I just want to watch football, now I have to cconsider my Albion supporter "aspirations"

[Stuart Munday]

I feel that the membership scheme (whatever that ends up meaning!) was dreamt up when we were on our way to the Premier League, without really considering how it might work if we don't get there for some time. How many 30,000+ crowds can we expect next year? For the vast majority of games casual supporters will be able to buy tickets, probably even on the day.

Totally agree, unless people are deperate for tickets for QPR, Bournemouth away if they are organised they will have no problems with getting tickets for next season.

 

[Mackenzie]

Barber will be culling Badgers soon! If we were still playing in a 20k stadium there might be pressure on tickets, but at 30k no one needs to worry, as mentioned above. I still have to have a lie down whenever I cast my mind back to the fact that after five plus days of the Palace play off Amex match going on GENERAL sale to anyone with a purchase history there were STILL tickets available.

Agreed. What point does the membership scheme serve (other than to give the marketing people a reason to exist and make the club more cash), when we already have in place the loyalty points thing.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I'll say what I told you earlier - Barber came with exactly this reputation. I was wary of his decision to charge for mascots,but at least 1 or 2 spaces per match remained available for Gullys Gang members. Also wary of his insistence the NSC on-line ticket exchange be closed, but again that was actually illegal anyway, so we can't grumble too much.

However, he should be looking at creating entirely new revenue streams for the club, not attempting to fleece wealthier fans at the expense of the less well off support, many of whom will be very loyal fans. This is not a good turn of events.

Embarrassingly, I didn't believe you when you first posted about Barber. I now completely understand and agree where you were coming from. Supporting your team shouldn't come down to who has the most money.

 

[Titanic]

I wonder if he has thought of auctioning Loyalty Points on eBay?

Good idea?

 

[father_and_son]

This is from Barber:

"Tiers of the new membership scheme will be designed to suit personal preferences, aspirations and budgets. You may find that one of the tiers suits you - or none do in which case you will still be able to access tickets, subject to availability"

What's going on? What is all of this nonsense?

More anti-Barber posts on his thread than the simple announcement really deserves!!

All he means is that if you are not a season ticket holder but want to go to the occasional game then you need to be registered (no different to just having a fan number). I expect more "packages of games" to be available.
The club is merely trying to ensure they sell every ticket for every game and that price is proportionate to fan loyalty... buy a season ticket to pay the least per game, buy a package to pay a medium amount per game, buy one ticket a year and pay the full gate price.

What is so complicated and why does PB get so much abuse? Under FFP we can only spend what is available (well, slightly more for a few years, but you know what I mean)... PB's job is to maximise the club's income and minimise the non-football outgoing. Everything left over is for Gus (or whoever) to spend. If PB does a good job then the club does better and the fans are happier... do you really not understand what FFP means?!?

 

[BuddyBoy]

"designed to suit personal preferences, aspirations and budgets"

Should read: certain tiers designed for those that can afford it and if you can't, look forward to becoming a second rate 'customer'.

This appears to be a very negative development. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Mellotron]

More anti-Barber posts on his thread than the simple announcement really deserves!!

All he means is that if you are not a season ticket holder but want to go to the occasional game then you need to be registered (no different to just having a fan number). I expect more "packages of games" to be available.
The club is merely trying to ensure they sell every ticket for every game and that price is proportionate to fan loyalty... buy a season ticket to pay the least per game, buy a package to pay a medium amount per game, buy one ticket a year and pay the full gate price.

What is so complicated and why does PB get so much abuse? Under FFP we can only spend what is available (well, slightly more for a few years, but you know what I mean)... PB's job is to maximise the club's income and minimise the non-football outgoing. Everything left over is for Gus (or whoever) to spend. If PB does a good job then the club does better and the fans are happier... do you really not understand what FFP means?!?

What's the point of this membership scheme when we have a loyalty scheme that works fine in place already?

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Me too. My "aspirations" have been mostly covered by the fact that I have already paid up to sit in my preferred seat next season.

My other aspiration is to watch a team fighting a promotion battle. This will require a manager and possibly some new players who I would like to be available for pre-season if humanly possible. I think that should be the priority of Mr Barber and others right at this moment in time.

Quite. It's time that Barber & others got their priorities right, rather than coming out with all this "aspirational" membership bollox. I can't believe Tony Bloom could endorse what's going on here at the moment tbh. If not, he needs to get his butt into gear & sort out this mess that Mr Barber appears to be aiding & abetting.

 

[Bognor Bystander]

I have a ST. I'll be damned if I'm forking out on top of that

This.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

What's the point of this membership scheme when we have a loyalty scheme that works fine in place already?

Exactly. It's a 'solution' to an issue that has no identifiable drawbacks. How very 2013...

 

[albionalbino]

I have holistic aspirations. I want to watch the Albion.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

More anti-Barber posts on his thread than the simple announcement really deserves!!

All he means is that if you are not a season ticket holder but want to go to the occasional game then you need to be registered (no different to just having a fan number). I expect more "packages of games" to be available.
The club is merely trying to ensure they sell every ticket for every game and that price is proportionate to fan loyalty... buy a season ticket to pay the least per game, buy a package to pay a medium amount per game, buy one ticket a year and pay the full gate price.

What is so complicated and why does PB get so much abuse? Under FFP we can only spend what is available (well, slightly more for a few years, but you know what I mean)... PB's job is to maximise the club's income and minimise the non-football outgoing. Everything left over is for Gus (or whoever) to spend. If PB does a good job then the club does better and the fans are happier... do you really not understand what FFP means?!?

I don't think anyone objects to the club preparing for FFP BUT it's the drip feed of information that is currently the issue. Just bloody announce the scheme in it's entirety. The club only have themselves to blame for the current speculative bad feeling. PB gets abuse because he quite clearly doesn't understand the unique fan to club relationship we have here.

 

[glasfryn]

he will be picking the team next
I have to look at all this from the outside so to speak and have for some time believed that my home town/city club are trying to become MU
customers FFS
where have all the fans gone?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Can't Barber get a job at Ryanair or something?

 

[teaboy]

More anti-Barber posts on his thread than the simple announcement really deserves!!

All he means is that if you are not a season ticket holder but want to go to the occasional game then you need to be registered (no different to just having a fan number). I expect more "packages of games" to be available.
The club is merely trying to ensure they sell every ticket for every game and that price is proportionate to fan loyalty... buy a season ticket to pay the least per game, buy a package to pay a medium amount per game, buy one ticket a year and pay the full gate price.

What is so complicated and why does PB get so much abuse? Under FFP we can only spend what is available (well, slightly more for a few years, but you know what I mean)... PB's job is to maximise the club's income and minimise the non-football outgoing. Everything left over is for Gus (or whoever) to spend. If PB does a good job then the club does better and the fans are happier... do you really not understand what FFP means?!?

That's not entirely true though, is it? A full stadium is not the same as a stadium full of happy, loyal supporters. Is 'membership' the same as being registered, or is there an annual 'membership fee', or the possibility of one in the future? The 'package' thing annoys me too - I can't go to most games, but might be able to go to a couple a season. If buying packages is the only way to do this then I'll either have to buy tickets I can't use (which won't happen) or not buy tickets at all (most likely).

A lot is being changed, and FFP is a very convenient excuse for clubs to use for not being able to run themselves properly. Hopefully it'll sort itself out in a couple of years, but I won't hold my breath...

 

[brightn'ove]

I just want to watch football, now I have to cconsider my Albion supporter "asp

This is the tipping point for me. **** off Paul barber. **** right off. We already have the most expensive match day tickets in the league, this is just an absolute piss take. I am angry.

 

[Albion_Dave]

It all feels a bit depressing at the moment.

 

[leigull]

This is the tipping point for me. **** off Paul barber. **** right off. We already have the most expensive match day tickets in the league, this is just an absolute piss take. I am angry.

What exactly are you angry about? What we are guessing are the details of a scheme that hasn't actually been announced or confirmed yet?

It may well prove to be an absolute piss take, but until the details are announced, I don't see the need to get so worked up.

And has the OP confirmed where/when Barber gave that quote yet?

 

[glasfryn]

What exactly are you angry about? What we are guessing are the details of a scheme that hasn't actually been announced or confirmed yet?

It may well prove to be an absolute piss take, but until the details are announced, I don't see the need to get so worked up.

And has the OP confirmed where/when Barber gave that quote yet?

its all getting a little like a government dropping a little hint to see what the reaction is like

 

[Gullys Cats]

Is this a wind up?