8000 odd tonight - fans protesting with their feet?

[Guinness Boy]

But the additional cost on the ticket would have more than cancelled them out. I went because it cost £12 (+£1 booking fee), once it had gone to £15 (£16 with booking fee) I probably wouldn't have bothered. £25 for me and my son for A CC cup game against Newport isn't worth it.

There was no travel voucher though. I paid £12 plus a £1.50 booking fee because the club website refused to accept the card belonging to the account my season ticket comes from (same card worked over the phone!). Then I paid another £3.30 return on the train meaning total outlay was £16.80, exactly what you quote as unacceptable. I'm not particularly moaning - simply pointing out for many that the cost was exactly what you said was unacceptable. Unless you mean £16 BEFORE the added extras?

 

[TheMajor]

Trains were jammed packed last night - will Club change of policy on bus travel force more onto trains ? If so Saturday will be a nightmare !

 

[mystery_man]

Still 3k better than you managed in the same stage of the competition against Championship opposition and only 2k lower than your midweek league game against Bristol City a few seasons ago.

Real crowd embarrassment will come to me when we cannot manage to sell 16k season tickets for the Prem.

It's freakin scary that you know the exact dates and gates for Palace matches. Do you never feel embarrassed by yourself?

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Trains were jammed packed last night - will Club change of policy on bus travel force more onto trains ? If so Saturday will be a nightmare !

Really ? I found the trains the easiest I have ever had for an evening game. Train to Falmer which arrived at 6.45 was half empty and I was on a train within 5 minutes of leaving and back in Eastbourne under 45 minutes after leaving. Train from Falmer back to Lewes wasnt jam-packed either, was standing but seats were still free with plenty of standing space.

It's freakin scary that you know the exact dates and gates for Palace matches. Do you never feel embarrassed by yourself?

To be fair, Google isnt exactly hard to use.

 

[mystery_man]

Really ? I found the trains the easiest I have ever had for an evening game. Train to Falmer which arrived at 6.45 was half empty and I was on a train within 5 minutes of leaving and back in Eastbourne under 45 minutes after leaving. Train from Falmer back to Lewes wasnt jam-packed either, was standing but seats were still free with plenty of standing space.



To be fair, Google isnt exactly hard to use.

Did you leave after the fial whistle though?

 

[fat old seagull]

Although I agree no P&P is not good public relations, and will certainly have affected the turnout. Surely it's much more to do with the importance of the game. Okay we lost with a weakened team, whilst of course they were up for it. I personally don't give a damn for the Carling Cup, less games to play with a small squad less likelyhood of injuries and players out for the real bread and butter games. But prob not good for team morale.

 

[Postman Pat]

There was no travel voucher though. I paid £12 plus a £1.50 booking fee because the club website refused to accept the card belonging to the account my season ticket comes from (same card worked over the phone!). Then I paid another £3.30 return on the train meaning total outlay was £16.80, exactly what you quote as unacceptable. I'm not particularly moaning - simply pointing out for many that the cost was exactly what you said was unacceptable. Unless you mean £16 BEFORE the added extras?

The "unacceptable" figure is different for each person. I live close to the ground so I can walk it, my personal view was that I wouldn't have paid £16 for that game, others will pay more others not.

Strange you say that about your card, mine wouldn't work either, had to use the wifes.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Did you leave after the fial whistle though?

No, simply because I started work at 4AM this morning - I planned to stay as late as possible anyway !!

Of course, there was a mass exodus though.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Because they would have to go all the way to the Amex to buy tickets? If they were on sale at the QR shop, more would have been sold to passing students.

Closing the queens road ticket office ranks as the stupidest thing Paul B****r has done to date.

They would have to sell what, 5 tickets a day, to cover one persons wages at the shop. Stupid, short-minded decision.

The ticket office in Queens Road was a legacy from the days at Withdean. Although they moved premises from one side of the road to the other I still think the club's intention was to close the ticket office side down and concentrate on a shop selling Albion merchandise. The club are steering fans towards buying tickets online or by phone as the cheapest options.

 

[Smeagull]

Because they would have to go all the way to the Amex to buy tickets? If they were on sale at the QR shop, more would have been sold to passing students.

Closing the queens road ticket office ranks as the stupidest thing Paul B****r has done to date.

They would have to sell what, 5 tickets a day, to cover one persons wages at the shop. Stupid, short-minded decision.

This. How will any tourists in Brighton for the day or weekend buy a ticket? By going all the way to the Amex? I doubt it. By faffing about setting up a fan number and getting a ticket online? I doubt it.

I didn't know the ticket office had been closed until I went to buy tickets in the QR shop for the Villareal game. Even though there were three members of staff just stood there not doing anything, they weren't able to sell me a ticket.

I work in town and would often go in there on my lunch break to upgrade my kids ticket to an adult one (which I'll now have to spend 20 minutes on the phone doing) or to purchase tickets for cup games and there would generally be a queue. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Smeagull]

The ticket office in Queens Road was a legacy from the days at Withdean. Although they moved premises from one side of the road to the other I still think the club's intention was to close the ticket office side down and concentrate on a shop selling Albion merchandise. The club are steering fans towards buying tickets online or by phone as the cheapest options.

Yes but why when there are staff already in the shop? Surely the staff on the checkouts can sell tickets too?

A couple of years ago I went to Valencia and strolled into their club shop and got tickets for a champions league game no problem and it's probably the same in most city's in the UK and abroad.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Yes but why when there are staff already in the shop? Surely the staff on the checkouts can sell tickets too?

A couple of years ago I went to Valencia and strolled into their club shop and got tickets for a champions league game no problem and it's probably the same in most city's in the UK and abroad.

Systems are different.....and seeing as i have had nothing but problems with the Queens Road store, i doubt their staff would be able to even work it.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Yes but why when there are staff already in the shop? Surely the staff on the checkouts can sell tickets too?

A couple of years ago I went to Valencia and strolled into their club shop and got tickets for a champions league game no problem and it's probably the same in most city's in the UK and abroad.

When I've been into the Queens Road ticket office during the Withdean years they always had dedicated ticket office employees dealing with the ticket sales (certainly the 3 ladies knew what they were doing) and when it moved across the road the only person I had any confidence in working behind the desk was Scottish Paul. Ringing up a sale on a till is entirely different to selling match tickets.

 

[Smeagull]

When I've been into the Queens Road ticket office during the Withdean years they always had dedicated ticket office employees dealing with the ticket sales (certainly the 3 ladies knew what they were doing) and when it moved across the road the only person I had any confidence in working behind the desk was Scottish Paul. Ringing up a sale on a till is entirely different to selling match tickets.

Yes but there's no reason a member of staff can't be trained to do both.

 

[Giraffe]

I wonder if they included all the 1901 in the attendence, if so crowd was probably about 6000, still should be 28000 on Saturday.

Actually they include all of the 1901 whether there or not. It's tickets bought, so 2600 of the 1901 included for every match whether the seat is filled or not.

 

[Brovion]

This. How will any tourists in Brighton for the day or weekend buy a ticket? By going all the way to the Amex? I doubt it. By faffing about setting up a fan number and getting a ticket online? I doubt it.

I didn't know the ticket office had been closed until I went to buy tickets in the QR shop for the Villareal game. Even though there were three members of staff just stood there not doing anything, they weren't able to sell me a ticket.

I work in town and would often go in there on my lunch break to upgrade my kids ticket to an adult one (which I'll now have to spend 20 minutes on the phone doing) or to purchase tickets for cup games and there would generally be a queue. Doesn't make sense to me.

I hear what you're saying but most games are League games and most tickets have already been sold (to STHs). Then when 'single match' tickets go on sale they go on sale first to the Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Blue, White, Paper, etc members, then people with x number of Loyalty points, then people on the club's DB with a purchase history. Finally the gates are metaphorically thrown open to all and sundry.

Consequently I'm guessing that the reasoning is that so few single tickets will be sold to 'unknown' purchasers who turn up at the shop that it isn't worth the effort in training anyone up to sell tickets. (Maybe also saving paying another location licence for the ticketing software). Is this another short-term cost-cutting measure with long-term implications? Possibly.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Yes but there's no reason a member of staff can't be trained to do both.

In an ideal world that would happen but the club have identified where they can make savings. Get into the Premier League and perhaps the club will re-evaluate.

 

[Smeagull]

Fair enough. I know the club needs to save money but right now it seems that we're paying more money for a worse experience. I'm not just talking about the ticket office, but just look at the threads on here at the moment, 1901, the caterers, ticketing etc. I think that Bovian's right, all this short term cost cutting will have long term implications.

Obviously if we get into the premier league none of this will be an issue but I don't see it happening this season.

My experience so far this season hasn't been great (and I've only been to one friendly!) but I'm still dead excited about getting back to my seat on Saturday.

 

[Eagle Slayer]

Out of interest how many fans did Newport bring with them ?

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

Out of interest how many fans did Newport bring with them ?

493