[Albion] Final nail in the coffin for “I can’t get away tickets”

[Creaky]

They don’t though. It’s only on renewal that a STH gets points. The first renewal generates 50 LP, which is nowhere near enough to get them into even the third tier.

The vast majority of those in the first and second tier will have been STH for at least 5 years... as well as attending home cup games and a decent wadge of away games.

A new season ticket holder is immediately one tier above those who only buy tickets on a match by match basis. The Liverpool match for example - if I hadn’t renewed my ST then I wouldn’t have been able to buy a ticket until yesterday whereas a brand new STH with just 50 points could have bought on Friday.

 

[Goldstone1976]

A new season ticket holder is immediately one tier above those who only buy tickets on a match by match basis. The Liverpool match for example - if I hadn’t renewed my ST then I wouldn’t have been able to buy a ticket until yesterday whereas a brand new STH with just 50 points could have bought on Friday.

A brand new STH doesn’t get 50 points. They only get those points when they renew for the second season...

 

[Green Gull]

A brand new STH doesn’t get 50 points. They only get those points when they renew for the second season...

I don't think your right there. A mate of mine got his very first season ticket last year and he had 50 loyalty points on it from the start.

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[blockhseagull]

I’m not sure how it could be improved.

The long term season ticket holders and regular away fans are given preference. I’m not sure how much fairer you can make it ?

It isn’t a closed shop as some claim as the Liverpool tickets show.... it’s just when tickets do fall to the lower brackets like the Liverpool game, or Stoke or Burnley there is always an excuse from those moaning that “oh I can’t do that one because of public transport” or “it’s not local enough”.

Now while I respect any ones decision for why they don’t go to a match, everyone’s circumstances are different and lives dictate certain things. However I can’t see how anyone can critise a system that gives an advantage to those that do travel to those difficult to get to games.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

That’s not necessarily the case though and in any case those who went to away games only wouldn’t have more points than a season ticket holder. If they went to all the away games and no home games then they would only have the same points as someone who went to all the home games, (STH), and no away games.

It just strikes me as a little unfair, even as an STH myself, that a brand new STH automatically takes precedence over someone who may well have been supporting the club for decades.

If the person only goes to away games, the club receives a tiny percentage of the ticket money, for selling the ticket. Brighton don't get a penny from the gate receipts.
Cup games are different, and can be a good way of building up points, as the club realised lady year, when we played Bournemouth, which is why, now, the club waits until confirmation, the ticket was actually used.

 

[Goldstone1976]

I don't think your right there. A mate of mine got his very first season ticket last year and he had 50 loyalty points on it from the start.

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It’s definitely what the T&Cs say. I cant speak for what happened in reality for your mate...

And I’ve just bought a 18/19 ST for my mum and she has zero LP.

 

[Green Gull]

Well I'm sure that's what he had. We both wanted to go to Watford away (last season) and I couldn't get him a ticket as he only had 50 points. He had no previous Albion purchase history either so I presume a new season ticket is loaded with 50 points from the off?
I've never read the T's&C's so you may be correct. His ticket definitely started with 50 though.

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[Goldstone1976]

Well I'm sure that's what he had. We both wanted to go to Watford away (last season) and I couldn't get him a ticket as he only had 50 points. He had no previous Albion purchase history either so I presume a new season ticket is loaded with 50 points from the off?
I've never read the T's&C's so you may be correct. His ticket definitely started with 50 though.

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Not disputing what you say - but he got lucky; he definitely shouldn’t have got any for just having a new ST with no prior purchase history.

 

[Goldstone1976]

250 Liverpool seats still available for any Albion fans who have never seen us live.

Just pay your £22 Bronze membership and immediately purchase a ticket for a “glamour” away tie - Robert’s your mother’s brother.

 

[chimneys]

250 Liverpool seats still available for any Albion fans who have never seen us live.

Just pay your £22 Bronze membership and immediately purchase a ticket for a “glamour” away tie - Robert’s your mother’s brother.

Morning Truman!

 

[Green Gull]

Not disputing what you say - but he got lucky; he definitely shouldn’t have got any for just having a new ST with no prior purchase history.

Yeah sounds as if he did get lucky! I just assumed 50 was the start point for new S.T holders. I'll be interested to know what he starts this season with now, I'm assuming if it's over 50 he's been lucky again?

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[BNthree]

250 Liverpool seats still available for any Albion fans who have never seen us live.

Just pay your £22 Bronze membership and immediately purchase a ticket for a “glamour” away tie - Robert’s your mother’s brother.

Don't you have to wait 2 weeks for Bronze membership to kick in to stop opposition fans using it to get tickets in the home end at the Amex?

 

[Eeyore]

It's a concern certainly. I worry mostly that he won't catch up with me.

I go to home games with a big group but always travel with my son, a good mate who lives round the corner and his son. We're all very close. In the Hyypia / Hughton season they were 8 and we took them to Charlton in January and they absolutely loved it. We took them to Fulham at the start of the following season and also the New Year Fulham game where we came from behind to win 2-1 so they've done three really decent aways which we've won, all legitimately. But there were a few games in those seasons that were eitther mid week aways or a long way away that just me and my mate did as an adult day on the beer.

We realised this would be an issue when the adults could get Middlesboro tickets but the boys couldn't. We might have sneaked returns for them at the end but it would have been a scramble, their train tickets would have been more expensive and their legitimate seats would have been in a totally different block. For QPR we were ok and they weren't.

Last season even my points were right on the edge. We were the corporate guest of a friend a couple of times and went in the home end once but again that was just the adults. In doing so I saw some games I wanted to see but didn't get the points for them.

It may be as they grow older that others drop out and more games become STH only. It may be that we have to start them back off on aways with something like Wolves away on a Tuesday just to get points. But the thing is the three aways they've done legitmately - Charlton and Fulham twice - all sold out to Brighton. They just seemed to sell out in a much different way. Maybe we've just got a whole load more really loyal fans as we've become "good"

Wonder how many points we would have got for Plymouth Argyle in the Zenith Data Cup.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Yeah sounds as if he did get lucky! I just assumed 50 was the start point for new S.T holders. I'll be interested to know what he starts this season with now, I'm assuming if it's over 50 he's been lucky again?

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Would need to check, but I think it’s 90 for the second renewal. I suspect he wouldn’t need to be lucky again - once he was set up in the system, it’s likely that it would be automatic thereafter...

Don't you have to wait 2 weeks for Bronze membership to kick in to stop opposition fans using it to get tickets in the home end at the Amex?

Ooh. Dunno - but that sounds sensible.

Still, folk only have to wait until Tuesday morning, and then they can buy without even having bought a Bronze membership. All they will have had to is to have bought a ticket at some point in the past - 5 years will he soon enough.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Morning Truman!

It’s a fair cop, guv.

 

[Eeyore]

15 minutes after Liverpool away went on sale to anyone with a Bronze membership (annual cost £22), there are still 233 tickets for the game available from the first allocation (ie before returns are processed in the week before the game).

If you want to go to away games, you can.

It’s only if you want to pick the most convenient game for you to attend that you’ll have had to put the hard miles in previously.

You have a circular reference running here.

The only reason tickets are available is because those who do put in 'the hard yards' have a reason not to. The same reason as those who can't normally get tickets may not be available for this game.

 

[Goldstone1976]

You have a circular reference running here.

The only reason tickets are available is because those who do put in 'the hard yards' have a reason not to. The same reason as those who can't normally get tickets may not be available for this game.

I see your point, but I don’t entirely agree. The “hard yard” folk may decide to not do this particular game, but, by definition, they did enough similarly hard games in the past to get them in the position where they now have a choice.

My issue is with those who want the benefit extended to those who did do the hard yards in the past, without actually being prepared to put in those same hard yards when there is a great opportunity to do so right now.

Some seem to want to have their cake and eat it.

 

[drew]

I see your point, but I don’t entirely agree. The “hard yard” folk may decide to not do this particular game, but, by definition, they did enough similarly hard games in the past to get them in the position where they now have a choice.

My issue is with those who want the benefit extended to those who did do the hard yards in the past, without actually being prepared to put in those same hard yards when there is a great opportunity to do so right now.

Some seem to want to have their cake and eat it.

Agree with this. There seems to be a sense of instant entitlement just because we are successful at the moment.

 

[Eeyore]

I see your point, but I don’t entirely agree. The “hard yard” folk may decide to not do this particular game, but, by definition, they did enough similarly hard games in the past to get them in the position where they now have a choice.

My issue is with those who want the benefit extended to those who did do the hard yards in the past, without actually being prepared to put in those same hard yards when there is a great opportunity to do so right now.

Some seem to want to have their cake and eat it.

I think most folk accept that there has to be a pecking order. Last season there was a handful of games I wanted to go to but because I was not an STH, for good reason, it wasn't possible. I bemoaned that but knew the system was mostly fair. It's just the way it is.

There were, I think, four games I was eligible for. Three of them I didn't attend for pretty much the same reason as regulars. I went to Stoke City and had a pleasant day out.

As for Liverpool. I can't get back that day and the timing isn't right.

Years ago I was one of those who went home and away despite the team's position or league. I've been to Hartlepool twice but never to Arsenal. I'm the original un-glory hunter.

It would be nice to see a few Premier League away games and I suspect as the novelty wears off for some that opportunity will arise. As I may be moving north soon it becomes more likely anyway. I'll just get tickets for the home ends and probably not be questioned. That one is another debate.

 

[Creaky]

A brand new STH doesn’t get 50 points. They only get those points when they renew for the second season...

Whether they get 50 points now or later doesn’t make any difference - the all season ticket holder tier is higher than the member tier.

Suppose I don’t renew my ST next year - I will drop from the top tier to below a brand new STH who may only have ever been to a handful of games. I’d still be a tier below them even if I actually went to more home games than they did.

The current scheme just appears unnecessarily complicated and with a number of flaws.