Does the loyalty scheme now mean that the away fans club are a closed shop?

[The Gem]

This is the real question:

Who IS more loyal?

Customer 1.
Has been supporting the Albion since 1968. When in school their Dad always removed them from school for the away weekday games, Derby, Forest etc during the 70's.
When old enough went to all home games and nearly all away games during the 80's, 90's and 2000.

Had a season ticket at the Goldstone, Gillingham, Withdean and at the start the Amex.
Their business dictated that they had to give up their season ticket 3 years ago because they now worked Saturdays.

Went to nearly every home game for the last 2 years and managed to get a few away tickets during the past 2 years.

Will still go to as many home games as possible as long as cover for the business is obtained. (Paying nearly double the season ticket holders price.)

Customer 2

Has a season ticket.

Been supporting the Albion for say 15 to 20 years.
No work on Saturdays, so is able to go to many more away games to gain loyalty points and has done since the start of the loyalty program.

Customer 2 is first on the list to get away tickets, Customer 1 who has probably spent x times MORE than customer 2, has absolutely no chance whatsoever of ever watching the Albion away this season.

Who is more loyal?

 

[Goldstone1976]

Maybe, I can't remember if loyalty points were added at time of sale last season, but mine aren't showing for Leicester or the cup game yet.

Last season, the LP were added at around the time of the game itself (+/- a couple of days). This season, they are supposed to be added at the time of sale ("Points are awarded when you make an advance ticket purchase..."), but it looks like they are going to wait until the time of the game again anyway. Whether they then wait until they've had the "used ticket" list back from Leicester and then only add LP to those accounts where the ticket has been used is moot.

 

[bhanutz]

Last season, the LP were added at around the time of the game itself (+/- a couple of days). This season, they are supposed to be added at the time of sale ("Points are awarded when you make an advance ticket purchase..."), but it looks like they are going to wait until the time of the game again anyway. Whether they then wait until they've had the "used ticket" list back from Leicester and then only add LP to those accounts where the ticket has been used is moot.

Points have always been added after the game!

 

[soistes]

I was concerned about this (potential closed shop) initially, but with any system there will some winners and losers and this is probably as fair as it can be.
My partner and I have had season tickets throughout the Amex period, and have been to a handful of away and cup games most season - probably 4 or 5, so not massively 'loyal' away fans by any stretch of the imagination, but even so, I don't think we're being excluded by the current system.
We plan to go to more away games this season, to enjoy the Premier League (just in case it's our only chance...). We started this season with 220 and 210 points respectively and had no difficulty getting tickets for Leicester and Watford (we'll go to both matches) and obviously for Barnet (hope to go, but there may be a clash with a family occasion). We'd like to go to B'mouth but I won't know until tomorrow and my partner won't know until Friday where we stand. This is the only real problem with the system in that when the loyalty threshold falls between our two points totals, there's a risk that we won't both be able to go (or both be able to sit together - although chances are that in practice we will sit together, irrespective of what it says on the ticket). If we can't get B'mouth tickets or only one of us can, that seems fair enough given the small allocation and the hope is that the extra points from Leicester, Watford and Brentford matches will in due course slightly improve our chances of future away tickets for big matches (and perhaps only slightly, because a lot depends on exactly who is buying tickets for away matches now). At the end of all this, the consolation for me is that the away matches I/we will get to see are likely to be the ones that the Albion has a bigger chance of winning.

 

[Goldstone1976]

You'll be easy enough to spot with your bobble hat and thermos flask I suspect.

Regards

Bushy

But how will he tell me apart from you?

 

[WATFORD zero]

If you want a closed shop, look at Home season ticket holders. The same people get first dibs every year.

How on earth are you meant to break into that

 

[Springal]

Fans that want tickets for any game will get them. Many say that about England, 20k+ members for 3k tickets... but if you were organised and wanted to go to Khazakstan you probably could.

Even this year in Englandfans despite doing 0 games since the Euros last summer, I managed to get one in the second chance sale to Lithuania.

That said Englandfans you need to physically pick up tickets with ID on the day of the game in the city. That stops touting and people buying tickets and not using them to collect points, which is a risk of this new season.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Points have always been added after the game!

A couple of times last season I noticed that mine were added a couple of days early, but yes, that's always been the plan, I agree. This season though, they are supposed to be added "...at the time of purchase...", at least, they are if you believe what the T&Cs say. I always doubted they would be, and so it seems to be transpiring. The real issue about preventing mining though is whether those tickets that don't get used receive LP at all.

 

[Albion_Dave]

Back up to 8 tickets available for Leicester now.

Always, always, always check back nearer the time if you want a ticket but it has previously shown as sold out. It's amazing how many returns get put on with a few days till kick off.

 

[El Presidente]

But how will he tell me apart from you?

You'll be travelling to the match in a four horse and carriage, with a butler.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

What do you consider a lower profile game though? Leicester and Watford have sold quickly, Bournemouth on a Friday night on Sky (albeit low allocation) will too.

I guess Swansea on the 4th November and Huddersfield on the 9th December will be the first tests of whether a low profile game sells less quick. But by that stage the high pointers will have just got higher. If you're currently in the third tier I don't see how you will break into the second or first tier. I really don't. Even if one in three games go to the third tier or lower, that won't be enough for the third tier to start to catch up.

Leicester went on sale to all season ticket holders. The only games that will be difficulty will be against the top six and Palace and it's difficult to make a case that people should be able to buy a new season ticket and immediately jump the queue for these games. Like all the best things in life it will not fall into people's laps without effort but that won't stop people moaning they aren't getting something for nothing.

 

[Goldstone1976]

You'll be travelling to the match in a four horse and carriage, with a butler.

Thanks for confirming your availability for duty again. I was starting to wonder whether I'd have to resort to ServantsRUs.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Back up to 8 tickets available for Leicester now.

Always, always, always check back nearer the time if you want a ticket but it has previously shown as sold out. It's amazing how many returns get put on with a few days till kick off.

This. It's worth checking every day in the run up to the game if you're desperate to go, and can get away with short notice.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

If Stoke away had been on sale instead of Bournemouth, this thread wouldn't exist I think.

 

[The_Viper]

Didn't see anyone moaning last season.....Wonder why?

Because those HARDCORE 40 YEAR FANS **** JCLS etc etc never wanted to go to away games. Now we're in the big time they're wanting to go to these games. Quite funny, the same ones moaning about those surrounding the City team bus are probably the same ones buying more away tickets than ever before this season because it's a great day out.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I'd say no. The Leicester game proved it, went all the way through the tiers of eligibility. 3000 away tickets week in week out is a lot for us to shift, we do not usually take those numbers north of watford unless it's a big occasion. I'd say there are around 1000 or so STH who will do 10+ aways a season and they are pretty much guaranteed a ticket for any game this season, which seems fair. Bournemouth and Watford aside that will still leave around 2000 per game for everyone else.

There is NO perfect system for this, the very nature of supply and demand means some will miss out on the 'BIG" games but i think this system is reasonably fair.

 

[BNthree]

The club could hold back 5% of away tickets and make them available on general sale to give fans with less poi ts a chance of getting to away games.

 

[BBassic]

Is it not the case that next season more people will find themselves in the 'has had a ST for 3+ years' (or whatever it was) and thus will have slightly more starting points. Combined with their away trips, if they do go away regularly, will mean the spread is more even.

I don't think they'll keep adding brackets on to the ST thing. It'll remain at 5+ years, 4 years, 3 years etc etc

 

[Goldstone1976]

Is it not the case that next season more people will find themselves in the 'has had a ST for 3+ years' (or whatever it was) and thus will have slightly more starting points. Combined with their away trips, if they do go away regularly, will mean the spread is more even.

I don't think they'll keep adding brackets on to the ST thing. It'll remain at 5+ years, 4 years, 3 years etc etc

It's currently 6 years (180 points). They've already announced there'll be 190 points for 7 years, and 200 points for 8 years. Maybe they'll cap it there? They've another nearly three years to decide. (Same link to the T&Cs I gave earlier)

 

[Giraffe]

It's currently 6 years (180 points). They've already announced there'll be 190 points for 7 years, and 200 points for 8 years. Maybe they'll cap it there? They've another nearly three years to decide. (Same link to the T&Cs I gave earlier)

I seem to recall mention of capping it at 8 years. If it's not capped at some point it's even more of a closed shop (mathematically) isn't it?