[Albion] Albion Fans vs Ticket Window ****Official Bun Fight Thread****

[Icy Gull]

When's the cut off in your ideal world ? The war years literally lost the club a generation of supporters - which they're now recovering with new kids on the block.

I suggest most of those who abandoned the club in the war years (who are still alive and fit) are back now things are rosey again. I know a few of them

 

[The Colonel]

It's BHAFC away to Ajax, one of the great clubs of world football and four-time European champions in one of the iconic stadiums of Europe. And there are only 2,600 tickets. Of course lots of people will be disappointed.

But "change the loyalty system" is only ever shouted by those who miss out. The system is fair. It rewards a medium to long-term record of support while not doing so to an extent that would create a closed shop. Everybody can make it to the top 2,600 if they put in the time and effort as most away games dont sell out in Tier 1, 2 or even 3. If you're disappointed at missing out on Ajax, make sure you've got tickets for Man City and Everton and others to ensure you're in Tier 1 for Madrid, Milan, Paris or wherever else we're going in February.

 

[Nicks]

My question would be, How many on here in the Tier 2 bracket are going to Marseille and not just wanting to do this game ?
Obviously the club has looked at who has registered for this game and worked out the level of loyalty points to suit the numbers .
I'm sure if more Tier 1 people had registered for this game it would have been a bun fight at that level.
Hence for the Athens away jolly the points required are even higher.
I'm lucky enough to have enough points to do all three games but getting those points has involved a lot of expense and travelling for home and away games for the last forty plus years.

 

[Ike and Tina Burner]

Through my vale of tears I can probably say the club got this more or less right. It was never going to completely fair. On a related note does anybody know of any good sports bars in Amsterdam?

 

[Bozza]

My question would be, How many on here in the Tier 2 bracket are going to Marseille and not just wanting to do this game ?
Obviously the club has looked at who has registered for this game and worked out the level of loyalty points to suit the numbers .
I'm sure if more Tier 1 people had registered for this game it would have been a bun fight at that level.
Hence for the Athens away jolly the points required are even higher.
I'm lucky enough to have enough points to do all three games but getting those points has involved a lot of expense and travelling for home and away games for the last forty plus years.

Tier 1 is only ever a bunfight to decide which seat you'll get, it's never a bunfight to see if you'll actually get one.

The points level is intentionally set so that if you are in Tier 1, you are guaranteed a seat if you want one.

If more people with high points levels had registered then the Tier 1 point cut-off would have been a bit higher.

The Athens Tier 1 cutoff is set higher because it's a smaller ground so we have fewer tickets.

 

[jackalbion]

It might not be what it's about for the vast majority of people, but sadly that's the reality of a European trip to watch football. Ajax has also got some heavy restrictions, as will AEK. I'm not sure what people are expecting.

I do find it odd that people just seem to think Ajax is going to be a jolly, they literally tried to burn their own stadium down last week.

 

[pb21]

I do think that the Tier 2 points could have been set higher, maybe 240 or so,

 

[Falmer Flutter ©]

I’ve watched football all over Europe and never had a problem blending in so not sure I agree with that. 15-20+ countries without working it out. Arrangements in Marseille did not appeal.

I don't think the Marseille arrangements appeal to anyone, but sadly that's the price of seeing your team away in European competition. Ajax restrictions are very similar, minus the being bussed to the ground. It's not unique to us, just look at AEK at the Amex the other week.

 

[Change at Barnham]

Demand for AEK will be a lot lower than for Ajax...

- More expensive to get to and/or requiring more time away from home
- Many of those who just wanted to see Albion play in Europe once anywhere/any time will have done that.
- We could be Played 2, Lost 2 by then, so some may be initially put off attending what could be a dead game for us (hopefully not)

Although there will only be about 1600 tickets available for Athens compared to Ajax's 2600.
So it's still going to be a mad scramble for the same group of Tier 2 applicants.

 

[dwayne]

I do find it odd that people just seem to think Ajax is going to be a jolly, they literally tried to burn their own stadium down last week.

Think it will be fine. This was Vs their biggest rivals. They have big respect for epl so will not expect to win. In addition the corrupt guy within their club has been fired.

 

[sully]

I suggest most of those who abandoned the club in the war years (who are still alive and fit) are back now things are rosey again. I know a few of them

The problem is that it might look like that applies to someone in my position. The "war years" coincided with me getting married to a non-football supporter and having kids. I still managed to go to a few games in Gillingham and took my kids when I could, including on marches.

I was still involved in all the actions that took place when I could. I was working in London back then, so went to a couple of "events" like the flowers from all clubs during my lunch breaks. I also argued the toss with Septicman on the Argus forum and got Lewes Council to remove some misleading photos from their website.

I then moved to Cornwall for a couple of years and openly cried at my desk when I saw Jack Straw's photos of the first steelwork of the East stand erected.

However, in your eyes, it might look like I'm one of those who "abandoned" and have come back. I'm sure many my age will have also been away for those years for similar rasons, whether the team was doing well or not. There are some going through that cycle now who are sadly missing a chunk of this wonderful time to be an Albion fan.

The points system rewards those who go currently. I'm ok with that. I can't see how anything taking into account what we did 20 years ago would make the slightest difference, apart from to a few people who don't go to as many games now as they used to.

Oh, and the good news (for me) is that my new wife is into football and is also going to be in the crowd at Ajax.

 

[um bongo molongo]

So it’s definitely not POTG then?

 

[Colonel Mustard]

To be fair I think the club/police put a lot of people off. Marseille is not much harder to get to than Amsterdam, it’s a cheaper night out too. Had we drawn Toulouse it would have sold out.

The comments on Marseille overlooks the point that many people preregistered but then didn't go on to purchase a ticket

I pre-registered for Marseille but decided not to buy a ticket when I had the chance. I read the club's warnings about places to avoid and mandatory travel arrangements and decided I didn’t want that experience. It’s not so much a fear of being attacked but the inhumanity of being bussed around under duress, and being treated like a wild animal. (Tip to the authorities: it’s usually being treated badly that encourages people to behave badly.) Football for me should be a pleasure, and this sounds anything but. I’ve booked travel and accommodation for Athens and will hope to get a ticket though I’m in Tier 2. No doubt there’ll be restrictions in place there too but I'm guessing they won’t be as severe as Marseille sound.

 

[Mr Bridger]

It is indeed. I'm not moaning, I got a ticket. But I do think the random queuing system was fairer.

Or better still, let's have an actual queue down Queens Road, and the earlier you get there, the further towards the front of the queue you are. That will test people's loyalty.

Certainly would as not all Brighton fans live in Brighton.
It has made me chuckle at some saying they went to Gillingham, 130 mile round trip were more loyal etc, well it was 250 mile round trip for me. A ‘home’ game for me now is 280 mile round trip and I know there’s fans who regularly go who live further away, so should they be first on the list for loyalty?
You’ll never please everyone, so I think the club got this right.

 

[trueblue]

I don't think the Marseille arrangements appeal to anyone, but sadly that's the price of seeing your team away in European competition. Ajax restrictions are very similar, minus the being bussed to the ground. It's not unique to us, just look at AEK at the Amex the other week.

In other words, totally different experience. As it would be almost everywhere except Marseille. You know best I’m sure. I’ve only watched matches in France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Latvia, Russia, Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, Croatia, Belgium, Hungary, Bulgaria, mainland Italy, Sicily, Greece, Romania, Austria, Switzerland, Ukraine and Norway so I don’t really know what the European experience is like.

 

[ozzygull]

Certainly would as not all Brighton fans live in Brighton.
It has made me chuckle at some saying they went to Gillingham, 130 mile round trip were more loyal etc, well it was 250 mile round trip for me. A ‘home’ game for me now is 280 mile round trip and I know there’s fans who regularly go who live further away, so should they be first on the list for loyalty?
You’ll never please everyone, so I think the club got this right.

Every home game is a 160 mile round trip. can't pursuade my husband to move to Brighton.

 

[GeorgeKane5]

It's BHAFC away to Ajax, one of the great clubs of world football football and four-time European champions in one of the iconic stadiums of Europe. And there are only 2,600 tickets. Of course lots of people will be disappointed.

But "change the loyalty system" is only ever shouted by those who miss out. The system is fair. It rewards a medium to long-term record of support while not doing so to an extent that would create a closed shop. Everybody can make it to the top 2,600 if they put in the time and effort as most away games dont sell out in Tier 1, 2 or even 3. If you're disappointed at missing out on Ajax, make sure you've got tickets for Man City and Everton and others to ensure you're in Tier 1 for Madrid, Milan, Paris or wherever else we're going in February.

Well said.

The system works for all other domestic fixtures. It worked for Marseille in that everyone had a fair opportunity to grab themselves a ticket, and I'm sure those who want an Athens ticket will have a pretty good chance at one too. Ajax is an exception in that the demand is sky-high & whichever way round the club organise a sale, they can never meet that demand. That's not on the club having a broken system.

 

[The Grockle]

I get the disappointment of missing out on such an important match in our history but there's no fairer way to allocate tickets than the loyalty point system.


There's probably plenty of fans who have 10 times the points I have who have followed the club for a fraction of the time but they should always have priority over me because they have put the miles and expense in when I haven't.

 

[Live by the sea]

Got a pair , refreshed at 9am then let me buy immediately. Probably just lucky I picked a pair at the side so not the first obvious pair to click on !

 

[Birdie Boy]

OK then, how about someone who's had a ST since we got promoted into the PL... anyway, as I've said previously it's tongue-in-cheek, I know where I stand as an inferior fan to the rest of you gold standard types.

Just don't like seeing glory-hunters being awarded more points to those who went through the war years.

Not everyone is a glory hunter. My kids were young at Withdean but I took them to the odd game. Amex opened and I joined all 3 up as STHs. One is still a STH and has missed 1 away game this season. Is he a glory hunter? Should he have less points as he didn't see the war years?