Paul Barber - ID checks of fans at away games?

[PILTDOWN MAN]

With regards to home season tickets, I know someone who has been sharing a season ticket, where they have gone to approx 12 games each over the seasons. This has happened since the Amex opened so not jcls.
Now the unnamed person can afford his own ticket, and his number on the waiting list is over 1,000.
I can see why the club are objecting to season tickets being kept within families etc.

Apart from three years ago my daughter moved away and my younger daughter started coming, she was 18 at the time but the st was an adult. I must admit I left it as an adult because that allowed me to take a friend should my daughter not go. Anyway season end I phoned the club up and asked if I could transfer it to my younger daughter's name. "wouldn't worry about it" was the response.

Now all of a sudden what I've been doing for 3 seasons is wrong and moving forwards I'm not sure what to do, certainly not putting st's at risk by asking the club again.

Lastly interesting point made in another post regarding the attendance of children to evening away games. So that I can take my kids to away games of a weekend (using LP's) I've regularly bought my son a ticket fully in the knowledge he would not be going. Said ticket is never used but obviously it keeps his LPs the same as the other 2. Could say I've deprived someone of that evening game ticket. Bad customer.

 

[AWAYDAY]

This is clearly only going to be targeted at people causing problems as a way to sanction them and those that supplied them the ticket. The club clearly can't say that but PB hinted that this is the aim.

For the rest of us, let's just carry on as we were. When a child gets banned for using his uncles ticket or you get turned away at Leeds cos you've been checked by a steward and found to have a tickets your mate bought but then got ill, then we get up in arms! It won't happen IMHO.

If I'm proved wrong do you think Albion fans will take it lying down after all we've been through?

Let's wind it down a notch and relax. I'm tense enough about the season!!

 

[amexer]

Agreed. I have two front row WSU seats that I adore. I'd not want to change seats if I could avoid it. The chap to my immediate left has also had his seat there since the Amex opened, but he's not been there for the last 7 or 8 games, and his seat has been empty. My 6-y-o is now suddenly really getting into the Albion, and I probably need a third seat now. I dropped the club a line asking that if that season ticket was not renewed could they remember that I'd quite like it. I'd like to point out that I wasn't looking for a favour in any way.

I was politely told that, no, that couldn't happen due to the size of the waiting list. It's annoying, I'll admit, but it is absolutely correct. So my 6-y-o is now on the waiting list and I'll have to consider what we do when his name gets to the top.

Cant believe what you are saying. You really are taking company line. You as a long standing season ticket holder should without doubt have preference over somebody who as just gone on waiting list to watch premiership football. Good chance your 6 year old will be there in 10 years time even if we are in Division 2. I grew up going to football with my father and if a seat becomes available near me when and if my son becomes interested I will be hoffified if told sorry he is not high enough on waiting list.
I am sorry but reading things like this, a bit of me will not be sorry if we dont go up. (There wont be a waiting list then)

 

[Egon Spengler]

I also share (my ST) my tickets with family members and sometimes their friends if they can't go . Of course.. I'd guess nearly every ST holder does this at least 1-2 times a season and probably more for those with kids. Can't see the club stopping this or other fans upset at this - in fact they help you do it with upgrades etc.

The specific issue here though is perceived abuse of the loyalty points system to purchase away tickets. Fans have complained about this though according to PB But so far nobody on this thread yet.

But yep apols. It was a tongue in cheek comment not meant to wind anyone up. I know , given the ££ we spend , how infuriating it can be if the club is inflexible given sky, life and expensive travel arrangements . Checks to me as a way of reducing this practice seem to be potentially crossing the line. Warnings though do not.

This is changing if the season ticket is in the name of an over 65 or child. The ticket has to be renewed in the correct age band and can no longer be upgraded mid season, this was advised in the renewal pack.

This will impact my father's season ticket, as he gets older he's been less able to go so 2 friends have been sharing the ticket with him. The ticket was upgraded mid season to an adult at the suggestion of the ticket office 2 years ago and has been renewed as an adult since. If he renews, the season the ticket will only be used for the number of games he can make plus 6 upgrades which will lead to an empty seat on a fair few occasions. So, next season, there will be less income from the season ticket price and less catering income. I can't see who that benefits.

So, the other option is not to renew which would make more commercial sense to the club.

The club have suggested that we join the waiting list. I'll need to investigate this and hadn't realised there was a £22 charge until reading this thread. We'll probably be some way down the list too.

My main frustration is that we would have looked to resolve this earlier but weren't aware of the changes until the renewal pack was received in the post. I believe the waiting list was already open at this point.

This must also impact people with children's season tickets particularly with the proliferation of evening games.

 

[Hampster Gull]

Cant believe what you are saying. You really are taking company line. You as a long standing season ticket holder should without doubt have preference over somebody who as just gone on waiting list to watch premiership football. Good chance your 6 year old will be there in 10 years time even if we are in Division 2. I grew up going to football with my father and if a seat becomes available near me when and if my son becomes interested I will be hoffified if told sorry he is not high enough on waiting list.
I am sorry but reading things like this, a bit of me will not be sorry if we dont go up. (There wont be a waiting list then)

A colleague made a depressing statement the other day. He is a supporter of premier club but has jumped on the bandwagon to see top class football. He got a half season ticket with us just over a year ago and then a full one this year in the hope we'd go up last year. He said he was renewing again and we better go up or its "another wasted year and cost". God help us

 

[Exile]

A colleague made a depressing statement the other day. He is a supporter of premier club but has jumped on the bandwagon to see top class football. He got a half season ticket with us just over a year ago and then a full one this year in the hope we'd go up last year. He said he was renewing again and we better go up or its "another wasted year and cost". God help us

He sounds a right prick.

Still, his cash goes towards Anthony Knockaert's wages, so cheers.

 

[Petee]

A colleague made a depressing statement the other day. He is a supporter of premier club but has jumped on the bandwagon to see top class football. He got a half season ticket with us just over a year ago and then a full one this year in the hope we'd go up last year. He said he was renewing again and we better go up or its "another wasted year and cost". God help us

Yet he'll have at least 1 1/2 ST worth of "loyalty" points.

 

[Dirty Dave]

QPR is now on general sale so anyone can purchase tickets, although restricted view only. Are the club really going to resource doing spot checks there?

Sent from my SM-J500FN using Tapatalk

 

[Goldstone1976]

This is clearly only going to be targeted at people causing problems as a way to sanction them and those that supplied them the ticket. The club clearly can't say that but PB hinted that this is the aim.

For the rest of us, let's just carry on as we were. When a child gets banned for using his uncles ticket or you get turned away at Leeds cos you've been checked by a steward and found to have a tickets your mate bought but then got ill, then we get up in arms! It won't happen IMHO.

If I'm proved wrong do you think Albion fans will take it lying down after all we've been through?

Let's wind it down a notch and relax. I'm tense enough about the season!!

Fair call.

As a final say, I would observe that it's never a good idea t make laws that cannot be policed, whatever the intention.

Apropos of nothing, my QPR ticket arrived this morning. The ticket enclosed in the envelope is not the one that the system says I purchased.

 

[MattBackHome]

This is clearly only going to be targeted at people causing problems as a way to sanction them and those that supplied them the ticket. The club clearly can't say that but PB hinted that this is the aim.

For the rest of us, let's just carry on as we were. When a child gets banned for using his uncles ticket or you get turned away at Leeds cos you've been checked by a steward and found to have a tickets your mate bought but then got ill, then we get up in arms! It won't happen IMHO.

If I'm proved wrong do you think Albion fans will take it lying down after all we've been through?

Let's wind it down a notch and relax. I'm tense enough about the season!!

Yes I concur.

 

[El Presidente]

QPR is now on general sale so anyone can purchase tickets, although restricted view only. Are the club really going to resource doing spot checks there?

Sent from my SM-J500FN using Tapatalk

If on general sale, I suspect not, as the implication was to stop it happening when demand>supply.

If on general sale that hasn't been the case for anyone with loyalty points thresholds.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

This is clearly only going to be targeted at people causing problems as a way to sanction them and those that supplied them the ticket. The club clearly can't say that but PB hinted that this is the aim.

For the rest of us, let's just carry on as we were. When a child gets banned for using his uncles ticket or you get turned away at Leeds cos you've been checked by a steward and found to have a tickets your mate bought but then got ill, then we get up in arms! It won't happen IMHO.

If I'm proved wrong do you think Albion fans will take it lying down after all we've been through?

Let's wind it down a notch and relax. I'm tense enough about the season!!

Sure, but in that case there was no need to make an announcement in the first place. They could have quietly gone about the business of banning trouble makers by using the small print.

 

[Petee]

Got an email today saying I need to upgrade from u22 to adult for QPR. I am 22 but look a lot younger so get away with it. Ah well, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to actually check

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Agreed. I have two front row WSU seats that I adore. I'd not want to change seats if I could avoid it. The chap to my immediate left has also had his seat there since the Amex opened, but he's not been there for the last 7 or 8 games, and his seat has been empty. My 6-y-o is now suddenly really getting into the Albion, and I probably need a third seat now. I dropped the club a line asking that if that season ticket was not renewed could they remember that I'd quite like it. I'd like to point out that I wasn't looking for a favour in any way.

I was politely told that, no, that couldn't happen due to the size of the waiting list. It's annoying, I'll admit, but it is absolutely correct. So my 6-y-o is now on the waiting list and I'll have to consider what we do when his name gets to the top.

Didn't you give it the ' but do you know who I am' treatment?

 

[Notters]

Cant believe what you are saying. You really are taking company line. You as a long standing season ticket holder should without doubt have preference over somebody who as just gone on waiting list to watch premiership football. Good chance your 6 year old will be there in 10 years time even if we are in Division 2. I grew up going to football with my father and if a seat becomes available near me when and if my son becomes interested I will be hoffified if told sorry he is not high enough on waiting list.
I am sorry but reading things like this, a bit of me will not be sorry if we dont go up. (There wont be a waiting list then)

Glad it's not just me. Already worried about what will happen with my (currently one and half year old) daughter in five years. Guess I'd just have to give it up.

Also the comparisons to the situation at Liverpool seem a bit ridiculous - it seems unlikely we'll be at quite that level of popularity. Even if we are I don't think it's a fair way of doing things. I'd simply introduce a rule:

If you have had a season ticket for five years you can purchase a seat (adjacent to your own if available, otherwise elsewhere with yours relocated) for a child living at the same address / with the same name, ahead of any adults on the waiting list. I appreciate there are some instances, e.g. with separated parents, where this wouldn't work but surely these could be addressed on a case by case basis. Which is how I think it has been done up until now.

 

[rippleman]

Got an email today saying I need to upgrade from u22 to adult for QPR. I am 22 but look a lot younger so get away with it. Ah well, I'm surprised it's taken them this long to actually check

Ah! So now we know the reason for Barber getting his knickers in a right old twist....YOU!!!

 

[skipper734]

Loyalty points pah. I don't have a Season Ticket, as a Pensioner I can't afford it. Therefore my loyalty points are in hundreds not thousands, not enough to buy away tickets if I wanted to go and tickets were available. I have picked and chosen my matches for years except when I was a kid and tickets were 9d two thirds of my pocket money, and later when I watched us rise to the heights of the first division, with a Season Ticket in the West Stand. I had no problem in getting a ticket for Manchester United away. This Club has had all the money I have ever spent on football, till I die means something when you have been supporting for sixty plus years.
So lets see what these new challenges bring, the way it's run may change but fundamentally you are following an idea, a meaning a Team you have had an interest in since you were a small kid. Brighton and Hove Albion, nobody's ever managed to take that away.

 

[Dave the OAP]

The timing is bizarre



Going by the rumours of the amount of people going for this option up front to make sure they can go, i think we need loyalty points to secure a place in the Villa end.

Yep...I will get a ticket via villa fans from our Birmingham office...one of them has offered me his st as he is on holiday. He sits in the main stand

 

[portlock seagull]

This is clearly only going to be targeted at people causing problems as a way to sanction them and those that supplied them the ticket. The club clearly can't say that but PB hinted that this is the aim.

For the rest of us, let's just carry on as we were. When a child gets banned for using his uncles ticket or you get turned away at Leeds cos you've been checked by a steward and found to have a tickets your mate bought but then got ill, then we get up in arms! It won't happen IMHO.

If I'm proved wrong do you think Albion fans will take it lying down after all we've been through?

Let's wind it down a notch and relax. I'm tense enough about the season!!

i think you're probably right. In which case Barber didnt need to send anything out. He's caused a lot of unnecessary ill feeling and his timing is appalling.

 

[Return of the Rev]

TBH has anyone ever checked Paul Barbers ID? How do we know he is Paul Barber and if he is Paul Barber then who exactly is Paul Barber! If he is not Paul Barber then who is?

And does he use TB's fan number to get away tickets?