Man Utd were going to do this. It went down like a lead balloon with the fans themselves.
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[Albion] LoyaltyPointGate - discussion with the club
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
Man Utd were going to do this. It went down like a lead balloon with the fans themselves.
pastafarian
Well-known member
The Large One
Who's Next?
Brighton & Hove Albion would like to thank all those supporters who travelled to last night’s Carabao Cup match at AFC Bournemouth.
Your support of the team is, as always, greatly appreciated by all at the club.
The club is aware that of the 1235 sell out away attendance, almost 50% of those who purchased tickets chose not to attend the match.
It is extremely disappointing to see so many supporters purchasing tickets and not attending the match, the majority in order to gain loyalty points.
The loyalty point system is, by definition, about rewarding loyalty of those supporters who travel and support the team up and down the country.
Buying low-priced tickets simply to gain points is against the spirit of the system and, as bad, does nothing to support the team.
Furthermore, this practice not only prevents supporters who wish to go and support the team from attending the match in question, but it also stops those same fans from gaining valuable and deserved loyalty points to allow them to go future matches.
This practice reached unacceptable levels at last night's match and as a result we have now requested the attendance data from Bournemouth and will be reviewing this information very carefully over the next few days.
Going forward, it is clear that changes need to be made to the club's terms and conditions where they concern loyalty points. The club will also take the opportunity to review the process of loyalty point allocation and, where possible, will also seek to reconcile the sale of ticket to away matches with attendance data from host clubs.
It is sad, once again, we find ourselves committing considerable time and club resources to dealing with individuals abusing the club's ticketing system for their own personal unfair gain.
To those supporters who did attend last night's match and supported the team, once again, the club would like to thank you for your attendance.
Your support of the team is, as always, greatly appreciated by all at the club.
The club is aware that of the 1235 sell out away attendance, almost 50% of those who purchased tickets chose not to attend the match.
It is extremely disappointing to see so many supporters purchasing tickets and not attending the match, the majority in order to gain loyalty points.
The loyalty point system is, by definition, about rewarding loyalty of those supporters who travel and support the team up and down the country.
Buying low-priced tickets simply to gain points is against the spirit of the system and, as bad, does nothing to support the team.
Furthermore, this practice not only prevents supporters who wish to go and support the team from attending the match in question, but it also stops those same fans from gaining valuable and deserved loyalty points to allow them to go future matches.
This practice reached unacceptable levels at last night's match and as a result we have now requested the attendance data from Bournemouth and will be reviewing this information very carefully over the next few days.
Going forward, it is clear that changes need to be made to the club's terms and conditions where they concern loyalty points. The club will also take the opportunity to review the process of loyalty point allocation and, where possible, will also seek to reconcile the sale of ticket to away matches with attendance data from host clubs.
It is sad, once again, we find ourselves committing considerable time and club resources to dealing with individuals abusing the club's ticketing system for their own personal unfair gain.
To those supporters who did attend last night's match and supported the team, once again, the club would like to thank you for your attendance.
or wondering why they didn't do the same for Barnet when they have all of the data readily to hand?
Good. I hope they feel suitably ashamed.
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Would be funny if all those last night who took the piss had all their loyalty points taken off of them and any future away match tickets cancelled and passed onto fans who will actually go
Neville's Breakfast
Well-known member
I don't see why it can't be applied retrospectively. What are people going to do ? Sue for loyalty points ? Bit frivolous.
Completely agree with this post. There is a very real danger of the club using a sledgehammer to crack a nut here. I bought a ticket and went but I do feel the mistake happened when 10 points were given to a match of little consequence, at which under 21's could pay just £3, adults £10
Another good point. You can't just do it for Bournemouth. I suspect several thousand did it for Barnet, not a few hundred (ps, not me I attended btw)
No, I don't think it is.
Exactly.
Another very valid point. Regardless of what happened last night the inability to pass an away ticket to someone else if you cant go through a formal exchange makes it harder to get full attendance although I believe you can return the ticket to the club?
For the Scotland game and some other high risk games England fans have had to do that. it is a right pain though. You invariably have to turn up somewhere city centre, have ID, and join a big queue. I remember spending three hours queuing at the Moscow UK embassy once just to get a ticket for a football match. Or you wait until you get to the stadium and join what will be another massive queue. Do we really want to encourage massive queues outside stadiums in todays high security times. It really does seem like complete overkill.
You cannot retrospectively punish those who attended. Would be very odd to do this and additionally how would they know they have got it right? For example if five of you bought a ticket, and only four went last night how do you know you used the right ticket that was assigned to you?
This, this, massively this.
And this. In my view the previous scheme was good enough. We certainly never suffered any of this shit then did we? However having changed it they now need to stick to it and not start tinkering with it. If they do that they may create further unforeseen problems. Just give it a chance to breath like a good cheese and not sack a manager after four games
I think this is right, but I do think that the Bournemouth game was a perfect storm that I am struggling to see happen again anytime soon.
A lot of people have suggested that non attendees don't get their points. But how do you really know who didn't attend? Not mentioned yet, until my comment above, is that lots of people buy groups of tickets for 5/6+ people. There is a good chance that of that some of their group didn't attend. Maybe just one. If that is the case did the attendees make sure they used the correct ticket? I don't think I would have done. Who does in a group? Fine if you all attended. But why should someone who attended miss out because their mate didn't?
So frankly I don't see how any retrospective action can be done fairly. And that is speaking as someone who bought a ticket and went yesterday. I predicted this would happen as soon as I saw the ticket price and loyalty points. If there is anything for the club to learn it is the relationship that exists between price and points. Yes on paper turning up to Bournemouth on a Tuesday night for what was mostly a reserve match deserves loyalty, but paying only £3 for under 21s or £10 for adults is less loyal than the league match was. That's a fact in my view and the club were a little naive not to realise this. I believe something similar happened for the Huddersfield away match last year when £1 tickets were available.
I just hope that the club take longer to think about this, watch the scheme for a few more months and then realise it is not fundamentally broken, they just need to think about the award of loyalty points for cup games that's all.
ps) I'm comfortably in the top tier, go to all or close to all the away games and have done for many years so "I'm alright jack". I therefore have no real axe to grind on this, other than I feel sorry for anyone trying to get into the top or second tier as it has become a closed shop very quickly.
Final, final point. Quite a few returns appear on the website and if you are quick you can buy these with lesser points. Or that was the case for earlier away games where they honoured the original points allocation dates. I saw this as a chance for those with lesser points who were keen. Now however (for the last 2/3 away sales) the returns are only available in the points allocation where the game sold out. Is this fair? They have had their chance, shouldn't it then be opened as per the original on sale dates?
One final point. For the league game, my wife had to collect her ticket from the stadium ticket office as she purchased one of the returns, we were told that she wasn't on the list, even though she had the confirmation email. The Bournemouth ticket office claimed that the list sent by BHAFC for this was wrong (possibly the wrong game!) and many people had the same problem. This just highlights to me the potential problems of a retrospective adjustment using Bournemouth systems and a presumably manual adjustment.
pps) anyone else took a picture to prove they were there last night?
I agree with the vast majority of this. It strikes me as somewhat bizarre / odd that we have this level of outrage and indignation today for a tin pot cup game and we had no such comments when last season there were significant numbers of no shows that took advantage of the £1 Huddersfield offer and didn't show up to that game having bought a ticket in order to get points for the end of season games (ok it didn't sell out - but it was a crucial game against one of our two main rivals). To me the fault here is partially with the club - IMHO they should have offered £3/£10 and no points. They either knew it would happen and didn't care, had their eyes closed to an obvious outcome or actually felt even at £3/£10 only a small number would actually show up so felt they needed to offer the loyalty points.
Thunder Bolt
Silly old bat
Club statement. The irony is that with only 652 attendees, it's actually easier to check the data with the bar codes.
https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2017/september/loyalty-scheme-abuse/
https://www.brightonandhovealbion.com/news/2017/september/loyalty-scheme-abuse/
Mr Banana
Tedious chump
At least when our glorious leaders are furious we get pure gold press releases. Smelling and glamour errors in every paragraph of this one. Passive-aggressive thanks at the start and end. "Going forwards"? Surprised they didn't put "very best regards" at the end
Dave the OAP
Well-known member
They reckoned there was about 10k until half time....quite a few of us stayed on so about 5k were left!
Can't see what the club can do about the other night. Some people genuinely might not been able to go. How would they know who wasn't telling porkies ? You can't suddenly dock points. They will have take this one on the chin and look at another fairer approach.
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pastafarian
Well-known member
Agree, that is overkill and a pain especially when applied to all. Was only suggesting maybe 50 random tickets at or near the away entrance. This wouldnt result in any large queue given the small number and staggered arrivals, might prevent some people buying but not all. You dont even have to do it at every game just pretend its something that is done, you only have to do it a few times and the message will circulate that its a regular occurrence.....not ideal i know, but i dont think anyone has all the answers to this problem.
The reason for not attending doesn’t matter surely? If you’re not there you aren’t supporting = no loyalty points.
The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
If you didn't go, genuine reason or not, you should have points deducted.
Bob!
Coffee Buyer
- Jul 5, 2003
- 11,631
They're not smelling of Roses, are they?
pastafarian
Well-known member
Surely if you didnt attend the game and your reasoning for not going was genuine, even if it was simply couldnt go at the last minute, it would seem fair you didnt receive the LP for non attendance,cant imagine anyone who didnt go last night for genuine reasons are looking to have their money back........they just take it on the chin as one of those things.
D
Deleted member 2719
Guest
I am ashamed and embarrassed to be an Albion fan, with stuff like this going on.
You can't suddenly dock points now. Doesn't work like that unless there is something written in the terms and agreement
Ernest
Stupid IDIOT
Here is one of those who had a ticket and didn't go