[Albion] Season Ticket Farce @PaulBarber

[Frankie]

This is probably less to do with more turnover than it is the powers that be knowing the details of who's exactly in that seat just in case that person does something stupid like start a song that's not on the original playlist or accidentally knocks over their bag of werthers onto a unsuspecting striker.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Just seen the Barber piece and I'm firmly with Scotty Mac on this one.

"No shows only slightly higher than the promotion season" chinny reckon Barbs

When he was calculating the number of no shows for last Wednesday, I hope Barbs remembered to include the 10 outfield Brighton players.

 

[usernamed]

On the basis half-season tickets are being flogged, I don’t think there’s much of a waiting list. Think we’re going to see the biggest number of non-renewals so far…….

Well, they’re clearly being ‘creative’ around attendances, so I’ve got no confidence that they’re not being similarly creative about the number of people on the ST waiting list too.

This is the problem with adopting lying as a marketing tactic, it erodes trust.

I’ve always been quite proud of how the club’s been run (except during the Archer/Bellotti days) but I’m becoming increasingly disenchanted with some of the decision-making on the corporate side of the club. I understand the desire to try and plug the shortfall in funding compared to our rivals, but surely it’s possible to do that without gaslighting us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sparkie]

Just seen the Barber piece and I'm firmly with Scotty Mac on this one.

"No shows only slightly higher than the promotion season" chinny reckon Barbs

People can either believe Barber or believe their own eyes.


I suspect he is being clever with his wording. "No shows" may be similar, but that means a lot of Season Tickets were not renewed.

Not that I particularly am bothered by what he says. It's standard for him to defensively double down.

 

[Seasider78]

Away from the arguments I have to say I am not liking the condescending tone of communications from the ‘corridors of power’ towards the fans of late and include the ‘history lesson’ comments in that.

It’s a difficult and frustrating time for everyone whatever happened to ‘together’?

 

[Rugrat]

I also find it laughable that WAB urge the club to spend £30M on a striker, yet asking the fans to pay £20 is hugely insulting. Get some perspective on it

The perspective is that the sum total of all those £20's will pay maybe a week or two of wages for that striker.

The club have found another way to nickel and dime their loyal customer's and they do it, just because they can. It's cheap shot and thankfully I never worked in a business that exploited every opportunity

Perhaps BHA following the Ryanair model, good luck to them, but here's 2 ST's that aren't renewing, not entirely due to this, but straw and camels back

 

[Bry Nylon]

It seems that up until the arrival of covid and BCD games, demand for watching PL football in stadiums was pretty inelastic. But now, many people have fallen out of the habit and are re-evaluating their priorities and how they spend their time and money - especially given that so much top flight football can be pretty dull and the atmosphere in stadiums largely sterile for long periods of the game.

 

[portlock seagull]

I did pay for it, but I don’t agree with it.

I just think it’s an issue that has been blown out of proportion and is being used as an excuse / cover for many other things or complaints.

The fact people think that the wolves game was 10k light has anything to do with this is delusion. I couldn’t have given away my ticket on Facebook for wolves or Brentford if I tried.

I also find it laughable that WAB urge the club to spend £30M on a striker, yet asking the fans to pay £20 is hugely insulting. Get some perspective on it

Not being able to give your ticket away even if your tried perhaps says something about you, I wouldn’t brag about that simply to support your out of touch argument!

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

OK, haven't commented so far and haven't read through 37 pages of comments, but here's my take on this.

I have been a season ticket holder since 1999, and have also purchased two for my boys since The Amex opened. In that time we've mainly used them but also given the tickets to friends (for a small donation to Chestnut Tree House) when we couldn't use them. Over the past couple of years I've had serious health issues which has meant I've hardly used the tickets and one of my Sons now plays County League so he rarely uses his.

There was no guilt on my part when someone got to see the Albion for a charity donation and everyone won, even the club, as these people may be more likely to buy club merchandise on their first visit, or so.

So, after this shyshow that's going on I'm likely, with a heavy heart, to just buy one adult ticket next season and share it between us, but I fear many that've been doing similar to us, will do the same and can see STH numbers falling to 15k or so and then the new "norm" will be loads of people, like me, buying up tickets as and when they need them, unless the club either:

a. Drop ST prices to make it more financially viable to buy one rather than random tickets, or

b. Hike up individual ticket prices (which they can't because this is the new revenue stream)

So yes, bad fan, but to be 100% honest, health to one side, I'd rather watch my lad get battered playing for East Preston than I would watching the Albion, there, I've said it.

 

[Springal]

Not being able to give your ticket away even if your tried perhaps says something about you, I wouldn’t brag about that simply to support your out of touch argument!

What does that mean? I actually went to Wolves - but my point is the fear of COVID was so much that I don't think casual fans would have gone any way.

 

[portlock seagull]

What does that mean? I actually went to Wolves - but my point is the fear of COVID was so much that I don't think casual fans would have gone any way.

Just a gentle poke, as you do seem out of touch with most on here.

 

[Seaview Seagull]

What does that mean? I actually went to Wolves - but my point is the fear of COVID was so much that I don't think casual fans would have gone any way.

And you are completely right. How anyone can argue that the poor attendance at Wolves (and I was there like you) was anything other than covid related is beyond me.

The degree of vitriol being directed at the club on this is beyond belief. It's highly likely this is a one season wonder anyway. It's like people are parading their anger as some kind of competition to see how wins the angriest fan prize.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The perspective is that the sum total of all those £20's will pay maybe a week or two of wages for that striker.

The club have found another way to nickel and dime their loyal customer's and they do it, just because they can. It's cheap shot and thankfully I never worked in a business that exploited every opportunity

Perhaps BHA following the Ryanair model, good luck to them, but here's 2 ST's that aren't renewing, not entirely due to this, but straw and camels back

Maybe if all those £20's are so important to the club they should just include them in the next ST price increase and be done with it. Rise of dunno 5.05% instead of 5% might make it more palatable, especially if spread over the direct debit year. Maybe even offer the option to opt out of paying the £20, then make it £30 to opt back in

 

[Bold Seagull]

And you are completely right. How anyone can argue that the poor attendance at Wolves (and I was there like you) was anything other than covid related is beyond me.

The degree of vitriol being directed at the club on this is beyond belief. It's highly likely this is a one season wonder anyway. It's like people are parading their anger as some kind of competition to see how wins the angriest fan prize.

Is it really beyond belief? People are scared, have had livelihoods impacted, have various worries whether Covid themselves, or relatives. Let's face it, having an ST is a fair old expense. So having all that going on, and like you and the post you're quoting say it's most likely Covid, but it just adds to the frustration that if you can't go because you're shielding, or visiting a vulnerable person, or whatever, you cannot allow another friend or relative go to the game without them becoming a member. Some of the comments maybe disproportionate, but for you to say it's beyond belief appears to lack any understanding of what people are facing. I don't think most have an issue with charging the ST holder a fee to share their ticket, it's the person receiving it having to be a member that is the money grab.

 

[Spiros]

But still fans haven’t lost out. If they don’t sign up, it costs nothing, they lose nothing. That is what I was pointing out

I already have lost out though. Before the new scheme came in, if my daughter couldn't come (I already pay for her ticket) then I would bring my wife or other daughter instead. Say daughter with the season ticket misses 2 matches in a season (which is standard for her). I now have to fork out an extra £20 to make her ticket transferable plus also fork out £28 each for my wife and daughter to be Seagulls + members (that's start of season, no direct debit option). So that's an extra £76 for something which up until now would have cost me nothing. Consequently her seat was empty twice earlier this season (for reasons beyond her or my control) and instead the club missed out on a few drinks and pies (which at those prices is quite a lot of cash). It also means that unless this rule gets dropped for next season there's one more non-renewal

 

[SAC]

And you are completely right. How anyone can argue that the poor attendance at Wolves (and I was there like you) was anything other than covid related is beyond me.

The degree of vitriol being directed at the club on this is beyond belief. It's highly likely this is a one season wonder anyway. It's like people are parading their anger as some kind of competition to see how wins the angriest fan prize.

Covid gives people a good excuse not to attend. We shall never know either way but I suspect that if the football was decent then more people would have attended. If tickets could easily/freely be transferred then more still would attend.

 

[amexer]

Is it really beyond belief? People are scared, have had livelihoods impacted, have various worries whether Covid themselves, or relatives. Let's face it, having an ST is a fair old expense. So having all that going on, and like you and the post you're quoting say it's most likely Covid, but it just adds to the frustration that if you can't go because you're shielding, or visiting a vulnerable person, or whatever, you cannot allow another friend or relative go to the game without them becoming a member. Some of the comments maybe disproportionate, but for you to say it's beyond belief appears to lack any understanding of what people are facing. I don't think most have an issue with charging the ST holder a fee to share their ticket, it's the person receiving it having to be a member that is the money grab.

Maybe better then nothing but still wrong. I have paid £700 for ST and if I cant go to a game should be able to give it away. Fair enough if have to give contact details to club.
My wife could not go to Theatre Royal on Wednesday. Simple gave to friend she was going with. Did not have to pay Theatre for the privilege

 

[chaileyjem]

And you are completely right. How anyone can argue that the poor attendance at Wolves (and I was there like you) was anything other than covid related is beyond me.

The degree of vitriol being directed at the club on this is beyond belief. It's highly likely this is a one season wonder anyway. It's like people are parading their anger as some kind of competition to see how wins the angriest fan prize.

Agreed. Barber responded I guess not because it was a nuanced discussion on the pros/cons of the sharing scheme (there was valid points by Scott about the flawed scheme somewhere amidst all the hyperbole) but because it was claimed “the cause for [no shows] was the sharing scheme” - all 10K+ of them. All of them. And then inferred that led to a poor atmosphere - ok fair enough - but of course - it was then argued it was one of the worst in 10 years, really ? which er, of course caused us to, according to Scott, lose the game.


WAB compared Barber and the club to North Korea ! yesterday because he’d called this out in a newspaper column and WAB frequently tweet that it’s the end of the world if Aaron Connolly misses a sitter so I think he might have a point to argue that a columnist for a site that earns its money from clicks, writes content to get people to click.

PS: Last night at Spurs there were 46K attendees in a ground of 60K . Was that because of well, what ? Do they have a flawed sharing scheme as well ?

 

[sparkie]

Is it really beyond belief? People are scared, have had livelihoods impacted, have various worries whether Covid themselves, or relatives. Let's face it, having an ST is a fair old expense. So having all that going on, and like you and the post you're quoting say it's most likely Covid, but it just adds to the frustration that if you can't go because you're shielding, or visiting a vulnerable person, or whatever, you cannot allow another friend or relative go to the game without them becoming a member. Some of the comments maybe disproportionate, but for you to say it's beyond belief appears to lack any understanding of what people are facing. I don't think most have an issue with charging the ST holder a fee to share their ticket, it's the person receiving it having to be a member that is the money grab.

This is my issue with the whole scheme. I simply will not bother to be a sales agent for Albion+. Let the club do that once they have the ticket recipient's registration email needed to receive the ticket.

The fee I pay to enable the ticket to be sharable isn't the problem.

 

[timbha]

Maybe better then nothing but still wrong. I have paid £700 for ST and if I cant go to a game should be able to give it away. Fair enough if have to give contact details to club.
My wife could not go to Theatre Royal on Wednesday. Simple gave to friend she was going with. Did not have to pay Theatre for the privilege

Had she bought her theatre ticket at a discount because she is a STH? Didn’t her friend already have a ticket?