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

[Gazwag]

At £30 a ticket and not filling out these ground with modest away followings would cost the club £270,000

Tony Bloom is doing everything he can to avoid a second season dip by putting together the most expensive team our club has ever had and the club are upsetting its fans by less than 2% of the transfer fee we have just paid for one player. Away fans have enough shit with tv fixtures, train companies, they don't need the club the travel huge distances a year adding to it

 

[studio150]

Where possible we are ensuring those fans that book the earliest get the best seats

So having secured a Watford ticket at 9:22 on the day they went on sale to tier 1 points holders, why am I and others stuck in VRS1 which is the corner section instead of VRS2 which is more central. Who in their right mind decided that the corner section was best?

I can see an utter shambles for the likes of Everton and Newcastle where knowing the block is vital as to whether you will be able to see the game or not.

It would be more helpful if before allocating the tickets when that process arrives that it was agreed which is the best section to start with, rather than being left to someone who probably hasn't seen a game from the away section for which are the tickets are being released.

While there is no disagreement from the financial position it just smacks of not being bothered about our customers (sorry fans)

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

This x100000000000

I do and I also book on Day 1.

This needs to be sorted.


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[Nitram]

Where possible we are ensuring those fans that book the earliest get the best seats

So having secured a Watford ticket at 9:22 on the day they went on sale to tier 1 points holders, why am I and others stuck in VRS1 which is the corner section instead of VRS2 which is more central. Who in their right mind decided that the corner section was best?

I can see an utter shambles for the likes of Everton and Newcastle where knowing the block is vital as to whether you will be able to see the game or not.

It would be more helpful if before allocating the tickets when that process arrives that it was agreed which is the best section to start with, rather than being left to someone who probably hasn't seen a game from the away section for which are the tickets are being released.

While there is no disagreement from the financial position it just smacks of not being bothered about our customers (sorry fans)

Same situation booked early and in same area as you , their definition of 'best' is not mine. If I'm booking for anything else in a stadium I could expect to choose a seat in an area of my choice, why do football fans get treated differently or more to the point why do we accept this terrible customer service.
The club may have inadvertently made the worry about fans taking up allocation of seats a reality as many are going to be put off taking a chance on what the club deems 'best' for the fans. Which in itself is an arrogant stance.

 

[Bwian]

Everton away?! Terrible view from anywhere in the away section.

After last season's Letterbox View Everton can shove their 30 quid seat up their asses.

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[Ernest]

What an absolute mess, inconveniencing everyone who wants a ticket

 

[Beanstalk]

In some cases, no, but this can only increase the likelihood of more confrontations like that since no one has had the ability to try and buy a seat in their preferred area.

My reply was a little tongue in cheek. Think in reality it'll add an extra self-righteous layer to those who turn up late and act like they own the place because "you just go where you want innit and if you don't like it then do one".

Also, for away games, is it that big a deal to choose where you sit? I know some want to stand at the back, but their seat number never seems to stop them doing so. Surely if it is about sitting with your mates, the friends and family method still works?

 

[Giraffe]

Working through the fixtures on a fairly pessimistic basis the real exposure is approximately £350k. If Tony Bloom decides that is money he doesn't want to lose then fair play.

That said rather than taking the route they have which is clearly annoying to the most loyal fans why not just ask for a lower allocation for the bovious fixtures like Newcastle away where we won't take the full allocation.

I am sure you could get this exposure down to less than £100k.

 

[ditchy]

For me booking at 9am the day the tickets are realised isn't (usually) a problem but there are loads of fans who cannot do this until the evening, why should they be faced with the lottery of rubbish seats just because they cannot get online at 9am.

Although we are all relying on the basis that some goon in the ticket office throws a dart at seating plan and decides where the "best" seats are.

Thats life . you know that if you are top tier points holder you get first dibs . Like wise if you cant get on at 9am or whenever ,you run the risk of not getting the best seat . Why should they have to make allowances for different times

 

[ditchy]

Working through the fixtures on a fairly pessimistic basis the real exposure is approximately £350k. If Tony Bloom decides that is money he doesn't want to lose then fair play.

That said rather than taking the route they have which is clearly annoying to the most loyal fans why not just ask for a lower allocation for the bovious fixtures like Newcastle away where we won't take the full allocation.

I am sure you could get this exposure down to less than £100k.

Whats wrong with asking for a smaller allocation to start with and then adding ,presuming we can do that with most clubs ?

 

[Giraffe]

What I find most frustrating about this on reflection is that the ticketing office and staff have been fantastic for ages the ticketing system after years of being a bit rubbish is now excellent and so to go backwards on this just feels completely against the direction the club is going. I'm sure they have underestimated the benefit this brings. It will undoubtedly lead to less fans going to certain games. As others have said I really don't fancy buying for Everton and facing the lottery of that view. Not had Liverpool allocated yet but that could be similarly rubbish.

 

[tonytowner]

We could write to Mr Barber explaining how the situation could be improved for us fans. He will write back very quickly with a very fulsome explanation of why he has taken the stance he has & that he won’t be changing it. This is his version of excellent customer service. It will be the same no matter what the subject matter.

 

[Ernest]

We could write to Mr Barber explaining how the situation could be improved for us fans. He will write back very quickly with a very fulsome explanation of why he has taken the stance he has & that he won’t be changing it. This is his version of excellent customer service. It will be the same no matter what the subject matter.

You could ask him for hotel recommendations and travel advice though

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It’s amazing that with so much money in the Premier League clubs/Brighton are so far behind the curve when it comes to selling tickets. This strikes me as a very lazy solution built on both clubs taking fans for granted.

 

[Gazwag]

Thats life . you know that if you are top tier points holder you get first dibs . Like wise if you cant get on at 9am or whenever ,you run the risk of not getting the best seat . Why should they have to make allowances for different times

But all choice has been taken away from us, yes last season those who couldn't log in until the evening still got a choice, ok it may not have been as good choice as those logging in at 9am but it was still a choice. Last season I chose to sit in the central block at Watford, ok the seat wasn't the best as it was row 5 or 6 but I knew that was the situation. Had I wanted to try for further back I would have logged back in an hour later so see where the rows being sold were now. This season I have been allocated a corner seat which, at Watford means being off the side of the pitch, despite being able to buy a ticket at the same time.

 

[Gazwag]

Working through the fixtures on a fairly pessimistic basis the real exposure is approximately £350k. If Tony Bloom decides that is money he doesn't want to lose then fair play.

That said rather than taking the route they have which is clearly annoying to the most loyal fans why not just ask for a lower allocation for the bovious fixtures like Newcastle away where we won't take the full allocation.

I am sure you could get this exposure down to less than £100k.

Liverpool has sold out, Man City will as well as last season was a midweek game which many (me included) couldn't get to. With all those in lower loyalty brackets not getting tickets last season Man Utd will surely sell out, that £90k saved

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Working through the fixtures on a fairly pessimistic basis the real exposure is approximately £350k. If Tony Bloom decides that is money he doesn't want to lose then fair play.

That said rather than taking the route they have which is clearly annoying to the most loyal fans why not just ask for a lower allocation for the bovious fixtures like Newcastle away where we won't take the full allocation.

I am sure you could get this exposure down to less than £100k.

because it's those fixtures that give people with low points totals the opportunity to catch up. Such a policy really would run the risk of creating the often quoted closed shop. I'm top tier but I don't think everything should be designed to please myself and others. Maybe we should agree to a surcharge on the ticket price in the event the game does not sell out in return for being allowed to select blocks ? That way the fans and the club share the financial risk. Just a suggestion that nobody will like (including me) but it illustrates that someone somewhere has to lose out with the system of home clubs being allowed to charge for tickets whether sold or unsold.

By the way Liverpool is allocated. Go to 'tickets', click on Liverpool then click 'details.'

Whats wrong with asking for a smaller allocation to start with and then adding ,presuming we can do that with most clubs ?

Unfortunately we don't get to just name the number we think will sell. Ground configuration can mean it is the difference between asking for 1500 or 3000. There is also a cut off date for making the decision.

 

[Superphil]

Change to away ticket sales process

... scrub, gone. Only wheelchair seats now.

 

[mwrpoole]

Wasn’t it our club that at a recent PL meeting suggested doing something to accommodate visiting fans who preferred to sit, i.e. offer front few rows as no standing. I believe this suggestion was widely supported by most clubs.

And then they do this, most bizarre.

 

[studio150]

There are currently tickets still available for Liverpool

Yes 4 in the wheelchair area so effectively sold out