[Albion] Independent Football Ombudsman rules on Albion fan ban and loyalty points deduction

[Horses Arse]

I’ve never known a club (or business) put as many barriers to entry in place for their product as our club does. It’s mind blowing.

The simple solution to this is that if you buy a ST and can’t go, you can assign it to someone else by giving the club their details. Those details then get picked up on the system as they go through the barriers, and if the details are different to the ID shown, then there becomes an issue with bans etc. This ensures transparency and safety are at the forefront, but makes the process much easier.

As far as I’m concerned, if I pay for a ticket for a season, I should be able to pass it on without going through the absolute hassle, and often expense, that’s currently in place. I love the club, I just hate how they deal with fans at times.

There's a seat next to my two, that for a while was inbetween my three - when I went from 4 to three the club failed to ensure that the three remaining were together, despite saying that they would. Can't be them that made a mistake clearly, so must have been me.

The seat is never sat in by the same person. For the years when I had three tickets I tried to get the club to move the one in between mine but they couldn't get a response from the owner to accept this. The guy clearly just passes the ticket on continuously, turns up himself for the odd game. Your suggestion would not stop that, it would legitimise someone blocking a season ticket so that they could pick and choose matches to go to. The club is trying to stop that sort of approach, which is where clubs like Man Utd were (and maybe still are) with dead folk's season tickets continuing and passed onto others. I think that is the right strategy, to avoid such issues happening here with season tickets in such demand. However, when it is applied to fally members when you cannot attend a game it feels really harsh.

It's the grey that is always the problem, the black and white is straight forward. I mean, maybe the guy I referenced just has a really bloody huge family....

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I don't see the relevance. If someone independent looks at any dispute and says Person A is behaving inappropriately and should apologise but their response is "Well I think it's fine, you can do one" it's not a good look for them. As I said, piss poor behaviour from the club showing a complete lack of class.

We will have to agree to differ. The fact that they are independent doesn’t make them automatically right (imo). The process is non binding so you can’t be that surprised when one party doesn’t accept it.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

There's a seat next to my two, that for a while was inbetween my three - when I went from 4 to three the club failed to ensure that the three remaining were together, despite saying that they would. Can't be them that made a mistake clearly, so must have been me.

The seat is never sat in by the same person. For the years when I had three tickets I tried to get the club to move the one in between mine but they couldn't get a response from the owner to accept this. The guy clearly just passes the ticket on continuously, turns up himself for the odd game. Your suggestion would not stop that, it would legitimise someone blocking a season ticket so that they could pick and choose matches to go to. The club is trying to stop that sort of approach, which is where clubs like Man Utd were (and maybe still are) with dead folk's season tickets continuing and passed onto others. I think that is the right strategy, to avoid such issues happening here with season tickets in such demand. However, when it is applied to fally members when you cannot attend a game it feels really harsh.

It's the grey that is always the problem, the black and white is straight forward. I mean, maybe the guy I referenced just has a really bloody huge family....

To be honest, the strategy I’m suggesting requires some common sense from the club and works on the proviso that families and friends are seated together.

But the fact you’ve not been able to overcome this barrier just reiterated my initial point - our club put so many barriers in place and often lack common sense where ticketing is concerned, and it blows my mind.

I don’t really want to go through the stories I know and have heard, nor the ones that have happened to me, but I’m no longer a ST holder as a result of this, nor are the family members I went with. The club don’t care though - they’ll find someone else to fill the seat as we’re a Premier League club. Although from what I’ve heard from friends that are still ST holders, there’s a lot of seats not being filled at games now… so maybe not.

 

[dazzer6666]

Alternatively the person who's had their name hand written on the ticket is the only person who uses it to go to the match.

Quite why anyone doubts the club's commitment to their stance while also knowing someone is paid to write 3000 names on 3000 tickets, seems somewhat odd.

So if one of your F&F bought a ticket in your name without your knowledge then passed it on to someone and you got banned you’d be OK with that ?

 

[Stat Brother]

So if one of your F&F bought a ticket in your name without your knowledge then passed it on to someone and you got banned you’d be OK with that ?

That would require:-
Me passing on my log in details.
Me ignoring the confirmation email.
& rather crucially
Me telling the panel "I want the punishment".

The way this season has panned out I'd be throwing Jnr under the bus even if I were guilty - so that all seems rather unlikely.

#ParentOfTheYear.

 

[El Presidente]

We will have to agree to differ. The fact that they are independent doesn’t make them automatically right (imo). The process is non binding so you can’t be that surprised when one party doesn’t accept it.

Wasn’t the Brexit vote a non binding decision?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Not entirely sure that's accurate. Didn't the son purchase through his own account using friends and family?

Not entirely sure that's accurate. Didn't the son purchase through his own account using friends and family?

You are correct (I have read fully now)

Not close enough to the process but the club clearly need to notify the STH or Member when their fa number is used for purchases. I wasn’t clear on the content of the emails sent to know how generic they would appear leading to them being ignored

However as much as the club has a responsibility to contact the recipients, the onus is on the recipient to read the contents

 

[Horses Arse]

To be honest, the strategy I’m suggesting requires some common sense from the club and works on the proviso that families and friends are seated together.

But the fact you’ve not been able to overcome this barrier just reiterated my initial point - our club put so many barriers in place and often lack common sense where ticketing is concerned, and it blows my mind.

I don’t really want to go through the stories I know and have heard, nor the ones that have happened to me, but I’m no longer a ST holder as a result of this, nor are the family members I went with. The club don’t care though - they’ll find someone else to fill the seat as we’re a Premier League club. Although from what I’ve heard from friends that are still ST holders, there’s a lot of seats not being filled at games now… so maybe not.

Ahh common sense! Wouldn't that be great!!

Sorry to hear you no longer go, I was close to that myself 8 or 9 years ago but that would have meant my kids were prevented also. I ended up sucking it up after some childish ranting on my part. Can't help.myself sometimes....

Infuriating and so upsetting when you suffer the intransigence and lack of care from the club. Fine for the cheerleaders yet to experience it though. Their time will come

 

[dazzer6666]

That would require:-
Me passing on my log in details.
Me ignoring the confirmation email.
& rather crucially
Me telling the panel "I want the punishment".

The way this season has panned out I'd be throwing Jnr under the bus even if I were guilty - so that all seems rather unlikely.

#ParentOfTheYear.

No it wouldn’t. You simply need to be on someone‘s F&F list (and have enough LPs) for them to buy a ticket in your name.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Wasn’t the Brexit vote a non binding decision?

The Albion can continue to enforce their terms and conditions and pretty much ignore this ruling. If you would like to ignore the outcome of the Brexit Referendum then fill your boots.

 

[Stat Brother]

No it wouldn’t. You simply need to be on someone‘s F&F list (and have enough LPs) for them to buy a ticket in your name.

I'd still have to ignore the email and insist the punishment be handed down to me.

 

[dazzer6666]

I'd still have to ignore the email and insist the punishment be handed down to me.

What email ? The new ‘away fans warning’ one ? If you got an email at the point of purchase ‘all this could be avoided’ in the words of my first Head of Audit.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Ahh common sense! Wouldn't that be great!!

Sorry to hear you no longer go, I was close to that myself 8 or 9 years ago but that would have meant my kids were prevented also. I ended up sucking it up after some childish ranting on my part. Can't help.myself sometimes....

Infuriating and so upsetting when you suffer the intransigence and lack of care from the club. Fine for the cheerleaders yet to experience it though. Their time will come

To be honest, I’m as disenfranchised with football, and with the way fans are dealt with by our club, as I’ve ever been (I say that as I’m replying on our football board on my weekend). It is a shame to be missing the best team we’ve ever had, but there’s enough ways to watch us on TV or online that I don’t really feel like I’m missing out - plus I don’t have the stress of dealing with the club, which caused issues on multiple occasions. I just don’t get why we make it so difficult for fans to be paying fans, ultimately.

 

[Stat Brother]

What email ? The new ‘away fans warning’ one ? If you got an email at the point of purchase ‘all this could be avoided’ in the words of my first Head of Audit.

Yeah I always get a 'heads up' email before the away games we're attending.
Were I to get one for an away game I hadn't bought a ticket, I'd take 10 seconds to write 'what's this all about then?' to Supporter Services (who have always been excellent)

Jnr would also get a swift and sudden 'heads up' if he chooses to use my details to sneek in a mate.
After which he'd then receive a 10 game ban and 50 point deduction.


Are you saying it's simple and straight forward to go from ticket release date to turnstile and have absolutely knowledge of a ticket bought in your name?

 

[Bozza]

Yeah I always get a 'heads up' email before the away games we're attending.
Were I to get one for an away game I hadn't bought a ticket, I'd take 10 seconds to write 'what's this all about then?' to Supporter Services (who have always been excellent)

Jnr would also get a swift and sudden 'heads up' if he chooses to use my details to sneek in a mate.
After which he'd then receive a 10 game ban and 50 point deduction.


Are you saying it's simple and straight forward to go from ticket release date to turnstile and have absolutely knowledge of a ticket bought in your name?

I've no recollection of ever receiving an email when someone has purchased a ticket for me, and I'm equally certain that when I've bought tickets on behalf of other people they've received nothing and only know the transaction has happened because I tell them.

 

[Stat Brother]

I've no recollection of ever receiving an email when someone has purchased a ticket for me, and I'm equally certain that when I've bought tickets on behalf of other people they've received nothing and only know the transaction has happened because I tell them.

If then it's easy to go from ticket release to turnstile without ever knowing a ticket has been bought in your name I retract everything I've written.

 

[BNthree]

Really simple solution to this is the ticket holder whose name has been used gets an email confirmation that a ticket has been bought. A few lines of code in the ticketing software solves it.

Exactly this.

 

[BNthree]

If then it's easy to go from ticket release to turnstile without ever knowing a ticket has been bought in your name I retract everything I've written.

Took you long enough but you got there in the end.

 

[Guinness Boy]

If then it's easy to go from ticket release to turnstile without ever knowing a ticket has been bought in your name I retract everything I've written.

On the other hand with the digital tickets for Spurs away and Wembley everyone I legitimately bought for got an email from me that I forwarded so they could download. And I had full sight of who I’d bought for.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Maybe but it’s not in England travel club and 4000+ fans travel abroad for every game, no resale / refunds and collections only with ID in the host city without problem. I can see why the club don’t want the hassle and extra work to manage people who can’t attend for however good or bad the reason is

Most England fans with loads of points are at least in their 40s and can plan their leave and flights around a well known schedule. They know the cheapest and quickest flights. I wouldn’t trust many of our Tier 1s to find Paris on a map from what I’ve seen this season