[Albion] Away Ticket Allocation - Your Thoughts

[el punal]

I recently had a discussion with an old friend of mine, who happens to be an Albion + member. The point of our chat was that he found it nigh on impossible to be able to get a ticket for an Albion away fixture. This, obviously down to him not being a season ticket holder and therefore way down the pecking order for loyalty points.

I pointed out to him that the club, quite rightly in my opinion, rewarded those fans that showed the most commitment and loyalty in supporting the Albion - by paying for a season ticket and following the team up and down the country. My friend agreed with this strategy but nonetheless felt he was penalised as he was never going to be able to earn enough points to get on the first rung of the ladder.

His suggestion, and I can see his point, is that the club should set aside a nominal amount of away tickets, say 10%, to be allocated to Albion + members wishing to go to an away fixture who otherwise would not be able to. This process would be done by those wanting a ticket entering a ballot to decide the lucky winners. This sounded reasonable to me but would you be for or against this proposal?

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Which away games is he trying to go to?
If he's not willing to travel north of Tottenham it might be a struggle, but plenty of games go to members.

 

[prawnsarnies]

Yes against it 100%.

 

[Is it PotG?]

10% of eligible fans would miss out.

If the tickets were Burnley, Sheff Utd, Everton etc then maybe.

 

[dazzer6666]

‘Nigh on impossible’……really ? Tell him he can go online and buy one right this minute.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I recently had a discussion with an old friend of mine, who happens to be an Albion + member. The point of our chat was that he found it nigh on impossible to be able to get a ticket for an Albion away fixture. This, obviously down to him not being a season ticket holder and therefore way down the pecking order for loyalty points.

I pointed out to him that the club, quite rightly in my opinion, rewarded those fans that showed the most commitment and loyalty in supporting the Albion - by paying for a season ticket and following the team up and down the country. My friend agreed with this strategy but nonetheless felt he was penalised as he was never going to be able to earn enough points to get on the first rung of the ladder.

His suggestion, and I can see his point, is that the club should set aside a nominal amount of away tickets, say 10%, to be allocated to Albion + members wishing to go to an away fixture who otherwise would not be able to. This process would be done by those wanting a ticket entering a ballot to decide the lucky winners. This sounded reasonable to me but would you be for or against this proposal?

A mate who posts on here from time to time is a member but not an STH. He can do most but not all aways.

I don’t agree with your idea at all but there is an anomaly in the system. You already get lots of loyalty points for being an STH so then restricting it to “season ticket holders with ‘N’ points and above” seems to be double counting. Could just do it on points and that’s it?

Ultimately it’s Tony’s system though and it works well for club and fans.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Against.
The system is fine, see @Sid and the Sharknados post

 

[Falmer Flutter ©]

Nonsense. Absolutely loads of away games this season have gone to Members+. I take it he's going to Burnley?

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

IIRC when I was an England away member about 20 years ago i believe there was a similar scheme in place that rewarded the “Top Cappers” but did leave a small amount for lower tiers regardless of how small the allocation was although I could be wrong.

On a purely selfish point of view I like the system now as, after a hiatus of not travelling away, the boy and I started again just over two years ago we’ve put the miles in as they say and subsequently managed to secure tickets for the smaller allocations I.e Palace, Athens and for the first time Brentford by scraping up a pair of the last few left. Missing out on Luton and Bournemouth is something we accept gracefully.

I genuinely sympathise with non ST holders as I know a lot that are blue and white to the core but don’t have a ST for numerous personal reasons,
However with 20,000 + ST holders and away allocations between 1500 - 3000 it’ll be impossible to satisfy those that never miss a match home and away and those that may well be time served Albion fans that served the club well during the Goldstone/Withdean days whose circumstances have now changed.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Nonsense. Absolutely loads of away games this season have gone to Members+. I take it he's going to Burnley?

Well, yes. Mrs PWK is a member and she makes the odd appearance at an away match, it may well be at the arse end of the country but proof an away match is not impossible for someone like her who fits the description of the fan in the last three lines of my previous post.

 

[Wozza]

100% against. Next.

 

[studio150]

Burnley away is available to anyone with a purchase history, so not being able to get a ticket is absolute rubbish.

Maybe wrong but just smacks of wanting a ticket for attractive away games, so why should those that have attended away games and made an investment in a season ticket miss out for some Albion members to attend an attractive game.

So let;s assume we had got past Roma and reached the final in Dublin, 10% of our limited allocation for an historic game would be held back for some fans who have been to far fewer games. Madness

As others have said 100% against this idea.

 

[Siney]

impossible? He can literally go and buy an away ticket right now as an Albion+ member.

 

[Charles 'Charley' Charles]

As above, 100% against this, Mrs Charles is a MA+ member and done several away games this season with more to come. It’s only London, Luton & Bournemouth that she’s been unable to attend. So there is still plenty of scope to be able to go to away games.

 

[el punal]

A mate who posts on here from time to time is a member but not an STH. He can do most but not all aways.

I don’t agree with your idea at all but there is an anomaly in the system. You already get lots of loyalty points for being an STH so then restricting it to “season ticket holders with ‘N’ points and above” seems to be double counting. Could just do it on points and that’s it?

Ultimately it’s Tony’s system though and it works well for club and fans.

It was NOT my idea but my friend’s, I’m just putting it out there. Personally, I’m happy with the current system but then I’m an ST holder with a wodge of loyalty points.

 

[BNthree]

As loads have pointed out your friend is very mistaken and it isn’t nigh on impossible for a MyA+ member to do aways. Admittedly maybe not the aways they’d like to do but even as a STH I can’t do the aways I’d like to.

 

[Beach Hut]

It was NOT my idea but my friend’s, I’m just putting it out there. Personally, I’m happy with the current system but then I’m an ST holder with a wodge of loyalty points.

Maybe you friend wants to pick and chose nearer away games, as stated is he going to Burnley as plenty of ticks available plus he would gain 15 points to help him

 

[Guinness Boy]

It was NOT my idea but my friend’s, I’m just putting it out there. Personally, I’m happy with the current system but then I’m an ST holder with a wodge of loyalty points.

That makes it easier then. His idea benefits him. No wonder he had it.

 

[London Irish]

There’s zero chance the club will do this so all moot anyway

 

[Giraffe]

I think the system is pretty close to perfect as it is. It rewards loyalty. What can be fairer than that?