STH +3 - a fair solution?

[fosters headband]

Nonsense.

For those who want additional tickets it is THEIR choice, therefore have to decide what's more important to them....sitting with their johnny come-lately mates, or having a good choice of all seating areas. Some of those who are way down the presentation list are liable to get a restricted choice of seating area. If you can't see or understand this blatantly obvious point of view...I'm sorry.

Can I get this correct, you would prefer to be further down the list so that you can sit with your sons? I don't understand.

 

[Easy 10]

I have never had a season ticket. Ever.
I have been to about 3 Albion games in the last 5 years.

I do, however, have a friend who has one of the first presentation dates (10th Jan, I think?) and has offered me one of his +3's.

So apart from 1901 Club I get first choice of seats at the Amex.

I have declined the offer as I cannot commit to 23 games a season, but the point remains that it is a hopelessly flawed and unfair system that allows scenarios like this to occur. What were the Board thinking?

They were thinking.

1. We need to reward our most loyal season ticket holders.
2. We've got 22,500 seats to fill.
3. We need to bring in as many new STH's as possible.

The most direct route to that is by enabling / encouraging existing STH's to bring up to 3 of their friends and family. The fairest way to facilitate that is by prioritising those STH's who have been going the longest - and thats what they've done. Is it perfect ? No. Nothing ever would be. But they are looking at the long-term future of this football club, and like it or not, while that involves looking after your existing customers, it also means bringing in a SHEDLOAD of the next generation as well, and ASAP.

 

[El Presidente]

With respect that's utter cock.

First of all your maths is up the creek. 2,500 1901 + 2,500 away + your hypothesis of 1,000 + 3,000 = 9,000 does not leave approximately 16,000.

Whether it's 9 or 13000 thousand seats that have already gone it's not the numbers it's the prinicple. I'm glad you think that potentially 6,000 people who may never have been to the Withdean can be in the queue for Falmer ahead of more deserving people.

Your sentiment for our benefactor is admirable except that the decisions being taken are for commercial and not sentimental reasons. Yes there needs to be a balance and what I am saying is that the balance is not right. I'm not asking for them to bow or scrape or anything except put more of an emphasis on people who have shown steadfast loyalty in a crap environment but who seem to have ended up much further down the queue than they were expecting.

As I said perhaps some sort of consultation would have been an idea, particularly over such an emotive subject. Personaly I expected to be one of the first 4 - 5,000 to choose a seat of my choice - not pushed back to potentially number 10,000 +

Sorry, I agree my maths was wrong, if I only had a choice of 1 out of 13,000 seats I too would feel hugely disadvantaged and incredibly envious of a six year old child who is going to Falmer with his dad, but has never gone to Withers because it is, after all, a shitheap.

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

Sitting here, 1700 miles away, I'm finding it mildly depressing that people are evidently getting so, so wound up about this. After all... what's the worst thing that can possibly happen? Is it the risk of not getting in to the Amex, anywhere? Hardly. Or is it about not getting seats precisely where you'd like, and having to sit - with your closest family/friends, still - somewhere else, in possibly the country's most incredible new stadium? Ho-hum.

Or is your objection really down to the sheer indignity of knowing that someone else - someone who's actually an even more long-suffering supporter than you - may be sitting, along with their own, chosen +3 group, in the very area you'd had your eye on?

You're all going to get in. And you'll almost certainly be able to get a move, if you want it, after that first fantastic season. And you'll be paying a pretty affordable price for your seats in the Amex. What's the problem?

This thread threatens to rival the great Spurs Cup tickets debate in its whingeing tediousness. Is there anything that Albion fans can't find to moan about?

 

[Easy 10]

Nonsense.

For those who want additional tickets it is THEIR choice, therefore have to decide what's more important to them....sitting with their johnny come-lately mates, or having a good choice of all seating areas. Some of those who are way down the presentation list are liable to get a restricted choice of seating area. If you can't see or understand this blatantly obvious point of view...I'm sorry.

Why should someone who's put up with Withdean and been loyal to the club for the last 9+ years have to make that choice ? Are they not entitled to choose their seat early doors and encourage up to 3 of their friends / family to join them in the new stadium ? Or is that a perk too far ?

Its a debatable point, you'll either agree its fair or you won't. Personally I can see why some are unhappy, but overall looking at the big picture I think its about as fair and practical as it can be.

 

[cjd]

Can I get this correct, you would prefer to be further down the list so that you can sit with your sons? I don't understand.

It's not a case of what I prefer..( if I could have what 'I prefer' it would someone other than Ken Brown running this club) it is simply that I feel the club has not 'thought long and hard' about this issue. They have put commercial interest way ahead of alledgedly giving 'reward' to long-standing STH's as they said they would. I do believe that if I want to sit with new/newer STH's then I should come after all those 9+ STH's who just want single tickets. What on earth can be so difficult to understand that this would have been a much fairer system....?

 

[El Presidente]

But not 'long standing' season ticket holders are they...? The same as two of my younger sons.

The whole idea was surely to reward 'long standing' ticket holders.

They are being rewarded, they're going to have seats in the most up to date stadium in the country, and they have the choice of about 10-15,000 to choose from.

I would also like to make two more points.

1: You provided me with my most enjoyable moment at Withdean with your foaming rant at Ken Brown at the Barnet game two years ago, whilst it delayed me getting into the ground for a further ten minutes it was worth the admission price alone.

2: For an oxygen thief, fair play to you for still being able to get it up a few years ago and having a couple of nippers.

 

[cjd]

Why should someone who's put up with Withdean and been loyal to the club for the last 9+ years have to make that choice ? Are they not entitled to choose their seat early doors and encourage up to 3 of their friends / family to join them in the new stadium ? Or is that a perk too far ?

IMHO........it is a 'perk' way too far. A 'perk' that can lead to other long-standing STH's having a much restricted choice..?.of course it's a 'perk' too far.

 

[El Presidente]

IMHO........it is a 'perk' way too far. A 'perk' that can lead to other long-standing STH's having a much restricted choice..?.of course it's a 'perk' too far.

What exactly is restricted at Falmer? It is a wonderful view wherever you sit, and you will have a massive choice compared to what you have at Withdean.

 

[fosters headband]

cjd. I think what would be interesting, if you told us now where in the ground you hoped or wanted to sit and then come back and tell us where you ended up.
If you are a long way from your choice then I might understand why you are so upset about the system.

 

[timbha]

Why should someone who's put up with Withdean and been loyal to the club for the last 9+ years have to make that choice ? Are they not entitled to choose their seat early doors and encourage up to 3 of their friends / family to join them in the new stadium ? Or is that a perk too far ?

Its a debatable point, you'll either agree its fair or you won't. Personally I can see why some are unhappy, but overall looking at the big picture I think its about as fair and practical as it can be.

Can you remind us when your viewing appointment is?

 

[cjd]

They are being rewarded, they're going to have seats in the most up to date stadium in the country, and they have the choice of about 10-15,000 to choose from.

I would also like to make two more points.

1: You provided me with my most enjoyable moment at Withdean with your foaming rant at Ken Brown at the Barnet game two years ago, whilst it delayed me getting into the ground for a further ten minutes it was worth the admission price alone.

2: For an oxygen thief, fair play to you for still being able to get it up a few years ago and having a couple of nippers.

Listen...not everyone is blagging off the state with over-paid jobs like university lecturers. Not everybody can afford some of the seating at the Amex. The choice is potentially being restricted to long-standing STH's by this ill thought-out scheme.

As regards item 1;..Thankyou....I'd like the opportunity again to tell Ken Brown what I think of him.....this time tho without the threat of his gorilla like steward being alongside him.

As regard item 2; Thankyou again..........but there are actually 4 'nippers' beside my grown-up 2. They,re just a bit too young at the moment for Season Tickets (4 & 8 and thank goodness they are girls)...LOL..!

 

[El Presidente]

Can you remind us when your viewing appointment is?

I think it was 2pm

 

[Easy 10]

IMHO........it is a 'perk' way too far. A 'perk' that can lead to other long-standing STH's having a much restricted choice..?.of course it's a 'perk' too far.

So the alternative is what ? Take the longest-standing 9-year STH's who actually want to actively recruit the clubs NEXT generation of STH's, and either knock them to the back of the queue or tell them that no, actually, they'll have to sit on their own ? If you want to go about knocking a few thousand off the total number of STH's at the Amex then THAT, sir, is exactly the way to go about it.

Thats "common sense" is it ?

 

[Easy 10]

Can you remind us when your viewing appointment is?

Sure. 14th Jan, 3.30pm. Why ?

 

[Rookie]

So the alternative is what ? Take the longest-standing 9-year STH's who actually want to actively recruit the clubs NEXT generation of STH's, and either knock them to the back of the queue or tell them that no, actually, they'll have to sit on their own ? If you want to go about knocking a few thousand off the total number of STH's at the Amex then THAT, sir, is exactly the way to go about it.

Thats "common sense" is it ?

So someone that doesn't have a ticket currently but wants one at the AMEX would be put of buying because they come behind current season ticket holders?
How many of the +3's are actually going to sit together anyway, already been posts on here where people have advertised there +3's

 

[El Presidente]

Listen...not everyone is blagging off the state with over-paid jobs like university lecturers. Not everybody can afford some of the seating at the Amex. The choice is potentially being restricted to long-standing STH's by this ill thought-out scheme.

As regards item 1;..Thankyou....I'd like the opportunity again to tell Ken Brown what I think of him.....this time tho without the threat of his gorilla like steward being alongside him.

As regard item 2; Thankyou again..........but there are actually 4 'nippers' beside my grown-up 2. They,re just a bit too young at the moment for Season Tickets (4 & 8 and thank goodness they are girls)...LOL..!

Sorry cjd, didn't realise you had 4. Your tadpoles must have been trained by the SAS.

 

[cjd]

cjd. I think what would be interesting, if you told us now where in the ground you hoped or wanted to sit and then come back and tell us where you ended up.
If you are a long way from your choice then I might understand why you are so upset about the system.

Personally, I would like blocks D or E in the West Stand.....as close as possible to the halfway line. Failing that, block B (i think it is) in the upper West Stand ...(again as near to the front/middle as possible).

However, it is not just about 'me,me,me' I'm arguing this case.The policy on selling the ST's is fundamentally flawed in my opinion. I can imagine that there may well be many 9+ STH's who want a decent seat in the North Stand but some of them may well find that those seats will all be gone by the time their presentation is due.This situation is NOT rewarding those 9+ STH's as the club promised.....but most definitely rewarding johnny come latelys who have 9+STH matey.

 

[Rookie]

Should also add I have no problem with people taking their family/friends and being high up priority so they can sit together, that is common sense, but my problem is the people that don't want their +3 and are offering them around to anybody. Strikes me as a very strange system

 

[timbha]

So the alternative is what ? Take the longest-standing 9-year STH's who actually want to actively recruit the clubs NEXT generation of STH's, and either knock them to the back of the queue or tell them that no, actually, they'll have to sit on their own ? If you want to go about knocking a few thousand off the total number of STH's at the Amex then THAT, sir, is exactly the way to go about it.

Thats "common sense" is it ?

I though Priority 5 or whatever it was would solve this.

Let's just suppose you've made your mind up to sit central north stand with the mates you've sat in the Withdean cold with for years, and let's say your STH letter was held up in the post (snow) and when you eventually received it you phoned the ticket line and got a mid February appointment. Then you find out that your Chelsea loving neighbour, who has taken the piss out of you for years for following the Albion and his last Albion match was the play off final, knows a STH who has an appointment at the beginning of January. When you compare your Falmer seats, he has North Stand Central and you have North Stand front row, extreme left. How would you feel? common sense?