Away ticket priority - do you think the Albion should run this scheme?

[FG aka FOOTBALL GENIUS]

£20 more quid on a pipe dream (and the rest!!!) i can see DICK TIGHT liking this one, its a rip off and shouldnt be adopted

 

[Kev the Ape]

£20 more quid on a pipe dream (and the rest!!!) i can see DICK TIGHT liking this one, its a rip off and shouldnt be adopted

Your a motherfucking prick who doesnt give a shit. Go and f*** OFF you wanker.

 

[Bozza]

Why should a fan who goes to every away game have priority ?

I am sure the Commercial people in the club would not be interested as they are putting jack shit into the club.

As is obvious, I agree that someone who attends an away game contributes £0 towards the club as opposed to someone attending a home game who contributes £22 (or so). But - most people who go to most/all away games are also likely to be season ticket holders so I think whatever point you are trying to make is largely invalid.

Aside from that though - do you attribute no value (note: not immediate cash-in-bank value to the Albion) to away support?

And do you believe that someone who goes to every away game in a season because they want to support the Albion should stand no greater chance of a ticket to a 'big' away game than someone who has done nothing more than register with the AMS and never been to an away game before, as is currently the case?

 

[Happy Seagull]

As is obvious, I agree that someone who attends an away game contributes £0 towards the club as opposed to someone attending a home game who contributes £22 (or so). But - most people who go to most/all away games are also likely to be season ticket holders so I think whatever point you are trying to make is largely invalid.

If they're also STH's then it's not really a problem. But if not no extra priority should be given.

Aside from that though - do you attribute no value (note: not immediate cash-in-bank value to the Albion) to away support?

Like i said before, cash in the bank is the only thing that really matters to this club right now.

And do you believe that someone who goes to every away game in a season because they want to support the Albion should stand no greater chance of a ticket to a 'big' away game than someone who has done nothing more than register with the AMS and never been to an away game before, as is currently the case?

No i don't agree that is right. STH's and AMS first, AMS only second is my choice.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Starry's figure is interesting. Leeds sell 500 away season tickets. On that basis, I would reckon the Albion would sell about 250 at most. Not enough to have a serious impact on the rest of us who would continue to enjoy (or be victims of) the first-come-first-served system which was by far the most popular option when NSC ran a poll in early November.

But I have no problem with the 250 or so people who attend EVERY away match getting some reward for the commitment they are making to the Club. Although they would have to understand that they wouldn't get a seat next to their mates who travel to (say) three-quarters of all away games - which might reduce demand quite significantly.

I continue to oppose season ticket holders getting priority over regular AMS members. People talk as if the fact that season-ticket holders put their money up-front implies some sort of generosity to the Club. Maybe it does, but it is already rewarded - with a substantial DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF HOME TICKETS.

A H-Block season ticket this season cost £415.00 for 24 matches, if bought early. That's £17.29 a game. Buying the tickets individually (@£22 each) would work out at £528. So some season ticket holders have already had a discount of £113. And yet they whinge on about their "right" to get to the head of the queue for away tickets as if the Club never offer them anything.

As I've said before, priority for season ticket holders would prevent me getting away tickets to sit with the ex-season ticket holders I usually travel with to away games. We want to sit together. First-come-first-served makes that possible. Don't take it away!

 

[Happy Seagull]

I continue to oppose season ticket holders getting priority over regular AMS members. People talk as if the fact that season-ticket holders put their money up-front implies some sort of generosity to the Club. Maybe it does, but it is already rewarded - with a substantial DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF HOME TICKETS

You forget to mention you have to pay alot earlier to get that discount though. You can still be a STH and pay top whack for it.

And yet they whinge on about their "right" to get to the head of the queue for away tickets as if the Club never offer them anything.

My arguement isn't that as a STH i should necessarily have a better chance than anyone else. But i feel i should definately not have a worse chance.

As I've said before, priority for season ticket holders would prevent me getting away tickets to sit with the ex-season ticket holders I usually travel with to away games. We want to sit together. First-come-first-served makes that possible. Don't take it away!

I don't think you'll ever have to worry, i can't see things changing anytime soon. Whatever system is in place, there might always be people that miss out and will feel unfairly treated.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My arguement isn't that as a STH i should necessarily have a better chance than anyone else. But i feel i should definately not have a worse chance.

Assuming you're a member of the AMS (which you will be if you've ever bought an away ticket from the Club) there's NEVER been an occasion when you've had a worse chance of getting an away ticket than anyone else.

 

[Happy Seagull]

Assuming you're a member of the AMS (which you will be if you've ever bought an away ticket from the Club) there's NEVER been an occasion when you've had a worse chance of getting an away ticket than anyone else.

Yes i'm a STH and AMS member. My point was directed at any scheme giving regular away fans priority over anyone else. Even if only 50 fans took up this option, i would have a worse chance of an away ticket.

 

[fatboy]

I think that this is a very good scheme and could easily work for the Albion. This scheme would be beneficial to those who plan to go to every game, and would not prevent people who do not go to many away games from getting tickets to any game.

As Bozza says "One thing that seems completely unjust though is that someone could go to all 22 league away games this season yet miss out on a 'battle to stay up' game at Rotherham at the end of the season." I completely agree with this statement.

 

[Yorkie]

I can only just about afford my season ticket. I then pay for away tickets as I can afford it. I had to choose between Wolves and QPR this holiday. I could only afford one away match out of those.


I agree with Lord B. First come first served is the best way.

 

[Curious Orange]

I voted no. It isn't right for the club at this time. Schemes like this cost money in terms of development, training, administration and support that the club currently cannot afford.

I don't see a problem with introducing something like this once the club can afford it (once we have Falmer), although I still think it is unfair.

As a season ticket holder I am aware that I effectively block other people from seeing all the home games they want to (at the moment), so I see no reason why they shouldn't get a chance to see any away game they wish. Non-season ticket holders are the future of the club.

 

[rool]

I continue to oppose season ticket holders getting priority over regular AMS members. People talk as if the fact that season-ticket holders put their money up-front implies some sort of generosity to the Club. Maybe it does, but it is already rewarded - with a substantial DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF HOME TICKETS.

I believe the club should be attaching as many benefits to having a season ticket as they possibly can. Most people have bought season tickets at Withdean not because of the 'substantial DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF HOME TICKETS' but because it was the only way you could guarantee a seat for the first three seasons. To counter act this saving you have to part with your cash almost 6 months before the next season when in a situation like ours you don't even know what division you will be playing in.

The fact is that the club DESPERATELY NEEDS the season ticket money to survive over the summer months and this year they will need it more than ever.

The need to have a season ticket to guarantee a seat doesn't exist anymore, except for two or three larger opponents, and, in my case anyway, I often missed 2-3 games a year due to holidays etc and in giving those tickets away negated any savings I made in the first place.

The scheme Bozza has detailed looks good but to say that STH should have no priority will badly dent the clubs cashflow in the end and is very short sighted.

 

[Curious Orange]

Most people have bought season tickets at Withdean not because of the 'substantial DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF HOME TICKETS' but because it was the only way you could guarantee a seat for the first three seasons.

Yes, the guaranteed seat at every home game is the reason I buy a season ticket, but don't discount the discount.

I fully expect the number of season ticket sales to fall once we're in Falmer on account of the greater availabilty of tickets on a game to game basis. That will be the true test of the loyalty of season ticket holders.

 

[mitch]

i think a scheme such as this would be an excellent idea but only in conjunction with a season ticket or 1/2 season ticket.i know this would be a very expensive option to people but it would be there and would take all the arguments out in one swoop.it would be this is how you gaurantee a big game ticket.
and also keep the sth happy as the argument of if you go to all the away games you should get a ticket which holds no water at all as the club has to look after the customers who put thier money into them and not every other club in the division and the railways.
this scheme would also miss out the one round of posting letters which is probably the real reason so many people missed out on spurs tickets.

 

[rool]

I wasn't discounting the discount (that reminded me of 'did you pooh pooh the pooh pooh blackadder).

Obviously if you are always going to buy a season ticket anyway it is an attractive option but what are the numbers of people who fall into that category?, 2-3000?. That's not enough for the club now and if you are going to have to tempt people to put £400 plus on their credit card (even an albion one), which will bear a bit of interest in six months, when you might not be able to get to all the games and that they don't sell out anymore anyway the club will need to attach a bit more than just a saving.

 

[Zeitgeist]

As I've said before, priority for season ticket holders would prevent me getting away tickets to sit with the ex-season ticket holders I usually travel with to away games. We want to sit together. First-come-first-served makes that possible. Don't take it away!

And how many away games have you been forced to or actually sat in your allocated seats? That rather blows a hole in that arguement if the answer is what I would suspect it to be. For 95% of away games, obtaining a ticket and sitting with who you like isn't an issue. Spurs away is one of those games where demand was always going to exceed suply and their lifeblood, ( STH'S) should have been looked after as they are at 99% of other league clubs. Season ticket holders were the ones who stumped up the cash ridiculously early for the current season, discount or no discount. If that means people being seperated for one game, then that's life. Or one game! The only excecption should be junior AMS members who obviously have to be accompanied by parents. The concept of season ticket holders first is nothing new at the Albion. Prior to the AMS, this was always the case for high profile away games. Even the inept buffoon Steven Rooke always stuck to that principle. Maybe Martin Perry should step aside and concentrate on (trying) to build new stadium rather than day to day matters of the club?!. I await his bleading heart letter acompanying my season ticket renewal to drop through the door on the 4th January!!

 

[fatboy]

And how many away games have you been forced to or actually sat in your allocated seats? !!

I was going to make that point but the club cannot be seen to be encouraging the breaking of rules.

 

[Storer68]

I continue to oppose season ticket holders getting priority over regular AMS members. People talk as if the fact that season-ticket holders put their money up-front implies some sort of generosity to the Club. Maybe it does, but it is already rewarded - with a substantial DISCOUNT ON THE PRICE OF HOME TICKETS.

A H-Block season ticket this season cost £415.00 for 24 matches, if bought early. That's £17.29 a game. Buying the tickets individually (@£22 each) would work out at £528. So some season ticket holders have already had a discount of £113. And yet they whinge on about their "right" to get to the head of the queue for away tickets as if the Club never offer them anything.

No I am sorry lord B but, for once, you have totally missed the point.

The discount offered by the club for season ticket prices is the club's business. You can't blame people for taking advantage of this. Either the club want the money or they don't. If they do then the price they charge is their affair. Its not as though one sits down with Martin Perry and enters into negotiations. The forms come through the door with the clubs offer and its "take it or leave it".

The Spurs fiasco is all down to the completely arbitary method used in dishing out the allocation.
No explanantion has been given as to why some people (whose credentials are all the club asked for - STH, AMS, A&K) have not got tickets, yet some (who are none or just one of the above) have been able to buy as many as they liked. Perry's letter does nothing to assuage the feeling that some of us have been taken for granted here.

It should possiby have been limited to one ticket per application

 

[e77]

One would hope that a majority of the 'hardcore' away fans are season ticket holders anyway, failing that regular visitors.

Those who aren't don't put money into the club so perhaps don't deserve any special favours, hence any scheme needs to reflct home attendance in some way.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

And how many away games have you been forced to or actually sat in your allocated seats? That rather blows a hole in that arguement if the answer is what I would suspect it to be.

I see the point you are making. However, the answer is ... ALWAYS at the very big matches that prompted this discussion in the first place. Most recently, Cardiff, West Ham and (without a doubt) Spurs.