[Albion] new away fan ID/ticketing system

[NorthstandRacoon]

It's nothing like what you are suggesting. The club have realised ( or have been informed) that people entitled to tickets are missing out on attending away games because of abuses of the system. It doesn't affect me as I'm well inside Tier 1 but I'd be more than a bit miffed if I was in the lower bands and people without even a purchase history were going to a match, say a Cup quarter-final, and I missed out. This isn't on the club - this is totally on people taking the p*ss.

I think it’s a bit of both. But the wording is harsh and I don’t agree with it.

 

[Easy 10]

So people like me who have legitimately earnt loyalty points are harvesters? Lol it’s just the way the loyalty scheme works. Only way to get more points is attend more games but I understand that is tough for a lot of people.

Eh ? Where did I say that ?

If you have legitimately earned your loyalty points, buy a ticket and go to the game, then of course you're not a harvester.
If you use your loyalty points to get hold of tickets, with no intention of going to the game, but instead sell it on, then you are a harvester.

I mean christ, have you read this thread ? You sound absolutely clueless.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Eh ? Where did I say that ?

If you have legitimately earned your loyalty points, buy a ticket and go to the game, then of course you're not a harvester.
If you use your loyalty points to get hold of tickets, with no intention of going to the game, but instead sell it on, then you are a harvester.

I mean christ, have you read this thread ? You sound absolutely clueless.

After re-reading your post I stand corrected. I thought you said those with high points just harvest more when they buy tickets, regardless of their intention on use. No need to call me clueless though, tad harsh lad.

 

[Easy 10]

After re-reading your post I stand corrected. I thought you said those with high points just harvest more when they buy tickets, regardless of their intention on use. No need to call me clueless though, tad harsh lad.

Well I fundamentally disagree with your viewpoint that this kind of thing going on is only to be expected, and is perfectly ok. If you feel that is harsh, then so be it.

Its a first world problem I suppose. But I just don't like unfairness. I'm not going to apologise for that,

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Gaming the system. ‘I can’t make the match now mats, fancy my ticket? Yeah I’d love to go’ - that’s how most of these happen or ‘fancy coming with me? Don’t worry if you’ve not got enough points, we can use my mates’ - another example. Hardly gaming the system, just doing what normal folk would do. We are all going because we bloody love it, not because we want loyalty points. Ffs.

Yeah, gaming the system because people with enough points will be missing out every time you do what you are describing. Other people bloody love it as well. Your mates are not more important but you now know that because the club has told you.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I think that does need to be addressed, but by and large if you wait your turn you will get tickets for 90% of games (Brentford and Bournemouth being the exception). It is not hard at all to work your way up, friends who were in 3rd and final points brackets last season, who now are in the top bracket for most games through making big trips to Newcastle, Burnley and Cardiff in the cup etc. It’s a bit of a myth it’s a completely closed shop, because we rarely sell out before it goes to all season ticket holders. They missed out on BOU and BRE as well but it’s the way it crumbles sometimes because they do not do EVERY game. They haven’t been doing away games since league one and the championship very consistently like others so don’t have the points. I have empathy with your situation, but when you originally responded you also said you didn’t care that people who have done nothing wrong are inconvenienced by having to queue up, because you have to sit in restricted view, which showed a lack of empathy to what personally affects me. Seems an odd way for the club to treat loyal fans who travel up and down the country for doing nothing wrong. Ticket offices are a nightmare on match day, and I don’t want to take half an hour out of my day out, because some idiot has sold their away ticket to some 19 year who spends his time pushing enough booger sugar up his nose to knock out a large animal.

I don’t think you are understanding my point. I am not trying to earn more points. I’ve been traveling home and away for decades so had plenty of points until I gave up my ST last season. Now I am an Albion + member and the club has a system which enables us to buy away tickets after STH. Every ticket bought by STH for non qualifying randomers reduces that allocation. As to the queuing up bit I stand by my point. It is a small quantity being held back to disincentive the practice. The chances of it ever happening to you are tiny. Maybe it will happen a couple of times. So it’s really not that inconvenient for any of us (remember it could be me collecting tickets as well) as compared to the problem caused by people jumping the queue and others missing out or the best seats already being sold. This is an issue caused by excess demand which means the club has to find some way of rationing. They can’t do it on price so they devise a system to ensure fairness and opportunity. They are hardly likely to continue ignoring people gaming that system. The club gets the allocation and can do with it as they wish.

 

[jackalbion]

I don’t think you are understanding my point. I am not trying to earn more points. I’ve been traveling home and away for decades so had plenty of points until I gave up my ST last season. Now I am an Albion + member and the club has a system which enables us to buy away tickets after STH. Every ticket bought by STH for non qualifying randomers reduces that allocation. As to the queuing up bit I stand by my point. It is a small quantity being held back to disincentive the practice. The chances of it ever happening to you are tiny. Maybe it will happen a couple of times. So it’s really not that inconvenient for any of us (remember it could be me collecting tickets as well) as compared to the problem caused by people jumping the queue and others missing out or the best seats already being sold. This is an issue caused by excess demand which means the club has to find some way of rationing. They can’t do it on price so they devise a system to ensure fairness and opportunity. They are hardly likely to continue ignoring people gaming that system. The club gets the allocation and can do with it as they wish.

You say people are gaming the system, but Liverpool went all the way to purchase history before it sold out, that is a pool of probably about 50,000 people and only 3,000 available. There will be a very small minority who passed on tickets for this game, but I imagine most people in the away end will be either STH or My Albion+, so I don't see where these people who are gaming the system are likely to cause a big problem. A lot of people have sold tickets on for Liverpool because of the train strike, that's an unfortunate possibly one off event.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

You say people are gaming the system, but Liverpool went all the way to purchase history before it sold out, that is a pool of probably about 50,000 people and only 3,000 available. There will be a very small minority who passed on tickets for this game, but I imagine most people in the away end will be either STH or My Albion+, so I don't see where these people who are gaming the system are likely to cause a big problem. A lot of people have sold tickets on for Liverpool because of the train strike, that's an unfortunate possibly one off event.

You take that view, but based on guesswork. The club takes another view which possibly includes monitoring social media for signs of onward ticket sales and looking at the ticket situation for arrested or ejected fans. They take a different view to you and it is likely to lead to more respect for the tier system.
By the way the seats from which you can actually see the game at Liverpool all sold before Albion + and purchase history. If anybody bought a ticket and they are not attending the game their non qualifying replacement is standing in front of a seat with a view my family could have stood in front of. This practice is not consequence free.

 

[chaileyjem]

Just had my Brentford tickets come through. The fan number is now printed on the ticket. - don't think this was the case before.
My name is written on in felt tip. (and age group) . So presumably so they can now do ad hoc iD checks.

 

[Giraffe]

Just had my Brentford tickets come through. The fan number is now printed on the ticket. - don't think this was the case before.
My name is written on in felt tip. (and age group) . So presumably so they can now do ad hoc iD checks.

What a waste of time!

 

[Justice]

Why is the club wasting time and resources on something they don’t profit from? At best they catch a couple of people passing on tickets big wows.

 

[Jesus Gul]

Some similarities(...but also a lot of differences) to the ID card, Luton banning away fans days of yore

'Politicians today seize any opportunity to associate themselves with football. To Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government of the mid-1980s, however, football fans were as much of a menace as striking trade unionists. Years of greed and incompetence had brought English football to an all-time low. Fewer people were attending games than ever before, while lurid press reports of fan violence would have led anyone who didn't attend matches to think that football stadia were life-threatening environments, teeming with drunken, dart-throwing maniacs. As the government then was fond of saying, football had become a "law and order issue".'

 

[Jello]

Lucky me, just had email informing I'd been randonly seletced to pick up my ticket from ground.

Please note that this dedicated collection point is separate from Brentford's ticket office, and will be staffed by members of the Albion Supporter Services team.
Tickets will be available to collect from 6pm on the day of the game. Only a limited number of ticket holders have been selected for collection, but we would still ask you to allow extra time for this process.
You can only collect your own ticket and you must show matching photo ID (eg passport or drivers' licence).

 

[Bozza]

Looks like the Albion themselves are resourcing the collection point and process, which should mitigate concerns about having to join the home fan ticket office bunfight.

[tweet]1575427412535418880[/tweet]

 

[Foul Play Rocks]

I’ve also received the email that I’ve been chosen at random. Thanks a lot ticket office.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Looks like the Albion themselves are resourcing the collection point and process, which should mitigate concerns about having to join the home fan ticket office bunfight.

[tweet]1575427412535418880[/tweet]

This easy and hassle free process of checks taking place at the away end for a small number of fans won’t stop people moaning because what they want to do is distribute tickets to their mates whenever they choose. Reading this thread makes me realize how widespread this practice must be.

 

[Giraffe]

Lucky me, just had email informing I'd been randonly seletced to pick up my ticket from ground.

Please note that this dedicated collection point is separate from Brentford's ticket office, and will be staffed by members of the Albion Supporter Services team.
Tickets will be available to collect from 6pm on the day of the game. Only a limited number of ticket holders have been selected for collection, but we would still ask you to allow extra time for this process.
You can only collect your own ticket and you must show matching photo ID (eg passport or drivers' licence).

Looks like the Albion themselves are resourcing the collection point and process, which should mitigate concerns about having to join the home fan ticket office bunfight.

[tweet]1575427412535418880[/tweet]

I’ve also received the email that I’ve been chosen at random. Thanks a lot ticket office.

So that's 3 already we know of. I wonder how many they have been selected?

Interesting they are doing this themselves. My fear is this could develop into something bigger, especially with the post strikes to come.

 

[Giraffe]

Lucky me, just had email informing I'd been randonly seletced to pick up my ticket from ground.

Please note that this dedicated collection point is separate from Brentford's ticket office, and will be staffed by members of the Albion Supporter Services team.
Tickets will be available to collect from 6pm on the day of the game. Only a limited number of ticket holders have been selected for collection, but we would still ask you to allow extra time for this process.
You can only collect your own ticket and you must show matching photo ID (eg passport or drivers' licence).

Looks like the Albion themselves are resourcing the collection point and process, which should mitigate concerns about having to join the home fan ticket office bunfight.

[tweet]1575427412535418880[/tweet]

This easy and hassle free process for a small number of fans won’t stop people moaning because what they want to do is distribute tickets to their mates whenever they choose. Reading this thread makes me realize how widespread this practice must be.

The issue for me is that because you have to buy the tickets so flippin far in advance, normally at least 2 months ahead, there is every chance a reasonable % can't go on the day. Things change, family stuff etc. At the moment, you let a mate have the ticket. This prevents this, which invariably means less people going and empty seats. That's the issue. If they could find a fair way to let the ticket be resold up to say 72 hours ahead of the match I would have no issue with this. And given they are now setting up their own collection point for away matches this could be done.

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

Those that have been picked at random and are posting it on here, Twitter, Facebook etc are doing exactly what the club want, promoting the word that this is actually “a thing” thus putting the fear of God into any guilty parties. I’d bet my bollocks (apart from the odd pop up here and there to keep us on our toes) this’ll be it.

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

Looks like the Albion themselves are resourcing the collection point and process, which should mitigate concerns about having to join the home fan ticket office bunfight.

[tweet]1575427412535418880[/tweet]

Interesting response from Simon there, apparently having to pick up his ticket at the turnstile entrances he would have been going to anyway is going to ruin his whole awayday enjoyment!
I sincerely hope that those who have been selected do not make matters worse by subjecting the staff running the pick up point to torrents of abuse. Probably that depends on whether part of their awayday enjoyment consists of consuming quantities of alcohol and/or drugs.