New Website and Loyalty Points (Club announcement, see post #158)

[Husty]

That's a good point, but people who have a season ticket in both the Premiership and the Championship would still have more points if it was done purely on how many seasons non-concurrently, surely?



Exactly.

If this is how the club want to do the point system, then fine, it's up to them. It's just frustrating that somebody who jumped on the bandwagon after we finished 3rd will be on a par with me, just because I couldn't afford a season ticket one year. People who have had a ST for every season at the Amex deserve more than me, I won't challenge that. However the fact that my season ticket for the first four years at Falmer count for sweet F.A is ridiculous.

It's a problem that will only get worse as well. It'll be interesting to see how people on here think when it's 2020, their kid is off travelling or off to uni and they're left with the dilemma of pay for a season ticket that might not be used or sacrifice 300-400 loyalty points.

Obviously there is a balance to be struck and I don't know enough about the new numbers to say whether it has been, presumably points won't get infinitely higher as people hold onto their season tickets.

I do think it is a very good thing however that the club is allowing ways for potential new fans to be able to build up the necessary loyalty points to attend a lot of games if they attend regularly for a few years, we don't want to end up in a situation like man u where dead people have season tickets and travelling away is a complete closed shop with your average punter having virtually no hope of ever getting to go. On the flip side of your point re. People going off to uni, how would someone who has a young son feel if they were never able to take them to games because they had no loyalty points? We need to allow new peoplw to come into the group.

 

[Easy 10]

I'd add another set of fans who may not be too happy. If you were a regular away attendee for the last few seasons, but only committed to a season ticket in the last season or two you could have a lot of member points but quite low season ticket points.

Under the previous system you would have been near the top of the queue for away tickets, now you are potentially near the bottom. So someone who was an away regular may now find they can't go to any. Potentially they could have gone to every away game for five seasons but can't go to a single one this season.

This point cuts to the core of who is more "loyal" - a STH who pretty much only goes to home games (me), or someone who is a non-STH, who regularly travels away to support the team. There isn't an answer to that, its an entirely subjective question.

But the club are having to make a more binary decision on what is more "loyal" (for want of a better word). Now they're weighting it more towards the up-front financial commitment that a STH gives to the club. I can understand that, but I can also understand why it will royally piss off a lot of seasoned travellers who put in so much time and great personal expense to yomp all over the country supporting the team.

There is no perfect system, someones nose will always be put out of joint. Personally, it looks like I may have benefitted from this change as I've been an unbroken STH since 1999 (I drew the line at Gillingham). But I rarely go to more than 2 or 3 away games a season. Whether I'm a better or worse fan for that is ultimately for the club to judge. 204 points will, I hope, be enough for me to be in with a chance of a ticket for a BDO when I fancy it.

If that treads on someones toes...well, sorry. But I won't lose any sleep over it.

 

[El Presidente]

Only if they renege on this pledge, contained in the PDF: "STHs will always receive top priority"

Unlike at Birmingham City, where under Harry Redknapp, they receive 'Top Top priority'.

 

[dazzer6666]

This point cuts to the core of who is more "loyal" - a STH who pretty much only goes to home games (me), or someone who is a non-STH, who regularly travels away to support the team. There isn't an answer to that, its an entirely subjective question.

But the club are having to make a more binary decision on what is more "loyal" (for want of a better word). Now they're weighting it more towards the up-front financial commitment that a STH gives to the club. I can understand that, but I can also understand why it will royally piss off a lot of seasoned travellers who put in so much time and great personal expense to yomp all over the country supporting the team.

There is no perfect system, someones nose will always be put out of joint. Personally, it looks like I may have benefitted from this change as I've been an unbroken STH since 1999 (I drew the line at Gillingham). But I rarely go to more than 2 or 3 away games a season. Whether I'm a better or worse fan for that is ultimately for the club to judge. 204 points will, I hope, be enough for me to be in with a chance of a ticket for a BDO when I fancy it.

If that treads on someones toes...well, sorry. But I won't lose any sleep over it.

Wouldn't the vast majority of regular away travellers be STHs anyway ? So it's a relative minority that are disadvantaged ?

 

[Notters]

I don't understand how making it "how many seasons you've had a season ticket at The Amex" is more complicated than "how many consecutive seasons you've had a season ticket at The Amex". As I said, the rule that means they have to be consecutive seasons just punishes people for reasons that were out of their control. It's not just that it's screwed me over, it's a broken system. I said as much about how points worked for last year, despite them working in my favour last year.

I go to as many away games as I can reasonably afford to go to. In our L1 winning season I ended up going pretty much everywhere because the money I got for going to college paid for the train and beers, so I went to everything I could. JPT away at Northampton, Plymouth on a Tuesday etc. Last year I was still finding my feet financially so regular away games had to take a backseat. I have no problem with my points being lower because of that, it's how it should be. I just think the consecutive season rule is absolute horseshit

Equally I think they may as well take into account withdean years. They definitely have information on this as the fan numbers are different.

 

[Easy 10]

Wouldn't the vast majority of regular away travellers be STHs anyway ? So it's a relative minority that are disadvantaged ?

Yes indeedy.

Might force some of the exiles a bit further down the queue, but what can you do.

 

[Notters]

we don't want to end up in a situation like man u where dead people have season tickets and travelling away is a complete closed shop with your average punter having virtually no hope of ever getting to go. On the flip side of your point re. People going off to uni, how would someone who has a young son feel if they were never able to take them to games because they had no loyalty points? We need to allow new peoplw to come into the group.

I honestly don't think this will be a problem. Yes, demand will be hight this season, but if we stay up I reckon you'll be able to get a ticket for most games next season without too much effort.

 

[Husty]

I honestly don't think this will be a problem. Yes, demand will be hight this season, but if we stay up I reckon you'll be able to get a ticket for most games next season without too much effort.

No probably not but I still commend the club for working to have some turnover both in season ticket holders and loyalty points.

 

[Whitechapel]

Obviously there is a balance to be struck and I don't know enough about the new numbers to say whether it has been, presumably points won't get infinitely higher as people hold onto their season tickets.

I do think it is a very good thing however that the club is allowing ways for potential new fans to be able to build up the necessary loyalty points to attend a lot of games if they attend regularly for a few years, we don't want to end up in a situation like man u where dead people have season tickets and travelling away is a complete closed shop with your average punter having virtually no hope of ever getting to go. On the flip side of your point re. People going off to uni, how would someone who has a young son feel if they were never able to take them to games because they had no loyalty points? We need to allow new peoplw to come into the group.

I think that the points for consecutive seasons caps at 8 seasons, although I might be wrong on that.

Whilst I agree there needs to be a way for new fans to start being able to attend away games, I don't think this system achieves that aim either. If that's the goal then scrap points accumulating season on season at all. Season ticket holders get 1000 points at the start of the season and it's a mass scramble from there.

As you say, the situation at clubs like Man United is ridiculous, with people who are 120 still apparently having season tickets, but I see our current system as going the same way. X can't go, but it's better for Y to use X's season ticket than buy his own because X had 400 points before they died/moved.

50 points for every season ticket in the last 5 seasons. 10 points for away games, 20 for home cup games. A percentage (10% STH, 50% for non STH) of points for away/cup games carry over year on year.

Start taking a kid to the Amex when he's 7, be near the front of the queue for away tickets by the time he is 11/12.
Season ticket for 5 years in a row and a handful of away games a season and you're certain of tickets.
Miss a year and you fall down the pecking order but you don't have to start again from scratch.
Get a season ticket and smash out away games that you can get tickets for and you'll move up the pecking order to better games pretty quickly.

I'm sure there's somebody there who misses out, but I can't think of anyone.

 

[Blackadder]

I've had a season ticket every year since 2001 apart from 15/16 due to not having a job.

Guess I can eat shit, and miss out on all the good away games.

I don't know how many points you have Whitechapel but if you are greatly penalised I think you should appeal to the club. I certainly think you have a good case.

Hopefully they will take your circumstances into account. There's no harm in asking.

Good Luck

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

So my first season ticket was purchased in 2000, and have had one every season since, yet I have 233 points? Doesn't seem right?

 

[mattjl15]

So my first season ticket was purchased in 2000, and have had one every season since, yet I have 233 points? Doesn't seem right?

Only takes into consideration the last 8 seasons - how often do you travel away/home cup matches?

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

All home cup matches and about 4-8 away games per season, a few more last year

 

[bhanutz]

]Only takes into consideration the last 8 seasons[/B] - how often do you travel away/home cup matches?

No it doesn't...Since the start of the Amex era!

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

No it doesn't...Since the start of the Amex era!

Even then, after Withers we got three seats in the ESL and have held a ST ever since, going to 4-8 away games a season.

 

[bhanutz]

Even then, after Withers we got three seats in the ESL and have held a ST ever since, going to 4-8 away games a season.

you will get 180 for season ticket and half of anything over 1000 from last season

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

you will get 180 for season ticket and half of anything over 1000 from last season

I think there may be a further adjustment to deduct points previously accumulated in other ways. For example my wife booked hospitality for one game that co-incided with my birthday. I think she may have lost these points. I'm also thinking that points previously accumulated for additional home tickets have also been lost.
Not a complaint though. Overall I think the new system to be more equitable than the old.

 

[bhanutz]

I think there may be a further adjustment to deduct points previously accumulated in other ways. For example my wife booked hospitality for one game that co-incided with my birthday. I think she may have lost these points. I'm also thinking that points previously accumulated for additional home tickets have also been lost.

Are you not season ticket holder then?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Are you not season ticket holder then?

Yes I am, as are my wife and one daughter. For my birthday we didn't use our WSL seats and instead spent the day in 1901 with the toffs (and very nice it was too). I'm pretty sure my wife was awarded points for the booking as her points tally went above mine. Separately my daughter booked a ticket for her sister for a different match and I thought gained some extra points. There's no other way I can explain my wife losing 10 points and my daughter 5.

 

[Magic Sponge]

you will get 180 for season ticket and half of anything over 1000 from last season

I believe that's only up to end of last season as well, I would presume another 10 points will get added before 12/08/17 for this coming season, our 7th season in the Amex?

I have just checked mine and my daughters and they are both wrong but only by a few points each (7)

Not as bad as a friends though, should have 220+ and only has 150 !