[Albion] LoyaltyPointGate - discussion with the club

[nicko31]

It could all change this season if there are dead rubber games later in the season

 

[Titanic]

What is quite amusing is that I suspect the loyalty points system (points and prices) was designed with the help of Tony Bloom's high powered mathematical systems, which have proved unable to cope when you add the human nature factor. We are not numbers, we are free supporters!

Not only amusing, but puzzling. Clearly thousands of ordinary supporters spotted the 'opportunity' for the Barnet game, the club knew what happened and they still walked into the same situation for Bournemouth away.

As I have said several times, fewer points when tickets are cheap (and few or zero points for hugely popular away games like Chelsea, Arsenal etc... your reward for your loyalty is your tickets, not another step higher up the ladder) - problem solved.

 

[Mackenzie]

Here we go another opportunity for the "we went to Rotherham on a Tuesday night" brigade to tell us that only they are the true fans.

to be fair. Rotherham on a Tuesday is a fair commitment from Brighton, so they probably are...

 

[papajaff]

Here we go another opportunity for the "we went to Rotherham on a Tuesday night" brigade to tell us that only they are the true fans.

I speak as someone who has enough points to get tickets for the big games on the first morning when they go on sale.

Personally I want to see everyone who wants a ticket get a ticket. The only thing I see that is flawed is the random placing in the queue for the 2nd day of ticket sales. My mate could not get a ticket for Arsenal as he was two points short and there were around 900 tickets left. He got placed at 1022 in the queue so dipped out. Shrugged his shoulders and took it on his chins!

But although I was at Bournemouth the other night, for the club to start questioning the fans who didn't go and collected loyalty points, I say go stuff yourselves. What's wrong with buying loyalty points?

When I saw the way the team was set up on Tuesday and certain players who were playing, I honestly thought, what the hell am I doing here?

So no, not sure of how to set up a perfect ticketing system but loyalty points ARE there for people who made the effort in previous seasons.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Surely the problem is only that the club got the loyalty point allocation wrong for this tie. Consensus seems to be that both Leicester and Watford were sold out and well attended (despite one individual seemingly sitting on his own in an entire row at both games!!). In hindsight, the club should possibly have only offered a couple of points for this game. I don't know but I suspect the 650 that did go would still have gone. I also suspect the seemingly zillions of die hard fans that couldn't get a ticket would still not have gone (apart from the odd few). It was after all a reserve team fixture in the unwanted cup in which the club are obliged to enter and, at the second attempt, succeeded in getting knocked out.

The club know how many points fans have and over how long they have accrued them. I suspect there are very few that have only had a season for a couple of years as to be in the top bracket they would probably have had to have gone to most of the away games during those two years!

Totally agree with this. The club and some fans who wanted to attend got burned on this one but an adjustment in points allocations for future games of this nature should be enough to prevent the point harvesting.

 

[MattBackHome]

Not only amusing, but puzzling. Clearly thousands of ordinary supporters spotted the 'opportunity' for the Barnet game, the club knew what happened and they still walked into the same situation for Bournemouth away.

As I have said several times, fewer points when tickets are cheap (and few or zero points for hugely popular away games like Chelsea, Arsenal etc... your reward for your loyalty is your tickets, not another step higher up the ladder) - problem solved.

Yeah this is actually the simplest, cheapest and most elegant solution isn't it.

 

[Mackenzie]

How about a clocking out scheme? STH lose one "loyalty" point for every minute before the referee's final whistle that they decide to leave, the gates are opened on the final whistle until then you have to scan your card to leave.

 

[Pantani]

ST holder for ages, been to a few away games but lacking enough loyalty points to get into the higher brackets when away tickets come on sale. So, the question is, how can I get away tickets (and therefore loyalty points) when they come on sale. Bit of a closed shop really, isn't it?

If only there had been some sort of indication that we might get to the Premier League, like say finishing in the top six 3 out of 4 seasons. You did not go to games when they did not sell out in the past, 3,000 people (at least) did. Why should they miss out because you were too 'disloyal' when the games were less glamorous.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

600+ Harvesters has severly dented the concept of 'loyalty' in the scheme it seems.

 

[Stat Brother]

As I have said several times, fewer points when tickets are cheap (and few or zero points for hugely popular away games like Chelsea, Arsenal etc... your reward for your loyalty is your tickets, not another step higher up the ladder) - problem solved.

It's not quite face tattoos but this does seem like the next best thing.

 

[papajaff]

If only there had been some sort of indication that we might get to the Premier League, like say finishing in the top six 3 out of 4 seasons. You did not go to games when they did not sell out in the past, 3,000 people (at least) did. Why should they miss out because you were too 'disloyal' when the games were less glamorous.

Totally agree. Anyone annoyed at missing out on Arsenal, Chelsea, WHU, Spurs, Croydon; don't worry. There are games at Stoke, Newcastle, Swansea, Burnley, Hudds etc........

 

[bhanutz]

Ahh look...The fans that couldn't be bothered going to away games in the championship now feel they have the right to go to away games in the premier league.... Funny that!

 

[Pantani]

It does feel harsh in a way, but as others have said on here, it's hard to think of a fairer system. Personally, although I've been a season ticket holder for years and therefore have now acquired a good base level of points through that, that was a bit of a surprise, because it's a new system introduced this year. In the past I've tended to go to only a handful of away matches each season. However, following our coming very close to promotion two seasons ago, like many others I really felt that last season was going to be the season we succeeded in getting promotion - so I went to many more away matches last season than I'd ever done before - partly because of the feeling it was going to be an exciting season, especially towards the end, but partly also because I wanted to accumulate points for the Premier League season, if we were successful (I would stress that I actually went to every match I bought a ticket for). In the event this worked out doubly well for me, because I accumulated a good stash of points from the away matches last season, plus the unexpected bonus of getting credit for having had a season ticket since year 1 of the Amex. I know quite a few others in the same position - not 'super loyal' in the sense often discussed on here of going to most matches season after season, but fairly averagely loyal STHs, who had the foresight last season to top up with a few away points. So in that sense, I'm not sure I agree that it's a totally 'closed shop'.

Great post. It has been clear for two seasons, arguably four out of five seasons, that we would make the Prem soon. If you did not up your away attendance as Soistes has done then more fool you, and you really have no right to moan. The 'shop' may be closed now but the doors were thrown open with comely lasses welcoming you in for the last five years. You had your chance and did not take it.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

I speak as someone who has enough points to get tickets for the big games on the first morning when they go on sale.

Personally I want to see everyone who wants a ticket get a ticket. The only thing I see that is flawed is the random placing in the queue for the 2nd day of ticket sales. My mate could not get a ticket for Arsenal as he was two points short and there were around 900 tickets left. He got placed at 1022 in the queue so dipped out. Shrugged his shoulders and took it on his chins!

But although I was at Bournemouth the other night, for the club to start questioning the fans who didn't go and collected loyalty points, I say go stuff yourselves. What's wrong with buying loyalty points?

When I saw the way the team was set up on Tuesday and certain players who were playing, I honestly thought, what the hell am I doing here?

.

If you went to the Barnet game you would have realised this then

 

[jaghebby]

The key point is that demand especially against the top teams and local teams will always outstrip demand. This is especially so as this is the first of many seasons (fingers crossed) in the premier league. I cannot really see a fairer way of doing it especially for those of us who have committed considerable time, effort and hard earned cash in supporting the Albion. I think I have demonstrated loyalty having been a season ticket holder since day one at the Amex and initially going to 4 or 5 away games each season. Last two seasons I have gone to 7 away games and 8 away games so I have accrued enough loyalty points to be in the first priority this season. I didn't go to those away games to gain points but primarily to support the team, gaining loyalty points was not really a consideration but I have through my commitment now benefited! That has been rewarded so that I get the pick of tickets if I should so choose! This season I have chosen and gone to Leicester, Watford and the Bournemouth Cup game. So it is annoying that some people complain about the loyalty points system as it stands when in fact, for whatever reason, they haven't or haven't been able to show the necessary "loyalty" so don't have enough points!

 

[portlock seagull]

Said it before, say it again: networking! Just go in the home ends, plenty room there. Got my ticket for Spurs, Arsenal via other club supporting fans because I was 'only' a STH for Gillingham, Withdean and obviously Amex and I can't get away tickets because it's a closed shop/and or an abused closed shop according to all the evidence. There will be JCL's going to Old Trafford etc as Brighton fans who will be torn in their loyalty as to who they want to win let's face it. The poor wretches, I pity them more than anything! Life ain't fair, suck it up guys and girls!!

 

[Bozza]

It's so obvious this is the answer. Just make Arsenal, Chelsea, Man United, Man City, Spurs, Liverpool and Everton zero points. Why should anyone be rewarded for going to the games we are all desperate to do? And I say that as someone with 400+ points who will get a ticket for them all.

Give 5 points for the likes of Palace, Southampton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Watford. Then give 10 points for the long distance/non-glamour games at Swansea, Newcastle, Burnley, Huddersfield, West Brom, Stoke and Leicester. You then have a system where the only way to move forwards in the queue for the glamorous games is to go to the dull ones.

That works if everyone had started on zero points this season, but they didn't.

This means that those behind the curve, are doing their best to catch up.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

Put 2,000 tickets on sale to top tier LP Holders and the rest on a first come first serve basis a couple of days later like the good old days

 

[Ron Manager]

Said it before, say it again: networking! Just go in the home ends, plenty room there. Got my ticket for Spurs, Arsenal via other club supporting fans because I was 'only' a STH for Gillingham, Withdean and obviously Amex and I can't get away tickets because it's a closed shop/and or an abused closed shop according to all the evidence. There will be JCL's going to Old Trafford etc as Brighton fans who will be torn in their loyalty as to who they want to win let's face it. The poor wretches, I pity them more than anything! Life ain't fair, suck it up guys and girls!!

I don't think you meant to but that came across as someone quite bitter.