[Albion] 10-game ban and 50-loyalty point deduction

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yup. I can think of someone who has brought some value to the club in marketing etc who wouldn't have gotten into following the club if it wasn't for such things.

Sadly it's now much harder to get floating voters interested in the club.

I'd question that statement, assuming we're talking about 'customers'. Just looking around the North Stand, there's been a massive recent influx of foreign kids clearly loving their EPL fix at the Amex. Am even starting to recognise by sight a small number of them who sit near me whenever they can lay their hands on tickets. It's a brilliant development IMHO

 

[jackalbion]

The problem is that every ejection, last season, was a fan who couldn't buy a ticket so therefore shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I don't think thats true as I know one who was ejected and he was a season ticket holder and regular away follower

 

[jackalbion]

I know a number of people who have become hooked on the Albion after picking up a spare ticket last thing. I remember the random French bloke who ended up next to me at THAT Swindon playoff game - he couldn't believe his luck. This is what it's all about surely?

Most of the people I regularly attend with now, were people who used my mums season ticket at withdean and first years at the Amex, and I'd ask at School/College if they fancied it, they're all season ticket holders now.

 

[Stat Brother]

I don't think thats true as I know one who was ejected and he was a season ticket holder and regular away follower

Then I stand corrected.

Would 'the majority' be a more accurate assessment?

 

[Milano]

Are the club refunding him the 10 games? I’m assuming they will resell his seat for the next 10 games.
I don’t get the 10 game ban, I also don’t get the 50 point reduction. A better punishment IMO is to reset his loyalty points to zero.

 

[timbha]

Are the club refunding him the 10 games? I’m assuming they will resell his seat for the next 10 games.
I don’t get the 10 game ban, I also don’t get the 50 point reduction. A better punishment IMO is to reset his loyalty points to zero.

So is setting someone with 300 LPs to zero the same punishment as setting someone with 50LPs to zero?

I’m afraid the punishment is not for you to “get”. It’s what the club deem appropriate.

Someone planning to miss 10 games (holiday, financial issues, fed up with Albion) could play the system if a refund was given!!!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Have to be honest - this seems INCREDIBLY heavy handed reading through his tweets and obviously hearing only one side. I would have thought losing some loyalty points would have been sufficient. A little part of my Albion mojo dies when I hear things like this although again I'm aware we only have one side of the story.

Exactly, you said it yourself, we have only heard one side of the story. Lets all reserve judgement until/if we hear both.

It's all too easy to dive in with opinions without knowing all the true facts.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Surely not access to his account but his son has him added as Friends or Family and allocated the ticket to him at check out.

Heard of another very loyal fan that hadn’t missed a home or away match for ages but got covid so passed his ticket on as didn’t want the money to be wasted. Person he passed on to got ID checked and obviously got sussed. No home games until Spring for him. Very harsh but that’s the rules.

Do think maybe first offence is a big points reduction rather than being banned from home games.

As you say, thems the rules, and the club has gone out of its way to point out what can happen. Whether we like the rules or not we were warned!

 

[Milano]

So is setting someone with 300 LPs to zero the same punishment as setting someone with 50LPs to zero?

I’m afraid the punishment is not for you to “get”. It’s what the club deem appropriate.

Yes. Why? Because this is all about someone keeping their loyalty points in the top tier or two.
Why else would you purchase a ticket for an away game you had no intention of attending?
Someone on 50 points isn’t going to be in that position as at 50 points it’s essentially gone to all ST or lower in the sales window, so someone wanting to go would just buy their own rather than take someone elses. Unless said someone wasn’t a member or worst was banned from attending, in which case you don’t want the purchaser to be able to do it again.
For someone on 300+ points the risk of going to zero would make most think twice.

 

[e77]

In this instance I have sympathy for the man because of what his son did but I agree with the club's stance on this. People jumping the queue and getting tickets from supporters who harvest the points actually makes away games more of a closed shop. Will take the club's word about anti-social behaviour being on the increase, although I believe that has happened across the game since the return from lockdown.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Most of the people I regularly attend with now, were people who used my mums season ticket at withdean and first years at the Amex, and I'd ask at School/College if they fancied it, they're all season ticket holders now.

Isn't that an argument against the season ticket sharing charge, rather than the away ticket system?
I'd like to think we're more appealing to children now than when we were at Withdean.

 

[jackalbion]

The full list of sanctions, the process for appealing and club policies on this are layed out in the "Club Charter". IMO they are for ticketing issues - far too harsh, but for behaviour issues - perhaps ok. i also think the club could do more in outlining what its appeal process actually is - how do you represent yourself etc - and be more transparent about it. (they should formally publish numbers of sanctions issued , perhaps monthly, status - how many overturned ? - etc on a regular basis for example although tbf Barber does a bit of that ad hoc in the programme , in interviews etc. ) https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/club/club/club-charter

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It appears hell has frozen over and I do agree with you on this, I think the punishment is too harsh for this, but the rest of the issues the punishment seems fair (except drunkeness, surely half the stadium would be banned). It does seem the club are going particularly hard on this issue though, with the buying away fans home tickets ban not being enforced. I don't think either of these should be a problem.

 

[Mellotron]

I'd question that statement, assuming we're talking about 'customers'. Just looking around the North Stand, there's been a massive recent influx of foreign kids clearly loving their EPL fix at the Amex. Am even starting to recognise by sight a small number of them who sit near me whenever they can lay their hands on tickets. It's a brilliant development IMHO

Obviously I can only go on my own and others' experiences. Sure, we will get more fans as success comes, that's inevitable.

However I personally/jointly with others contributed to probably 5-6 converts from "one game a season" to fully fledged STHs, 1 of whom has brought 3 with them - so we're talking thousands of pounds of new income streams to the club.

Also - as mentioned earlier, without wishing to bang on about it - one of said converts has potentially been very valuable to the club from a marketing standpoint.

 

[Justice]

I keep reading it’s not fair if the son could buy another ticket for his girlfriend what was stopping another fan with points? Arsenal away three guest tickets were available what’s the difference? The club has no idea who was attending that game.

 

[Dave the OAP]

If only he had been a 1901 member none of this would have happened and he would still be as ‘loyal’ in the eyes of the club as before…

Oooooh. Tell all!

 

[jackalbion]

Isn't that an argument against the season ticket sharing charge, rather than the away ticket system?
I'd like to think we're more appealing to children now than when we were at Withdean.

I think its half and half, yes the home sharing scheme needs to be changed, but I think in the instance of the sharing the ticket for away games it also comes into play. For example one of my group genuinely could not make Wolves after the train strikes (as he needed to be in Manchester for a gig afterwards). That seat went empty as there was no way of transferring it back to the club to re purchase, it went to general sale. I have a friend who lives in Brum who could have easily used it, if I gave it to him it would inconvinience no one.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

The rule should be .....

"If you want to pass on a ticket, to someone in your friends and family, you can, however you're entirely responsible for their behaviour and you'll be subject to disciplinary action for whatever they do"

Sorry, but banning people for 10 games when nothing has been done wrong is bollocks. Yes it's a rule and it's been publicised. But it's bollocks and Barber needs to stop acting like he's some sort of god

 

[timbha]

The rule should be .....

"If you want to pass on a ticket, to someone in your friends and family, you can, however you're entirely responsible for their behaviour and you'll be subject to disciplinary action for whatever they do"

Sorry, but banning people for 10 games when nothing has been done wrong is bollocks. Yes it's a rule and it's been publicised. But it's bollocks and Barber needs to stop acting like he's some sort of god

You’ll certainly be responsible for their queue jumping!!

 

[chaileyjem]

I think its half and half, yes the home sharing scheme needs to be changed, but I think in the instance of the sharing the ticket for away games it also comes into play. For example one of my group genuinely could not make Wolves after the train strikes (as he needed to be in Manchester for a gig afterwards). That seat went empty as there was no way of transferring it back to the club to re purchase, it went to general sale. I have a friend who lives in Brum who could have easily used it, if I gave it to him it would inconvinience no one.

And agreed also. I think the ability to do something with your ticket if there are unforeseen issues due to travel, illness, Covid, strikes ( be it either sharing, refunds, ) must be something the club can devise/manage/ consider. Probably more digital ticketing away will help there.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I think its half and half, yes the home sharing scheme needs to be changed, but I think in the instance of the sharing the ticket for away games it also comes into play. For example one of my group genuinely could not make Wolves after the train strikes (as he needed to be in Manchester for a gig afterwards). That seat went empty as there was no way of transferring it back to the club to re purchase, it went to general sale. I have a friend who lives in Brum who could have easily used it, if I gave it to him it would inconvinience no one.

It is crap that it's not easier to do something with an away ticket if it turns out you can't go, although I can understand why the club might be less than keen on them being given out to random people who happen to live nearby.
I had that problem last season with the game at Anfield, when it turned out I'd doubled booked myself and also promised my uncle I'd go to see Darlington play with him (he's a season ticket holder). As it happened, I then came down with covid symptoms so did neither of those things.
I will neither confirm nor deny what may or may not have happened with that ticket for our game at Anfield.