Paul Barber response - Loyalty Points/Ticket Allocation Outside of Sussex

[GOM]

This is just a me me me thread. I live up north and rarely get to home games, but do get to as many away games as possible. Fortunately most of these are POTG so not a problem, but buy tickets when needed.

Can anyone tell me why a non-season ticket ticket holder, exiled in London who goes to the occasional London game have priority over those STH that support home and away. You can substitute London for Nottingham, Birmingham or wherever you like, the principle is the same.

This is a loyalty points scheme for attending matches, don't confuse it with loyalty to the club. I am no less loyal, but unfortunately for me, there are more deserving fans when it comes to scarce tickets.

 

[soistes]

I'm surprised that no-one has yet suggested making a link between loyalty points and the number of minutes of the match the fan stays for. I had always got the impression, reading NSC, that the true definition of a loyal fan was one who always stayed to the end of the match.

 

[The_Viper]

Good try but I feel your pain. Fact is your level of fandom is measured by the money you bring in, which sadly is understandable given the business model of clubs these days. I am sure we'll sell out all our away allocations to United, City and Liverpool etc next season if we go up and many of those who were at Millmoor and Stockport won't be able to attend due to alot of new ST holders wanting the day out. It's sad, it's frustrating and it's unfair but money makes the world go round. It just begs the question.... Where were you when we were shit?

 

[Bozza]

People get hung up on this because of the use of the word "loyalty". It's not a "loyalty" scheme. Loyalty to a football club is ridiculously difficult to measure.

Those who travelled up from the South coast to Rotherham on a Tuesday night may appear to be very loyal but for some, like me, it was easy as I had nothing else to do that day.

The scheme is more about prioritisation where priority is broadly given to fans in line with their own financial commitment to the club. It's not really any more complicated than that.

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

Loyalty is an emotive concept, and clearly implies far more to a supporter than financial outlay. However clearly the club need a way of quantifying 'loyalty', and financial outlay/regularity of expenditure is as close as you can get to being able to do it.

I thought we had something like this anyway. Platinum membership or something.

 

[mona]

Why?

Do that and every other 'fan group' will be asking for some form of special treatment when it comes to tickets.

The system has to reward the most loyal fans, those being fans that go to home and away games.

Next should be those that have season tickets, as they are putting money into the club.

The rest have to come further down the list.

Exactly.
And I live north of the Thames.

 

[Exile]

Good try but I feel your pain. Fact is your level of fandom is measured by the money you bring in, which sadly is understandable given the business model of clubs these days. I am sure we'll sell out all our away allocations to United, City and Liverpool etc next season if we go up and many of those who were at Millmoor and Stockport won't be able to attend due to alot of new ST holders wanting the day out. It's sad, it's frustrating and it's unfair but money makes the world go round. It just begs the question.... Where were you when we were shit?

Not picking on you - you're just the latest of many to make the same point - but, who are all these 'new ST holder's' that you refer to? We've had 20,000+ season ticket holders for five seasons now. When do they cease to be 'new'? and when do they become deserving of attending a big away game?

 

[The_Viper]

Not picking on you - you're just the latest of many to make the same point - but, who are all these 'new ST holder's' that you refer to? We've had 20,000+ season ticket holders for five seasons now. When do they cease to be 'new'? and when do they become deserving of attending a big away game?

I'm referring to those I read about on here and know irl who aren't Brighton fans but Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs etc who get a ST just to attend some football. I have no problem with it whatsoever because it's money to the club but when they get to go to Stamford Bridge and quietly fist pump when Chelsea stick 4 past us I don't think they ever become deserving. I'm not talking about the majority of the 20,000 either, but they are there and they will be the ones snapping up those tickets first.

 

[Diego Napier]

I think that away matches should have a small amount of tickets set aside for Sussex ex-pats. There has to be a provision. And if there is concern over tickets being passed on this would help a small bit.

For me, his response doesn't seem to address your concerns. An Albion 'ex-pat' living in, say, Worksop, who attends a few away games a year, should be allowed a ticket for a match in Nottingham that may sell out.

Why? He's already explained that the club doesn't benefit from away ticket sales and implied that they prioritise rewarding the loyalty of season ticket holders who provide the club with a constant cash flow over the occasional user who contributes little or nothing to the club's financial viability.

 

[Exile]

I'm referring to those I read about on here and know irl who aren't Brighton fans but Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs etc who get a ST just to attend some football. I have no problem with it whatsoever because it's money to the club but when they get to go to Stamford Bridge and quietly fist pump when Chelsea stick 4 past us I don't think they ever become deserving. I'm not talking about the majority of the 20,000 either, but they are there and they will be the ones snapping up those tickets first.

No they won't. Because they'll only have the flat Season Ticket LP allocation, and the tickets for the highest profile games will all be sold at a threshold higher than that. The theoretical individual you describe would have NO chance of getting a ticket for Chelsea v Brighton (except via a mate, etc, etc...)

 

[Official Old Man]

How about this. Fans who live away from Sussex firstly have to prove their address. Then they join a loyalty scheme for say £20 (to cover costs). Then offered a ticket for the 4 closest games to them. There will be a limit of, say, 20 tickets per game so a strict first come first served. Further, tickets will be collected from the away ground and full ID shown.
These numbers may need to be tweeked by inviting interest first to see who would be keen.

 

[Notters]

I actually think they've got the points system about right, so am concerned that people griping about this will reduce the chances of them listening to other issues.

 

[Bold Seagull]

He should be a politician the way he side steps the question.

How has he side stepped the question? Quite clearly said, season ticket holders predominantly fund the club, Tony the chairman is a mathematician, that is the way the Loyalty system is set. Seems a pretty straightforward answer, whether you agree or not is another matter.

 

[The_Viper]

No they won't. Because they'll only have the flat Season Ticket LP allocation, and the tickets for the highest profile games will all be sold at a threshold higher than that. The theoretical individual you describe would have NO chance of getting a ticket for Chelsea v Brighton (except via a mate, etc, etc...)

That's fair enough then, I don't know the full structure of ST holders but from your post it seems only the most SUPER of fans will be in attendance. Fine by me!

 

[batch_91]

I couldnt get a ticket to Forest away last week because they sold out before they went on general sale. Did I have more of a right to a ticket than anybody else, absolutely not! But I think that the OP was that the loyalty points system in its current state is unfairly weighted against non-STH.

Having said that, if we get to a point where you have to have the club crest tattooed on your chest before you can get a ticket then the club is never going to attract new fans. The fact that we are oversubscribed to some games shows the growing support the club has. Having too many fans wanting to show their support is a nice problem to have.

 

[Exile]

Why?

Do that and every other 'fan group' will be asking for some form of special treatment when it comes to tickets.

The system has to reward the most loyal fans, those being fans that go to home and away games.

Next should be those that have season tickets, as they are putting money into the club.

The rest have to come further down the list.

Agree entirely.

(Of course the absolute BESTEST and MOST LOYAL fans of all, are those that are Season Ticket Holders AND live away from Sussex. )

 

[BNthree]

I thought we had something like this anyway. Platinum membership or something.

Had a look on

https://seagullstickets.com/memberships

and couldn't see mention of it anywhere. Anyone know more about it?

 

[ForestRowSeagull]

Had a look on

https://seagullstickets.com/memberships

and couldn't see mention of it anywhere. Anyone know more about it?

I may well be talking out my rear end, as usual. Or perhaps I made it up, be interesting to know though as I do most anyway so would be a lot easier!

 

[BNthree]

Loyalty is an emotive concept, and clearly implies far more to a supporter than financial outlay. However clearly the club need a way of quantifying 'loyalty', and financial outlay/regularity of expenditure is as close as you can get to being able to do it.

This! The lexical semantics of the expression "loyalty points" does cause confusion. Should rename them "reward points" or "ticket points" or something.

 

[sparkie]

Loyalty is an emotive concept, and clearly implies far more to a supporter than financial outlay. However clearly the club need a way of quantifying 'loyalty', and financial outlay/regularity of expenditure is as close as you can get to being able to do it.

'Loyalty' points were a really stupid name to choose.

Time for the club to decouple the concept and implications of loyalty and to rename the points as 'seagull points' or similar.