than now so then people are priced out however other people want to go so if you paid for the PSL at least you get some return.

 

[The Large One]

"provided they are used on a like for like basis i.e. Adult for Adult, Child for Child or Senior Citizen for Senior Citizen this practice will be tolerated".

Excellent. Good enough for me.

 

[Beach Hut]

Excellent. Good enough for me.

And me, no problem at all as the upgrade should be paid and will ensure it is

 

[Tooting Gull]

I think the issue with this is also a sort of insurance policy if you want to take it on the value of your seat.

Go forward 5 years and we are a Premiership team so what price a season the ? Could be a lot more than now so then people are priced out however other people want to go so if you paid for the PSL at least you get some return.

I actually think it is this aspect that is very distasteful to a lot of long-term fans. Sounds like a way for people with the spare money to make a quick buck, rather than a sensibly priced sale of seats. If you've got one you'd be in favour of it, same as if you'd been allowed to buy your council house at a low price. Doesn't stop it being a shit policy, though. It's not the stock market, these are seats at a community football club.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Not sure why, but I'm starting to feel like Ihave been disloyal for starting this thread. All I have been trying to do is understand what the benefits of the PSL are and also how/if tickets can be transferred on a match by match basis. Answering all of this will allow me to decide if I'll cough up £495 for a PSL when I go to the presentation.

This thread has helped me come to a conclusion. The upshot for me personally is that a PSL is not worth having. Not having one isn't going to stop me lending my ticket to friends if I can't go (although this will be hard whoever you are) and I don't have a family queuing up to take over my seat should I die. If Brighton season tickets are so valuable that they are changing hands for silly money, then I'm going to want to be there to see it - not sell my seat.

 

[Was not Was]

I've just realised that the new approach doesn't even maximise revenue.

At the moment, if my (U10) daughter can't go, my dad comes along, we go to the ticket window and upgrade her ticket to a Senior Citizen ticket for £15 (the difference between the 'per match' ST price for U10 and Senior). Result - he watches match, seat is filled, club gets cash.

In the brave new corporate world, the only other person who could come along is an U10. Result - empty seat, no more cash for club, my Dad listens on the radio.

 

[Simster]

Not sure why, but I'm starting to feel like Ihave been disloyal for starting this thread.

Well I for one am pleased that you did. It's been very informative and I can't see what's so disloyal about it.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

I've just realised that the new approach doesn't even maximise revenue.

At the moment, if my (U10) daughter can't go, my dad comes along, we go to the ticket window and upgrade her ticket to a Senior Citizen ticket for £15 (the difference between the 'per match' ST price for U10 and Senior). Result - he watches match, seat is filled, club gets cash.

In the brave new corporate world, the only other person who could come along is an U10. Result - empty seat, no more cash for club, my Dad listens on the radio.

But they'd already have your £495 in the bag...

 

[Beach Hut]

I actually think it is this aspect that is very distasteful to a lot of long-term fans. Sounds like a way for people with the spare money to make a quick buck, rather than a sensibly priced sale of seats. If you've got one you'd be in favour of it, same as if you'd been allowed to buy your council house at a low price. Doesn't stop it being a shit policy, though. It's not the stock market, these are seats at a community football club.

Don't get me wrong I agree entirely and it does seem a shame that all that dedicated support, letter writing, petition signing, various marches and all the other protests will all be forgotten as we approach the promised land.

I suppose the only thing is no-one lives forever and within 5 years it will all be history, maybe a presentation in the museum could demonstrate the effort fans made to get to Falmer ?

 

[Was not Was]

THRK - don't feel disloyal. I hijacked the thread, as it seemed to me to be the right point to say, in effect: "hang on, aren't we sleepwalking into some corporate monsterworld that's out of sync with the values we've demonstrated in the fight to save our club?"

 

[Jim D]

One question about ST cards that I haven't seen asked or answered - what will happen if (inevitably) you genuinely lose your card? Will the club just issue a new one? Will there be a punitive admin fee?

If you can get a new card (and the old one cancelled) for no charge then what's to stop you handing it to a stranger and then just say you lost it if you don't get it back? If they charge a fee then add that to the sale price of the tkt and give it back when they return the card.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I realise this, and I know the club, when it comes down to it, is a business that needs to operate profitably.

At the moment, however, I just feel like it's one money making opportunity after another. Private boxes- if you can't afford that, here's the 1901 Club. Can't afford that? Here's a new way to get your cash! It's the PSL! What's next? Hey, for you absolute peasants, how about a lump of concrete with your name on? Anything else in the pipeline?

Yes, I appreciate that ultimately if I don't want to pay, then I can say no, but then the club knows that I (and the rest of us) won't because I've been going for years and that's not going to change now. It seems to me that they're capitalising on the excitement caused by the new stadium to generate a fear of missing out, that if you don't spend money on this or that, you will be somehow disadvantaged or at risk of losing out by comparison to others. They're also saying "but look at the great facilities" to justify some of the high prices on offer, ignoring the fact that we've all being paying WAY over the odds for diametrically opposite (in quality) facilities for the past twelve years, with no comparable discount there. If I want a seat in the equivalent position to my current Withdean seat, it's going to cost me about £150 more per season, without any PSL or other charges. So I'll probably move on to one of the cheaper areas, with all the other "less valuable" supporters.

I know this is probably a bit moany, given where we're going in comparison to where we've come from. But I just don't want this club to turn into yet another faceless machine, or to create a situation where a sort of supporter apartheid operates, and some fans are valued more than others simply because when the new stadium opens they happen to have the cash to hand. And I'm kind of starting to resent all these mailings urging me to splash out even more for various reasons, "just in case", because if I don't, something mysterious *might* happen to my seat at some unspecified and distant point in the future.

Agreed.

Is anyone else getting the feeling that the BEST way to ensure that fans' interests are looked after would be for MOST tickets to be available on a match-by-match basis? Just like they were at the Goldstone. Or just like they still are at MOST football clubs in the country - even middling Premier League clubs have tickets for most home games that go on general sale.

Stoke City | Tickets | Upcoming | Upcoming | Bolton Wanderers Ticket Info (H, 15th Jan)
(h) v Arsenal | Ticket News Details | Ticket News | Tickets | West Ham United

In other words, wouldn't it be better if season tickets failed to sell out and our "friends and family" who only want to attend a few games had a realistic chance of getting a ticket for the games they wanted to go to?

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

And all of this needs to be balanced with paying £100m or so for the stadium.

Impossible taks for the club to get this right first time - my hope is that once they've seen how everything works in practice, they'll learn and adapt. I'm sure they will.

 

[butchy]

Indeed, what exactly happens if someone loses their season ticket card? I am assuming it is replaced - if so what are the costs?

 

[clippedgull]

from Ken Brown this very morning via an email I sent him:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dear Ken,

I recall that at the Fans Forum before the start of the current season a question was asked referring to Season Ticket Holders at the AMEX not being able to attend the odd match and being able to re-sell their ticket.

I believe the answer given (possibly by yourself?) was that a system would be set up whereby a STH could sell their ticket via the club for an administration fee.

Is this policy still being considered?

regards,

Alan

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

reply from Ken:


Dear Alan,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the season tickets. We do intend to set up a facility whereby tickets can be transferred.

This is still in the process of being implemented and I will let you know when the policy has been put in place.

Regards

Ken Brown