[Albion] Change to away ticket sales process [Club update - post #140]

[Billy the Fish]

People with special needs and disabled had a very good arrangement with customer services last season. I even sent in a copy of my consultant's letter so they knew my problems.
Now all of that is out of the window as far as I can see. I'm asking questions which don't seem to be answered.

It may not affect you now, but one day you might need it.

Where else has this been published apart from emails to Bozza?

Surely you contact the club yourself as I assume you did last season. Has what you've described ever been published by the club?
There's no reason to think that today's communication will supersede all other arrangements, they put it together in half a day to appease the meltdown.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Surely you contact the club yourself as I assume you did last season. Has what you've described ever been published by the club?
There's no reason to think that today's communication will supersede all other arrangements, they put it together in half a day to appease the meltdown.

I would hope so, but it doesn't sound certain, after reading the final paragraph of the first post.

 

[Whitechapel]

In the past I have moaned about how the club deal with away tickets and certain posters were tripping over themselves to be smug bellends. “Well just because it doesn’t work for you! The club can’t base their entire away system around you”

Some of those posters are now the ones complaining that the new system doesn’t work for them.


Ah, schadenfreude.

 

[Gazwag]

I think they have actually gone over and above what was necessary so its a big thumbs up from me.

 

[drew]

You can please some of the people etc. etc.

As for allocated seats there are some living in the distant past. If someone is in our allocated seat I will ask them to politely leave. Failing that I'll stand in front of them. The vast majority sit in their allocated seat but there is a very small minority that think it doesn't apply to them. Probably because they haven't got the guts to ask the people in their seat tto move. That said, I dont think anyone has refused so its all amiable.

 

[sully]

I think they have actually gone over and above what was necessary so its a big thumbs up from me.

Indeed. As long as they don’t default to always going for the smallest allocation possible first and go for a genuine estimate of what is required.

However, as they should have 2 weeks worth of sales before having to make a final commitment, this looks like a winner.

 

[um bongo molongo]

I think they have actually gone over and above what was necessary so its a big thumbs up from me.

This

 

[Turkey]

People with special needs and disabled had a very good arrangement with customer services last season. I even sent in a copy of my consultant's letter so they knew my problems.
Now all of that is out of the window as far as I can see. I'm asking questions which don't seem to be answered.

It may not affect you now, but one day you might need it.

Where else has this been published apart from emails to Bozza?

As far as I can see the club have acted swiftly to address supporters concerns and are clearly doing as much as they can to keep everyone happy.

The ability to actually pick your seat is a massive step forward because whilst you could faff about a bit last season to try and get in the sort of area you wanted you couldn't be that precise.

Given that they are doing everything they can to help supporters I really don't get what gives you the impression that they wouldn't do their best to cater for an individuals specific needs. It just seems incredibly obvious to me that they would do their best to assign them a suitable seat.

 

[studio150]

Good news, a step forward from what has been in place for the first 3 away games

 

[Nixonator]

I’m sorry but you’re completely wrong.

I’ve been going to away games for many many years and since all seater stadiums came about, have ALWAYS sat in my allocated seat except at Grimsby away when I couldn’t get near it so sat at the front.

Claiming that “it’s not the theatre” and “it’s always been a free for all” ignores the fact that we no longer have terraces and that our away support now fills the allocation more often than not.

You don’t claim your right to sit where you like at the AMEX, so why is it so different away from home? Both have changed, yet you seem to think that only one situation applies to you.

It’s about time people started respecting others. If you’ve gone as much as you suggest, you will have first choice of block (or used to have), so your behaviour is even less excusable.

What exactly am I wrong about? Most of the stuff I posted was factual based on what I have seen with my own eyes over many, many years.

I usually stand in and around my allocated seat for all ticket also, but that's because I request them at the back.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

As far as I can see the club have acted swiftly to address supporters concerns and are clearly doing as much as they can to keep everyone happy.

The ability to actually pick your seat is a massive step forward because whilst you could faff about a bit last season to try and get in the sort of area you wanted you couldn't be that precise.

Given that they are doing everything they can to help supporters I really don't get what gives you the impression that they wouldn't do their best to cater for an individuals specific needs. It just seems incredibly obvious to me that they would do their best to assign them a suitable seat.

Experience from last season. My impression is that last season the club had it right for special needs and reading the correspondence on this thread it seems to be changing.
It may not be, but I will ring the club to clarify.

 

[sully]

What exactly am I wrong about? Most of the stuff I posted was factual based on what I have seen with my own eyes over many, many years.

I usually stand in and around my allocated seat for all ticket also, but that's because I request them at the back.

This bit:

“f you want your seats then you arrive early. Otherwise you can expect to fill the gaps. I'm not arguing for or against it, that is just the way it is.”

Why should I have to arrive early when a lot of those causing problems (standing in aisles) are the ones who barge in late?

It’s only “the way it is” because of people who think they can do as they please.

As I said earlier, if they still do it under this new system, then they really are the most inconsiderate amongst us. If nobody was bothered about getting the seat on their ticket, the club wouldn’t have had any complaints about the new allocation method they’d adopted. The outcry and subsequent appreciation of what they’ve done proves that most are not happy to just sit anywhere.

 

[Nitram]

You can please some of the people etc. etc.

As for allocated seats there are some living in the distant past. If someone is in our allocated seat I will ask them to politely leave. Failing that I'll stand in front of them. The vast majority sit in their allocated seat but there is a very small minority that think it doesn't apply to them. Probably because they haven't got the guts to ask the people in their seat tto move. That said, I dont think anyone has refused so its all amiable.

Agreed I have taken exactly the same approach, ask them to leave and if won't stand in front of them, only happened once last season so I dont think it's not a major problem, or maybe I just got lucky.

 

[dazzer6666]

This bit:

“f you want your seats then you arrive early. Otherwise you can expect to fill the gaps. I'm not arguing for or against it, that is just the way it is.”

Why should I have to arrive early when a lot of those causing problems (standing in aisles) are the ones who barge in late?

It’s only “the way it is” because of people who think they can do as they please.

As I said earlier, if they still do it under this new system, then they really are the most inconsiderate amongst us. If nobody was bothered about getting the seat on their ticket, the club wouldn’t have had any complaints about the new allocation method they’d adopted. The outcry and subsequent appreciation of what they’ve done proves that most are not happy to just sit anywhere.

Virtually all the problems are caused by those staying on the concourse until KO, then steaming into the stand en masse and staying together - pushing in, standing in front of others, blocking aisles etc.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I think the club has very little choice if tickets aren’t on sale or return. I’d much rather money was spent on players than unused tickets so what they’re doing is the least worst option.

It does mean more considerate behaviour is needed on away days though and, yes, you should go in your allocated seat. I was already starting to come round to that way of thinking. Last season at Southampton three of us went but in 2 cars as my mate had to go on to Devon afterwards. We arrived 20 mins apart due to the traffic and had to park away from each other and the traffic also meant I got there 2 minutes before kick off. If my mate hadn’t have saved 2 places against some quite aggressive behaviour we’d have been in the aisles and not even seen the friend we’d gone for a social evening with. At Liverpool we had three oiks in our seats 40 mins before kick off because “the view was better”.

It also gives the lie to the thread by [MENTION=27447]Goldstone1976[/MENTION] that tickets will be available to all. If the regulars are slow in buying the initial allocation because they know it’s a dummy block then it’ll stay a closed shop.


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[Notters]

Well done the club on this.

 

[Goldstone1976]

It also gives the lie to the thread by [MENTION=27447]Goldstone1976[/MENTION] that tickets will be available to all. If the regulars are slow in buying the initial allocation because they know it’s a dummy block then it’ll stay a closed shop.

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I don’t think so. Southampton goes on sale to all members next Tuesday and general sale next Thursday. If tier 1/2 folk don’t buy early enough, then tix will be sold to those other folk instead.

 

[Notters]

It is a reasonable response, and I am grateful that they have looked at this quickly and responded.

However I still believe they are creating a rod for their own back here. They are already saying this involves a lot of work, and will be a manual process. That's money effectively. Secondly the chances of it not being perfect are much greater than in the previous system AND this time people will blame the club employee doing the selections for not following what they have chosen.

For the games where they are going to categorise near front, near middle, near back. Expect 80% will chose near middle, nailed on. I guess this doesn't really matter but no doubt someone choosing near middle and getting row 7 won't be as happy as they would've been under the old system when they could pretty much select their own seat.

Really? I'd expect about 50%+ to go for the back, may be 30 for the middle and 20 the front.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I don’t think so. Southampton goes on sale to all members next Tuesday and general sale next Thursday. If tier 1/2 folk don’t buy early enough, then tix will be sold to those other folk instead.

Let’s see. I’ll be happy to be wrong but if “real” demand is 2000 and our choice is between a 1500 allocation and a 3000 then we all know which 500 are going to miss out


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[Giraffe]

Really? I'd expect about 50%+ to go for the back, may be 30 for the middle and 20 the front.

See poll

https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?365873-Where-would-you-rather-sit-stand-at-away-games

Currently Front 16%, Middle 52% Back 32%