[Albion] Away Ticket Allocation - Your Thoughts

[jackalbion]

I'm Albion+ and do I'd say 75% of aways - I have about 280 points because of this and accept that I cannot do Bournemouth, fulham, brentford but until this season could stilll do the big london games (Europe obviously changed away attendances for points).

Your friend unfortunately has come up with a solution for a problem that does not exist, but he assumes does.

My issue is not being able to get a season ticket to actually transfer my member points into anything actually meaningful.

Any system that restricts the number of games you can attend is good for everyone . Your Whitehawk loyalty points have just started though.

 

[Bozza]

Have done as a year one season ticket holder for Chelsea
Arsenal
Everton
Liverpool
Burnley
All 3 cup games and could of got all 4 euro away ties if I wanted too

That highlights my point above - STHs have a massive advantage over non-STH because they always get first dibs. A new STH who has never been away before has higher priority than a non-STH who attends every away game that reaches a members sales window.

 

[jackalbion]

All for it personally. Yes 10% of eligible people will miss out if they aren't quick enough to buy. You're talking about 300 people at most. I could live with that, it would be a great way for new fans to get to go to some of our more glamourous away games, and help get them hooked properly.

But whats the point in having a ballot if it goes down to members anyway? So many people say its impossible to get tickets for the glamour games, but Arsenal last season I'm pretty sure went to members, I think people just have this pretence that tickets are impossible to get.

 

[Is it PotG?]

STILL no Liverpool / Brentford points, what gives?

 

[jackalbion]

Whilst broadly agreeing with the general view of "do the hard yards to get to the less attractive games", I do retain some sympathy.

The system is heavily-weighted towards STH (and I say that as a STH) to the extent that there are some fixtures that non-STHs are never likely to have the opportunity to attend, regardless of how many hard yards they cover.

But, despite having that sympathy, I'd struggle to get on board with 10% of regularly-attending away fans missing out on games so that others who don't travel often (or even at all) get to go instead.

It's also worth highlighting that this season has been unusual in terms of demand for away games, as a lot of people went to games they might otherwise miss in order to give themselves the best chance of getting to Europa League fixtures.

Funny isn't it that as soon as we're out of Europe tickets have become more available, people went to Brentford for the first time, many got Bournemouth for the first time, Burnley purchase history, Liverpool members.

 

[ropey9]

My only slight frustration is the P1 --> P2 drop in points needed for tickets.

If P1 tickets guarantee a ticket for all points holders above the threshold, why can't the next windows just be an automated decrease on the points requirements where the points requirement drops every 2 hours by 20 points, it will then still give priority more appropriately and fairly to supporters closer to the P1 cut off. Would only take 1-2 days on the ever decreasing point requirement for it to hit members / purchase history.

 

[el punal]

Have done as a year one season ticket holder for Chelsea
Arsenal
Everton
Liverpool
Burnley
All 3 cup games and could of got all 4 euro away ties if I wanted too

I was being facetious!

 

[Weststander]

Funny isn't it that as soon as we're out of Europe tickets have become more available, people went to Brentford for the first time, many got Bournemouth for the first time, Burnley purchase history, Liverpool members.

"Wanting to spend Easter with the family" is the sole reason.

 

[Bozza]

My only slight frustration is the P1 --> P2 drop in points needed for tickets.

If P1 tickets guarantee a ticket for all points holders above the threshold, why can't the next windows just be an automated decrease on the points requirements where the points requirement drops every 2 hours by 20 points, it will then still give priority more appropriately and fairly to supporters closer to the P1 cut off. Would only take 1-2 days on the ever decreasing point requirement for it to hit members / purchase history.

This has been discussed on other threads, and I also spoke to the club about it, before handing it over to the FAB to run with.

A proposal was for games where the away allocation is under 2,000 (ie Luton, Brentford and Bournemouth) then instead of setting the second window at 25% of STHs (so c6,000 fans in total), then do the following:

Window 1 – the allocation (using an example of 1k allocation – 1k)
Window 2 – double the allocation (around 2k)
Window 2 – 25% of STHs & 1901 (around 6k)
Window 3 – 50% of STHs &1901 (around 12k)
Window 4 – all STHs & 1901 (around 24k)

I'm not sure if conversations around this have progressed at all.

 

[crabface]

If you operate it on a ballot, will you just not end up with people moaning that they got a ticket in the ballot but their friends didn't so they no longer want to go.

 

[Beanstalk]

Whilst broadly agreeing with the general view of "do the hard yards to get to the less attractive games", I do retain some sympathy.

The system is heavily-weighted towards STH (and I say that as a STH) to the extent that there are some fixtures that non-STHs are never likely to have the opportunity to attend, regardless of how many hard yards they cover.

But, despite having that sympathy, I'd struggle to get on board with 10% of regularly-attending away fans missing out on games so that others who don't travel often (or even at all) get to go instead.

It's also worth highlighting that this season has been unusual in terms of demand for away games, as a lot of people went to games they might otherwise miss in order to give themselves the best chance of getting to Europa League fixtures.

We have over 20k season ticket holders though. It makes no financial sense for the club to open up a ticketing period to MA+ members at the detriment of paying STHs - part of the sell of the ST is that you get priority on tickets (away and non-league home) for committing your time and money to the club, to lose that benefit to someone who pays 3% of what a STH does a year isn't going to actively encourage people to get a ST and actively "support" the side week in week out.

We are in a golden period of the Albion, and as you say, the demand for all games has been higher than we've ever seen. So many people have committed to watching the Albion home and away this season in numbers not that long ago many deemed impossible. Opening up tickets to fans who can't even commit at this moment in the history of the club, when tickets are still accessible and demand is through the roof would be ludicrous.

 

[Bozza]

We have over 20k season ticket holders though. It makes no financial sense for the club to open up a ticketing period to MA+ members at the detriment of paying STHs - part of the sell of the ST is that you get priority on tickets (away and non-league home) for committing your time and money to the club, to lose that benefit to someone who pays 3% of what a STH does a year isn't going to actively encourage people to get a ST and actively "support" the side week in week out.

We are in a golden period of the Albion, and as you say, the demand for all games has been higher than we've ever seen. So many people have committed to watching the Albion home and away this season in numbers not that long ago many deemed impossible. Opening up tickets to fans who can't even commit at this moment in the history of the club, when tickets are still accessible and demand is through the roof would be ludicrous.

You've written that as if I said we should do a ballot on a small number of away tickets. Did you interpret that from my post?!?

 

[Husty]

There’s a perfectly legitimate argument to make that there should just be ‘loyalty points’ and it shouldn’t be segregated further between STHs and members.

But reserving tickets for a ballot isn’t any kind of solution to anything

 

[el punal]

If you operate it on a ballot, will you just not end up with people moaning that they got a ticket in the ballot but their friends didn't so they no longer want to go.

And so it goes on. We live in an imperfect world. When demand outstrips supply there will always be someone who loses out.

 

[CAPTAIN GREALISH]

Should be how many years not points

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

There’s a perfectly legitimate argument to make that there should just be ‘loyalty points’ and it shouldn’t be segregated further between STHs and members.

But reserving tickets for a ballot isn’t any kind of solution to anything

Surely that’s one of the benefits of being a STH. Just like 1901 members have benefits.

 

[GJN1]

I think mere Albion+ members shouldn't even be entitled to home tickets, yet alone away ones.

 

[Husty]

Surely that’s one of the benefits of being a STH. Just like 1901 members have benefits.

But does it NEED to be a benefit? What are the drawbacks to it being a benefit? As I say, there's a legitimate argument to make...

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

But whats the point in having a ballot if it goes down to members anyway? So many people say it’s impossible to get tickets for the glamour games, but Arsenal last season I'm pretty sure went to members, I think people just have this pretence that tickets are impossible to get.

Maybe first day sales should go to bottom tier STH/Albion+ first so that the ‘best’ seats then open up for Tier 1 STHs I’m joking, obviously

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

But does it NEED to be a benefit? What are the drawbacks to it being a benefit? As I say, there's a legitimate argument to make...

I got to most away games I was able to attend when I was ‘just’ an Albion+ member - apart from the smaller grounds … although I did get to Bournemouth once. And I apparently was able to choose a seat from the better blocks than were available to people in Tier 1.

Now I’m in Tier 1 - apart from the 3 smallest capacity grounds and am just grateful secure a ticket whatever blocks are open to me.

Whether there is a legitimate argument or not - it’s not going to change.