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A cautionary ticket tale from Arsenal...scary









happypig

Staring at the rude boys
May 23, 2009
8,184
Eastbourne
"I received some advice from a duty solicitor over the phone before the interview. She told me honesty would be the best policy as there was no profit involved and that I might get a more lenient outcome further down the line if I did not attempt to play legal games. She even advised me that having a solicitor in attendance at the interview could possibly make things worse."

That's shockingly bad advice. Having a solicitor present at interview is a legal right and will never prejudice a case or affect the outcome. Any court that considered the solicitor's presence as part of the sentencing process would leave itself open to appeal.
 


PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 15, 2004
19,642
Hurst Green
"I received some advice from a duty solicitor over the phone before the interview. She told me honesty would be the best policy as there was no profit involved and that I might get a more lenient outcome further down the line if I did not attempt to play legal games. She even advised me that having a solicitor in attendance at the interview could possibly make things worse."

That's shockingly bad advice. Having a solicitor present at interview is a legal right and will never prejudice a case or affect the outcome. Any court that considered the solicitor's presence as part of the sentencing process would leave itself open to appeal.

Sounds like the bint did'nt want to get out of bed and attend.
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,841
Uffern
Sounds like the bint did'nt want to get out of bed and attend.

I doubt it. Duty solicitors generally have too many cases on the go and she probably thought that this one would be a waste of time. It is bad advice though.

It would be interesting to see how Brighton approach this. When I attended my Amex open day (or whatever they were called), I asked Ken Brown this very question. His answer was that as long it wasn't used to let in troublemakers, the club would turn a blind eye to it.
 




beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,031
the irony of course is the real tout is dealing his tickets more subtly in the pub round the corner, or further afield, with no police nearby to swoop.
 


hoveboyslim

Well-known member
Feb 7, 2004
573
Hove
That is madness! I'm pleased our club has a sensible approach to this. I've been to the club shop a few times and had my father's ticket changed from a Senior Citizen to a standard ticket (for a small fee).
 


Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
On a separate point, if we ARE seriously considering an official ticket exchange, it does sound like the Arsenal model is the one I would expect. Only get payback if the seat is re-sold, commission taken by club, etc.

However, I would be very disappointed if we followed suit on the repayment terms described. It sounds as if you only get the money back when you renew your season ticket (or not). Does that mean if you resold tickets on the official exchange in August, you'd have to wait until April for the cash? Should be at end of each month at most.
 




hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
62,771
Chandlers Ford
On a separate point, if we ARE seriously considering an official ticket exchange, it does sound like the Arsenal model is the one I would expect. Only get payback if the seat is re-sold, commission taken by club, etc.

However, I would be very disappointed if we followed suit on the repayment terms described. It sounds as if you only get the money back when you renew your season ticket (or not). Does that mean if you resold tickets on the official exchange in August, you'd have to wait until April for the cash? Should be at end of each month at most.

Directly onto your ST card, to spend on pies and ale.
 


Lady Whistledown

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
47,645
How bizarre. I can't see how they could possibly justify arresting him if the circumstances are as documented. Interview him at a later stage with his consent, perhaps, if they genuinely suspect an offence, but to arrest him seems neither proportionate nor justifiable.
 


Dirk Gently

New member
Dec 27, 2011
273
Legally, they're quite right.

The answer, of course, is to transact all such business behind closed doors and not in the street in full view of the plod.

From what I know of this, clubs in the Football League know this goes on and are quite happy with it - as long as no-one is making a profit from it. They'd much rather grow the support and sell programmes and catering etc than have empty seats. But that only applies to ad-hoc, private and occasional reuse of tickets. Anyone doing it a lot or as a business is likely to get jumped on. To me, that's a good, common sense way to deal with it.
 




Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,530
The arse end of Hangleton
How bizarre. I can't see how they could possibly justify arresting him if the circumstances are as documented. Interview him at a later stage with his consent, perhaps, if they genuinely suspect an offence, but to arrest him seems neither proportionate nor justifiable.

Especially when you consider News International employees were allowed to make appointments to be arrested - how civil !
 


Storer 68

New member
Apr 19, 2011
2,827
I think this paragraph is the rather damming one in this case. However, when Graham turned up to collect the ticket from me before the Milan game, he gave me the cash for it, and from nowhere, the police swooped. Before I had even given him the ticket. I was arrested for ticket touting.

Now, had it just been a straight giving a ticket , they probably wouldn't have noticed, n=but money changing hands is a transaction............. Lesson - hand the ticket over away from the stadium
 


Dirk Gently

New member
Dec 27, 2011
273
How bizarre. I can't see how they could possibly justify arresting him if the circumstances are as documented. Interview him at a later stage with his consent, perhaps, if they genuinely suspect an offence, but to arrest him seems neither proportionate nor justifiable.

Surely most supporters would applaud the arrest of ticket touts? How were the police to know that someone accepting a sum of cash and handing over a ticket outside a football ground wasn't a tout? Especially when the law says that ANY sale of football tickets except through authorised channels is illegal?

So I don't condemn the police on this one - they should do more about touting, and genuine supporters who want to recycle tickets to mates without making a profit should have the common sense to do it behind closed doors.
 




Was not Was

Loitering with intent
Jul 31, 2003
1,607
Lesson - hand the ticket over away from the stadium

This is my reading of the story. Whatever the rights and wrongs, it's only if you're exchanging cash in the vicinity of the stadium that the police would have even the slightest inkling (or justification) to (as it says in the blog) swoop.

BTW good to see usage of the word 'swoop' not preceeded by 'Seagulls'.
 


Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
Surely most supporters would applaud the arrest of ticket touts? How were the police to know that someone accepting a sum of cash and handing over a ticket outside a football ground wasn't a tout? Especially when the law says that ANY sale of football tickets except through authorised channels is illegal?

So I don't condemn the police on this one - they should do more about touting, and genuine supporters who want to recycle tickets to mates without making a profit should have the common sense to do it behind closed doors.

I think you are largely correct, to be on the safe side - although we have all done this innocently enough. And for a REAL tout, the chances are they would have more tickets/cash on them. Plus this could have been dismissed by the police with a couple of phone calls, I imagine. They must get a feel for this kind of thing.
 




The Optimist

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Apr 6, 2008
2,778
Lewisham
I quite often buy four or five tickets for away games on behalf of family and friends. One friend I sometimes buy a ticket for lives up north and he comes along if we're away somewhere near where he lives. As we often meet at the ground this is when he gives me the cash for his ticket. As the ticket was purchased from the club in his name is this touting?
 




Mellor 3 Ward 4

Well-known member
Jul 27, 2004
10,280
saaf of the water
Slightly OT, it is about time we had a Ticket Exchange.

Tomorrow is 'Sold Out' - and yet again there will be several hundred empty seats.

Lost reveunue for the club, and if a Ticket Exchange WAS in place, it might encourage those present STH who are wavering about renewing to get one as tey know they could recoup some of their money for games they can't attend.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,429
Location Location
I think this paragraph is the rather damming one in this case. However, when Graham turned up to collect the ticket from me before the Milan game, he gave me the cash for it, and from nowhere, the police swooped. Before I had even given him the ticket. I was arrested for ticket touting.

Now, had it just been a straight giving a ticket , they probably wouldn't have noticed, n=but money changing hands is a transaction............. Lesson - hand the ticket over away from the stadium

Exactly.

Anyone who has ever watched The Wire would KNOW that exchanging the cash and the goods at the same time is a complete no-no. Pay first, then go and collect.
 


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