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

[Bozza]

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

We've only taken a smaller allocation for Liverpool which, whilst providing some justification to the club's stance, is also not the biggest shock in the world. An awkward kickoff time, with difficult travel when many people could still be on holiday for a televised game in a ground we visited only a few months ago was never going to see us selling out 3,000.

 

[Gazwag]

We've only taken a smaller allocation for Liverpool which, whilst providing some justification to the club's stance, is also not the biggest shock in the world. An awkward kickoff time, with difficult travel when many people could still be on holiday for a televised game in a ground we visited only a few months ago was never going to see us selling out 3,000.

Ah, I didn't realise that

 

[Wardy's twin]

Well there's me thinking I bought a seat(845) in row GA21 no wonder it was impossible to match it to a stadium plan. I will be quite pissed off if I end up in a row lower than k as the view below that IMO is crap.

This really looks like a fudge which has gone wrong in the hot weather.

It would be VERY simple for the club to put up a website asking fans (signing on with their fan number) to respond whether they are interested in going to away match to gauge the numbers. Then put the seats out for sale as before and then people can influence where they can sit. This is really not difficult.

It new system is more likely to put me off going and if this is teh same for others then situation will become self-fulfilllng...

 

[ditchy]

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.

Yeah Agree with that entirely

 

[Wardy's twin]

We've only taken a smaller allocation for Liverpool which, whilst providing some justification to the club's stance, is also not the biggest shock in the world. An awkward kickoff time, with difficult travel when many people could still be on holiday for a televised game in a ground we visited only a few months ago was never going to see us selling out 3,000.

But the club was talking about 'second season syndrome' which is not really the case it the TV that's done it. Personally think that most clubs would prefer no away fans as it is not a good economic model

 

[Giraffe]

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

What Bozza said on Liverpool but yes I did say it was a pessimistic view. Actually think we will sell more than this as you have pointed out.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

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

Don’t wheelchair users bring their own seat?

 

[Bodian]

We've only taken a smaller allocation for Liverpool which, whilst providing some justification to the club's stance, is also not the biggest shock in the world. An awkward kickoff time, with difficult travel when many people could still be on holiday for a televised game in a ground we visited only a few months ago was never going to see us selling out 3,000.

So that means we haven't lost any money for this game, they got the allocation about right - and the old system would have worked? And for Watford.

 

[Bodian]

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.

Not just an opportunity to 'catch up' points wise - but an opportunity to get to a game! I can only really make northern away games, and if they cut the allocations too much I will struggle.

 

[Goldstone1976]

It was raised at the away fans' forum with TB that it would be a good idea if, as well as choosing a block (if booking early enough), fans could choose front or back seats (standing vs sitting). TB agreed, and said that he'd talk to the ticketing people.

That went well then.

If the club really did put effort into allocating the best seats to the earlier bookers (always assuming that "best" could have a definition that was at least applicable to the majority), it wouldn't be so bad, but this thread demonstrates very well that either they haven't for Watford, or different employees have very different opinions to what constitutes "best".

I absolutely get the financial issues that the club talk about, but surely there's a compromise somewhere?

The system the club has chosen could not be more club-sided if they'd tried; and the lack of communication about the change until asked is insulting.

#Together? Not in this case.

Poor show.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Whatever the factors are in this new system and whatever the issues it raises...................this is a massive mistake by the club in not communicating their intent and the reasons for it ahead of its implementation. Surely they would have realised that it would create questions and complaints from puzzled fans. And from those fans are amongst the club's most loyal supporters. How much better it would have been to head off the questions, and maybe ask for supporter input and suggestions, before imposing their least effort method.

And no, I am not happy with my VRS1 Row A Seat 9 seat at Watford.......but someone else might well have preferred that seat with no one in front of them........

Was in the front row last year, as a preferred stander at the back wasn’t the greatest game but respected those around me


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[sully]

There are two issues here, really.

The main factor that seems to be driving the club’s behaviour, though, is the need to pay for unsold tickets.

If this isn’t necessary in the Championship, then it is absolutely not necessary in the Premier League. It just needs the clubs to agree a sensible approach to allocation if they’re not confident of selling out so that segregation could be moved and unsold blocks handed back. I’m sure that it would be obvious very early if too many had been requested first. If the final decision has to be made 10-14 days before the game, that’s ample time to sell them to home fans.

It also shouldn’t be beyond the Premier League clubs jointly to have a shared platform for all away ends where individual seats could be selected.

The second part is the total lack of customer service from our club and the “can’t do” attitude that runs through the response that Bozza has shared.

I’m sure even Palace don’t treat their own fans this badly.

There’s enough of our support who already refuse to use their allocated seat despite most of us understanding that things have to change with fuller away ends. This just gives them another “reason” to believe their entitlement to sit where they like. I might even join them!

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Who defines best seats, what’s the benchmark?

Preferable for me for example would be near the back, standing with noise all around me, the same wouldn’t be preferable for someone with young kids who want / need to sit


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[Questions]

All completely fair, understandable, and professionally set out.

Hanna Barbera out.

 

[SUA Seagull]

Ultimately, it’s about accurately predicting Albion fans’ ticket demand and so the club could have a “register your interest” webpage on which fans could indicate their intent to attend a particular away game (to be registered by, say, no later than two weeks before the ticket on-sale date).

Based on such feedback, the club should be able to make a reasonably informed judgement about our potential numbers when applying for non-refundable ticket allocations from the home club. Thereafter, the former Albion ticket sales system (which has worked pretty well in the past) could apply from the designated on-sale date.

Importantly, those with health problems or special needs would be able to eliminate the anxiety of not knowing in advance where they may end up being seated. The club’s assessment of a “best seat” is unlikely to match the fans’ preference.

Surely the club could implement this without too much hassle, which would accommodate most fans’ desire to know roughly in which area/block they can sit when they purchase a ticket?

In any event, I would have thought the “shortfall” issue will apply to only a handful of matches bearing in mind the likely demand for away tickets based on last season’s huge Albion take up at nearly every away game. On the other hand, with many fans having “ticked off” a number of new away grounds last season there may perhaps be fewer wishing to attend some of this season’s away games (although, conversely, they may be offset by others who just missed out on away tickets last season and who should, as a result, have a better opportunity to buy one this season).

It shouldn’t be that difficult to address this. The club just needs to gauge the approximate ticket demand and proceed on that basis. Even if there turns out to be a small cost [to the club] c/o unsold tickets purchased it will be a drop in the ocean compared to the goodwill it will generate with fans.

I hope the club notes this thread, and fans’ suggestions, and looks into possible ways to overcome the potential away game seating lottery that will result from the latest plans announced by the club.

 

[Dirty Dave]

Just thinking of a potential consolation / compromise here...

If you want to sit with a group of people from different point bandings, rather than someone in tier 1 having to wait for tier 2 to open, could 'family and friends' from a lower tier get seats together with someone in higher tier, without buying at the same time?

Just thinking, if seats aren't allocated until after they're sold, then family and friends should be able to buy on different days but seated together.

I know this doesn't go with best seats to the first buyers, but as mentioned in various posts, this doesn't seem to be happening so far.

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[Weststander]

I'm not having this, it is too difficult, nonsense. When you buy a ticket for absolutely any other event you can choose your seat or enclosure, or what have you. Football clubs really do get away with appalling levels of customer service with regards to away tickets. All football clubs have proper box offices, with a proper amount of staff, administering a system where fans are allocated a ticket based on where they, roughly, want to sit should be an absolute piece of piss but they just do not want to make the effort.

Let's take Southampton as an example, a quick google lets me know that the away fans are in blocks 44-48, and the rows are 'numbered' with A at the front running back to OO. With 44 and 48 being next to the home fans and that the disabled section is in the middle of block 44. So all seats in front of that disabled section can be classified as front type seats. How hard is it really after getting this information to divide the seats broadly in to three, front, middle and back, and give fans a non guaranteed choice? We all know the answer is it really is not that difficult but Jenny Gower just cannot be bothered, because pesky football fans are moaning about something the club are not directly making money out of.

Good points.

But in the real world of away games, fellow Albion fans beligerently tell you to f*ck off when you try and take your rightful seat. Everyone on NSC always accepts this as an unwritten custom.

Overriding whatever scheme the Albion has.

 

[Weststander]

We've only taken a smaller allocation for Liverpool which, whilst providing some justification to the club's stance, is also not the biggest shock in the world. An awkward kickoff time, with difficult travel when many people could still be on holiday for a televised game in a ground we visited only a few months ago was never going to see us selling out 3,000.

How many tickets did the club take from Liverpool, please?

 

[Bozza]

How many tickets did the club take from Liverpool, please?

1,878

 

[AWAYDAY]

Register interest for away games 1 week before release date. Pay £10 refundable deposit to filter out time wasters.

Request the nearest allocation based on the above figure 1000, 1500, 3000.

Use ticketing system from last year to get preference.

Club don’t loose cash. Fans are happy. Easy.