A bit rough, but hope it's useful for those who weren't able to attend...
PB - Paul Barber
JG - Jenny Gower
PC - Paul Camillin
PB opener: PB and JG both have prior experience with European footballing ticketing. PB also has England experience. Club have spoken to other PL clubs who have played in Europe recently. Club also consulted with FSA. Everything has been done taking as much experience on board as possible.
The Club are trying to make it easy as possible for fans and the club as lot to do in a short time once the draw is made.
HOME GAMES
Keegan - PB - who would you like to be most in Brighton’s group.
PB - anyone that enables us to progress from the group and go further in the competition.
Jon Lang - 3-pack for STHs. Out of 6 games, I know I can’t make 1 date. We don’t know which dates will be home and away games yet, but the club say no transfers or refunds are possible, so if I buy the 3-match package but need to miss a home game, it feels a bit early to commit before knowing the dates.
JG - Can understand it’s difficult without knowing all the details. We know there is demand from some fans who want to come to all games regardless. We know it doesn’t help everybody. This is just for people who want to commit now.
Jon Lang - Will we have a resale?
JG - If we can, technically, we will., but we want people to buy because they know they can come to all three games. There is a big discount on the 3-match package pricing which makes it slightly tricky to offer a re-sale.
PB - As we progress, UEFA take more tickets, and there are shorter windows for ticket sales. We want to minimise the convenience for many. There’s no perfect solution, unfortunately we need to make compromises somewhere.
Nigel Prince - We are a 1901 group in the Heineken Lounge - our regular seat may not be available?
JG - Tomorrow you can book whatever 1901 seats are available. There is more displacement of fans in 1901 areas than elsewhere.
PB - UEFA take more in 1901, including the best seats. They do this for all clubs. Displacement is all the way along. We felt it was fairerairer to make all seats available to all 1901 at the same time.
Teresa Welsh - Asked for lots of detail on the dates and draw etc.
PB - dates on UEFA and club website. You can buy 3-match package or wait for match-by-match tickets. Your choice as to what to buy.
TW - will tickets include parking or transport?
PB - We can’t say yet, as we don’t know who we’re playing, when we’re playing and transport conditions (srrikes) etc.
TW - will there be a senior discount?
JG - all pricing is on the website.
Colin Westcott - Can 1901 buy for F&F in normal way?
JG - Alre your F&F all 1901 members?
CW - Yes
JG - Yes, you can buy all together in the usual way.
Kimberley Pulling - STH displacement - have they all been told?
JG - Yes - email sent today. Affects front of north and south. Also front of east upper and a bit of W1A.
KW - so, if you’re not heard yet, you’ve not been displaced?
JG - Correct - yes.
David Foster - Don’t know fixture dates - can’t find them anywhere.
PB - recounted dates.
DF - all evening games?
PB - yes
Christopher Roberts - Do home tickets get loyalty points. Can we spread payments over direct debit.
JG - LP defined once we know the opposition, but they will be issued.
Payment - no DD option. Up front payment due to timescales.
Brent Hudson - What percentage of 1901 displaced for these group games?
JG - about 15%. We have to give visitors some category A seats.
BH - 1901 need to login early as 15% people won’t get seats.
JG - Yes, however not all 1901 seats are sold seasonally, so there is some extra capacity.
Trevor Mitchell-Lake: We’re affected by the raised advertising boards. Where will seats available for us to buy be?
JG - you will get access to all unsold seats and buy wherever you like.
PB - includes seats we don’t usually make available for PL games so should be a wider choice than normal. Some seats normally held back for PL sponsors or the PL themselves but we can sell them this time.
Tony Noble - Will games b broadcast to be on TNT?
PB - Yes.
TN - Will AlbionTV help people who can’t buy TNT subs?
PB - Unfortunately not
TN - Will BBC Sussex be doing commentaries?
PC - Johnny and Warren will be doing all home and away games. A new contract to be confirmed imminently will include Europa League. We know not everyone can afford TV subscriptions. Away games will be in local pubs and clubs etc.
PB - thanks for your book, I’ve read it already.
TN - <Holds upGreatest Ever Season book> in shops soon.
Nick Trorr - How soon after the draw will details be available.
PB - we go in a huddle with teams in our group to decide all details ASAP. Might be trading on allocation sizes etc.
Graham Mockett - Buy package and can’t go to one game. Can I share it with friends or family.
JG - no, you are committing to attending those three games.
AWAY GAMES
Paul Mechen - Will club arrange travel, accommodation and ticket packages?
PB - probably not. Hope that our draw gives us clubs where there will be good options for flights etc. Also unfair to take tickets out of our allocation to put in packages as it will deny those with loyalty points and earned their right to attend. We might put on flights for those who have bought tickets, but not packages.
PM - away games - will club do beam backs to the Amex?
PB - very possibly, depending on operational practicalities
Kimberley Pulling - any away ticket exchange if people buy a ticket and find they can’t travel.
JG - we are conscious of this. We think there will be a pre-reg window for fans to say they would like to attend. This will allow us to know the scale of demand. We won’t go straight on sale. Will allow fans to assess whether they can get time off work, can afford flights etc. We don’t want to have empty seats, so will allow people to hand tickets back, but on a no-refund basis. We will then look to resell them.
KP - any incentive for those who bought tickets on off-chance but can’t attend to hand their tickets back?
PB - that doesn’t help other fans. The spirit is to help others. We don’t want people to rush and buy - we want people to ensure they can go prior to buying.
Mike Gaywood - Been to quite a few away games. Get chatting. Been told by other fans that they are at their first away game, got through a 1901 mate.
JG - made changes on 1901 away tickets purchasing partly due to UEFA. When 1901 members buy away tickets, they now need to give a name and it can’t be changed. Trying to stop people buy speculatively. For Europa League, depending on countries, fans may need to give passport number and/or flight details. Also likely that some games will require in-city collection with photo ID.
Russ Pearce - If we get a Spanish club. Is there anything that the club can do to help Seagulls over Spain fans get to games as we don’t have loyalty points etc to get ticket access?
PB - the problem is if we take tickets out of our allocation for different groups, we remove them from access to those who have earned them with loyalty points. At Spurs we encouraged local groups to try and work with home clubs if they could. Small allocations - 5% - not fair to take tickets away from those who have spent thousands following the club and built up their loyalty points.
Lewis Greenwood - same loyalty scheme in place for European games?
PB - Yes.
LG - There’d be speculation about ballots for tickets.
PB - That’s the problem with social media. Wait for the club to make announcements!
LG - Draw is on the 1st September and the first game Is on 21st September and might be away - not much time!
JG - Correct! Pre-reg will open almost immediately and for a short time - 3 days or so. We expect more people to register than can realistically go. Means we can go to the away club to let them know our likely demand for tickets. Pre-reg will be open to STH and members, not sure how far down ticket sales will go.
PB - we’ve been asked about taking our full allocation for games. We hope and expect to. But if it’s a far-flung place in Turkey with expensive flights, might mean a big bill for the club if the tickets don’t all sell. Also, it tends to be reciprocal between clubs, and we might not want to give extra tickets to a club for the last game at the Amex. We don’t want to compromise the club on a sporting perspective.
David Attree: What are the allocations?
PB - 5% of stadium capacity, after segregation and UEFA tickets etc.
JG - We’re having to take out some front-row seats for the bigger LED boards, this reduces the Amex capacity. For the home games mean we get more tickets for Albion fans than we do for a PL or FA Cup game.
Jack Stephenson - potential difficult destinations, such as Kazakhstan - would club look to put on flights to those sort of destinations?
PB - The answer is we don’t know until we look at the economics of it. We won’t have much time, we’re not flight chartering experts and we don’t know the demand. Kazakhstan on a Thursday night might be difficult for a lot of people, and we don’t want to package up tickets and flights and remove tickets from the allocation. We’ll look at each case on its merit, and help if we can.
Paul Samrah - once fixtures are announced, kickoff times may not be known immediately;
PB - correct - depends on TV picks etc.
Vincent Saunders - No ballot for tickets?
JG - No ballot. Loyalty point tiers done the same way as for league games.
Gary Knight - One of our group can’t commit to all three dates but would like to go to some games. What will happen after the 15th August to the remaining tickets?
JG - The sequence is package for STHs to buy their own seat, then displaced STHs, then STHs picking different seats then Albion+ members to buy the package. STHs can buy whatever is left on a match-by-match basis later.
Neil Stapley - When you to the pre-reg, will you indicate likely loyalty points required for each venue?
JG - With the pre-reg, we will know, say, where the top 1,500 fans who would like to go are, and they would be in the first tier given the choice to buy, Then there will be lower tiers as we do for league games.
Sarah Stapley - Number of companies run trips for away games. Considered any of them as a travel partner.
PB - We are, but we can’t offer ticket packages for them which they often like to do. It also depends on what other teams are doing at the same time, as that will put demand on the fleets of the travel companies, eg Liverpool and West Ham could be playing away on same nights.
SS - Companies like Sports Options are used to those logistics.
PB - We have significant issues getting team flights when we need them. Since Covid there is very limited availability of aircraft in Europe. But we’ll look at every option for each game.
Nigel - when draw is made, will we know which dates are home and away.
PB - yes, unless any police forces in any country raises any concerns. We’ve been asked abut home transport too - we hope to package it as we do for regular home games, but can’t guarantee it yet - depends on circumstances at the time.
Peter Neale-Smith - same as Nigel above - knowing dates and times when draw is on 1st September.
PB - hope dates to be confirmed but need to caveat that, just in case.
David Foster - JG said about email sent out today. My colleague got it, but I didn’t. How confident are we that everyone is getting their emails when we sent them.
JG - Email today was only for the displaced fans.
Lewis Greenwood - In the pre-reg process, is there any way you could offer a package to those who have got tickets, as I’d be interested.
PB - we don’t know. If we can, we will - we have to judge all fixtures on their own merit.
PB - Paul Barber
JG - Jenny Gower
PC - Paul Camillin
PB opener: PB and JG both have prior experience with European footballing ticketing. PB also has England experience. Club have spoken to other PL clubs who have played in Europe recently. Club also consulted with FSA. Everything has been done taking as much experience on board as possible.
The Club are trying to make it easy as possible for fans and the club as lot to do in a short time once the draw is made.
HOME GAMES
Keegan - PB - who would you like to be most in Brighton’s group.
PB - anyone that enables us to progress from the group and go further in the competition.
Jon Lang - 3-pack for STHs. Out of 6 games, I know I can’t make 1 date. We don’t know which dates will be home and away games yet, but the club say no transfers or refunds are possible, so if I buy the 3-match package but need to miss a home game, it feels a bit early to commit before knowing the dates.
JG - Can understand it’s difficult without knowing all the details. We know there is demand from some fans who want to come to all games regardless. We know it doesn’t help everybody. This is just for people who want to commit now.
Jon Lang - Will we have a resale?
JG - If we can, technically, we will., but we want people to buy because they know they can come to all three games. There is a big discount on the 3-match package pricing which makes it slightly tricky to offer a re-sale.
PB - As we progress, UEFA take more tickets, and there are shorter windows for ticket sales. We want to minimise the convenience for many. There’s no perfect solution, unfortunately we need to make compromises somewhere.
Nigel Prince - We are a 1901 group in the Heineken Lounge - our regular seat may not be available?
JG - Tomorrow you can book whatever 1901 seats are available. There is more displacement of fans in 1901 areas than elsewhere.
PB - UEFA take more in 1901, including the best seats. They do this for all clubs. Displacement is all the way along. We felt it was fairerairer to make all seats available to all 1901 at the same time.
Teresa Welsh - Asked for lots of detail on the dates and draw etc.
PB - dates on UEFA and club website. You can buy 3-match package or wait for match-by-match tickets. Your choice as to what to buy.
TW - will tickets include parking or transport?
PB - We can’t say yet, as we don’t know who we’re playing, when we’re playing and transport conditions (srrikes) etc.
TW - will there be a senior discount?
JG - all pricing is on the website.
Colin Westcott - Can 1901 buy for F&F in normal way?
JG - Alre your F&F all 1901 members?
CW - Yes
JG - Yes, you can buy all together in the usual way.
Kimberley Pulling - STH displacement - have they all been told?
JG - Yes - email sent today. Affects front of north and south. Also front of east upper and a bit of W1A.
KW - so, if you’re not heard yet, you’ve not been displaced?
JG - Correct - yes.
David Foster - Don’t know fixture dates - can’t find them anywhere.
PB - recounted dates.
DF - all evening games?
PB - yes
Christopher Roberts - Do home tickets get loyalty points. Can we spread payments over direct debit.
JG - LP defined once we know the opposition, but they will be issued.
Payment - no DD option. Up front payment due to timescales.
Brent Hudson - What percentage of 1901 displaced for these group games?
JG - about 15%. We have to give visitors some category A seats.
BH - 1901 need to login early as 15% people won’t get seats.
JG - Yes, however not all 1901 seats are sold seasonally, so there is some extra capacity.
Trevor Mitchell-Lake: We’re affected by the raised advertising boards. Where will seats available for us to buy be?
JG - you will get access to all unsold seats and buy wherever you like.
PB - includes seats we don’t usually make available for PL games so should be a wider choice than normal. Some seats normally held back for PL sponsors or the PL themselves but we can sell them this time.
Tony Noble - Will games b broadcast to be on TNT?
PB - Yes.
TN - Will AlbionTV help people who can’t buy TNT subs?
PB - Unfortunately not
TN - Will BBC Sussex be doing commentaries?
PC - Johnny and Warren will be doing all home and away games. A new contract to be confirmed imminently will include Europa League. We know not everyone can afford TV subscriptions. Away games will be in local pubs and clubs etc.
PB - thanks for your book, I’ve read it already.
TN - <Holds upGreatest Ever Season book> in shops soon.
Nick Trorr - How soon after the draw will details be available.
PB - we go in a huddle with teams in our group to decide all details ASAP. Might be trading on allocation sizes etc.
Graham Mockett - Buy package and can’t go to one game. Can I share it with friends or family.
JG - no, you are committing to attending those three games.
AWAY GAMES
Paul Mechen - Will club arrange travel, accommodation and ticket packages?
PB - probably not. Hope that our draw gives us clubs where there will be good options for flights etc. Also unfair to take tickets out of our allocation to put in packages as it will deny those with loyalty points and earned their right to attend. We might put on flights for those who have bought tickets, but not packages.
PM - away games - will club do beam backs to the Amex?
PB - very possibly, depending on operational practicalities
Kimberley Pulling - any away ticket exchange if people buy a ticket and find they can’t travel.
JG - we are conscious of this. We think there will be a pre-reg window for fans to say they would like to attend. This will allow us to know the scale of demand. We won’t go straight on sale. Will allow fans to assess whether they can get time off work, can afford flights etc. We don’t want to have empty seats, so will allow people to hand tickets back, but on a no-refund basis. We will then look to resell them.
KP - any incentive for those who bought tickets on off-chance but can’t attend to hand their tickets back?
PB - that doesn’t help other fans. The spirit is to help others. We don’t want people to rush and buy - we want people to ensure they can go prior to buying.
Mike Gaywood - Been to quite a few away games. Get chatting. Been told by other fans that they are at their first away game, got through a 1901 mate.
JG - made changes on 1901 away tickets purchasing partly due to UEFA. When 1901 members buy away tickets, they now need to give a name and it can’t be changed. Trying to stop people buy speculatively. For Europa League, depending on countries, fans may need to give passport number and/or flight details. Also likely that some games will require in-city collection with photo ID.
Russ Pearce - If we get a Spanish club. Is there anything that the club can do to help Seagulls over Spain fans get to games as we don’t have loyalty points etc to get ticket access?
PB - the problem is if we take tickets out of our allocation for different groups, we remove them from access to those who have earned them with loyalty points. At Spurs we encouraged local groups to try and work with home clubs if they could. Small allocations - 5% - not fair to take tickets away from those who have spent thousands following the club and built up their loyalty points.
Lewis Greenwood - same loyalty scheme in place for European games?
PB - Yes.
LG - There’d be speculation about ballots for tickets.
PB - That’s the problem with social media. Wait for the club to make announcements!
LG - Draw is on the 1st September and the first game Is on 21st September and might be away - not much time!
JG - Correct! Pre-reg will open almost immediately and for a short time - 3 days or so. We expect more people to register than can realistically go. Means we can go to the away club to let them know our likely demand for tickets. Pre-reg will be open to STH and members, not sure how far down ticket sales will go.
PB - we’ve been asked about taking our full allocation for games. We hope and expect to. But if it’s a far-flung place in Turkey with expensive flights, might mean a big bill for the club if the tickets don’t all sell. Also, it tends to be reciprocal between clubs, and we might not want to give extra tickets to a club for the last game at the Amex. We don’t want to compromise the club on a sporting perspective.
David Attree: What are the allocations?
PB - 5% of stadium capacity, after segregation and UEFA tickets etc.
JG - We’re having to take out some front-row seats for the bigger LED boards, this reduces the Amex capacity. For the home games mean we get more tickets for Albion fans than we do for a PL or FA Cup game.
Jack Stephenson - potential difficult destinations, such as Kazakhstan - would club look to put on flights to those sort of destinations?
PB - The answer is we don’t know until we look at the economics of it. We won’t have much time, we’re not flight chartering experts and we don’t know the demand. Kazakhstan on a Thursday night might be difficult for a lot of people, and we don’t want to package up tickets and flights and remove tickets from the allocation. We’ll look at each case on its merit, and help if we can.
Paul Samrah - once fixtures are announced, kickoff times may not be known immediately;
PB - correct - depends on TV picks etc.
Vincent Saunders - No ballot for tickets?
JG - No ballot. Loyalty point tiers done the same way as for league games.
Gary Knight - One of our group can’t commit to all three dates but would like to go to some games. What will happen after the 15th August to the remaining tickets?
JG - The sequence is package for STHs to buy their own seat, then displaced STHs, then STHs picking different seats then Albion+ members to buy the package. STHs can buy whatever is left on a match-by-match basis later.
Neil Stapley - When you to the pre-reg, will you indicate likely loyalty points required for each venue?
JG - With the pre-reg, we will know, say, where the top 1,500 fans who would like to go are, and they would be in the first tier given the choice to buy, Then there will be lower tiers as we do for league games.
Sarah Stapley - Number of companies run trips for away games. Considered any of them as a travel partner.
PB - We are, but we can’t offer ticket packages for them which they often like to do. It also depends on what other teams are doing at the same time, as that will put demand on the fleets of the travel companies, eg Liverpool and West Ham could be playing away on same nights.
SS - Companies like Sports Options are used to those logistics.
PB - We have significant issues getting team flights when we need them. Since Covid there is very limited availability of aircraft in Europe. But we’ll look at every option for each game.
Nigel - when draw is made, will we know which dates are home and away.
PB - yes, unless any police forces in any country raises any concerns. We’ve been asked abut home transport too - we hope to package it as we do for regular home games, but can’t guarantee it yet - depends on circumstances at the time.
Peter Neale-Smith - same as Nigel above - knowing dates and times when draw is on 1st September.
PB - hope dates to be confirmed but need to caveat that, just in case.
David Foster - JG said about email sent out today. My colleague got it, but I didn’t. How confident are we that everyone is getting their emails when we sent them.
JG - Email today was only for the displaced fans.
Lewis Greenwood - In the pre-reg process, is there any way you could offer a package to those who have got tickets, as I’d be interested.
PB - we don’t know. If we can, we will - we have to judge all fixtures on their own merit.
