Pay on the gate question

[Withdean Wanderer]

Was talking to someone who was moaning about lack of pay at the gate at Withdean earlier, reckoned he'd go from time to time if he could do that.

Anyway, it got me thinking. Pay on the gate isn't going to be allowed at Falmer is it? But apparently we WILL be able to buy tickets from selected outlets such as the station and in nearby roads.

Well, if we're going to be able to do that to get around the no pay on the gate issue, then why can't we do that sort of thing NOW? And if we can't, how can we be sure that we'll be able to buy tickets on the day at Falmer? Or is it simply that the planning permission will be different? And finally, why will we be allowed to buy tickets from the station and not the ground?

Thanks in advance if anyone is able to answer my question without the (seemingly now standard) tedious and dull response, which is along the lines of "moan moan moan".

 

[Yorkie]

At Falmer there will be built in a facility which works like an Oyster card. It can be charged up from your mobile phone or ringing the club or online.

The club doesn't want to fork out money fitting the underground type barriers at Withdean so will wait until Falmer is built to install the new state of the art technology.
I've probably missed out loads of info but that is sort of it in a nutshell.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

At Falmer there will be built in a facility which works like an Oyster card. It can be charged up from your mobile phone or ringing the club or online.

The club doesn't want to fork out money fitting the underground type barriers at Withdean so will wait until Falmer is built to install the new state of the art technology.
I've probably missed out loads of info but that is sort of it in a nutshell.

I've never used an Oyster card, so don't actually know how they work.
Will it allow a random spectator who's never watched a game before to turn up and get a ticket at 2.45pm ?

 

[BensGrandad]

This idea of I would go if I could pay on the day is old hat rubbish like if you are looking for a job or a car somebody always says, if only you had asked me last week I knew of one. It is easy to say things when you know they can't happen.

 

[fatbadger]

At Falmer there will be built in a facility which works like an Oyster card. It can be charged up from your mobile phone or ringing the club or online.

So there won't be a pay cash on the day facility? Or will they be doing that as well? If they're not planning to, then I see a campaign brewing...

 

[portslade seagull]

its a good way to keep the ground empty...surely they must sell tickets at the ground once Falmer is opened

 

[Yorkie]

So there won't be a pay cash on the day facility? Or will they be doing that as well? If they're not planning to, then I see a campaign brewing...

No there won't be any turnstiles.

 

[Kenhead]

The club must have some tickets avalible at the gate, providing its not sold out!

As one of my mates who use to live here and sometimes comes down for a weekend said that he would go to a game at falmer to see what its like, but if he couldn't turn up there on the day and had aload of hassel getting tickets then he just wouldn't bother.

 

[fatbadger]

No there won't be any turnstiles.

There doesn't have to be turnstiles. You can always have a ticket office at the ground which you visit first. Quite a few clubs do that, after all. In recent years, I've done that at Partick, Falkirk and Swindon. Works fine.

 

[Grendel]

This idea of I would go if I could pay on the day is old hat rubbish like if you are looking for a job or a car somebody always says, if only you had asked me last week I knew of one. It is easy to say things when you know they can't happen.

There have been a couple of times when I've made plans for a Saturday, going to see family for example, which have fallen through at the last minute. If paying on the day was an option then I COULD have gone to the game. I'm not saying I necessarily would have done but the choice would be there. As things stand, though, it's not even a possibility.

 

[Mendoza]

the thing with the new way at Falmer with the oyster card system is that you cannot just turn up and watch straight away.

It looks like that if you were wondering round town at 2pm and bumped into some mates going to the game you couldnt go with them.

you would need to apply for one of these said cards which will probably take a week or so to process and get to you via the royal mail postal service

once you have your card, you have to top it up to credit on it

only once you have a card, and providing you have sufficient credit on it, that is the only chance you have of thinking of going on the day.

i dont know how the club are going to get around say me lending you my card for you to go and watch, but i am sure something will be done to stop this happening meaning a random person cant just turn up

 

[BensGrandad]

You can order a ticket up to 1.00pm on the day of the game and pick it up at Withdean. Not the same as falling out of the pub at 2.30 and walking along but still possible to buy a ticklet to see the game up until a reasonable time before kick off.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

the thing with the new way at Falmer with the oyster card system is that you cannot just turn up and watch straight away.

Bit bollocks then, no?

 

[Spider]

I always assumed that the reason was because they wanted to ensure there weren't hundreds of fans travelling to matches without knowing if they will get in, although obviously with current attendances at Withdean that's unlikely.

Another thing that's worrying me, andf it's very petty but I think important, there better not be a futuristic crap with scanning a barcode on my phone or using a little swipe card. I know it's silly but I want ticket stubs from the games I go to - with souvenirs costing bucketloads and even programmes heading towards a fiver the ticket stub is not only the best souvenir of a game - but it's free!

 

[BensGrandad]

i dont know how the club are going to get around say me lending you my card for you to go and watch, but i am sure something will be done to stop this happening meaning a random person cant just turn up

I am sure they could include a picture hologram that allows entry when you apply for and get your card.

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

You can order a ticket up to 1.00pm on the day of the game and pick it up at Withdean. Not the same as falling out of the pub at 2.30 and walking along but still possible to buy a ticklet to see the game up until a reasonable time before kick off.

Yeah i know....but for the more casual fan (the person i was talking to moaning about it is a United fan who's only Albion game in the last 15 years was the play-off final) it's still an effort. The point i was trying to make was that if they can get around the ban on pay on the gate that will be imposed (apparently) at Falmer, then surely they could get around it at Withdean, with tickets available at Preston Park station/Mithras House park and ride for example.

The ticket office point is a good one - it would be good to see one at Falmer, as that seems to work well at many other grounds as opposed to paying at the turnstile. I don't know what the specific ruling against pay on the day is at Withdean...but COULD it be possible to see a Withdean shop style structure selling tickets for days when there's plenty to go around? Although my memory might be playing up....is the shop still 'mobile'?

 

[timbha]

I am sure they could include a picture hologram that allows entry when you apply for and get your card.

Big problems at Man City using similar system - two blokes told me they had pensioner/junior season tickets and they were both in their 30s. The "pensioner" was worried because in years to come he might be paraded as City's oldest fan (100) when he was only 67.

With no-one manning the gates anyone could use any ticket. I think they now have dedicated entrances for kids.

 

[Kenhead]

When i had a Cineworld pass there was a passport like picture of me on the card which they had used a web cam to take the picture.
My card got swiped everytime i went and saw a film, ive always though that the membership cards at falmer will be like this with different colour background depending on your status (Gold, blue etc...)

 

[BensGrandad]

I would think the only possibility could be if the club printed off all unsold tickets at 1.30 and had a stall/kiosk/caravan to sell them at Brighton station. I do not know if that would circumvent the planning/ playing permission at Withdean.

 

[Yorkie]

I have heard that stations will be selling 'tickets' for Falmer so portslade seagull can get his at the station on the way to the match.