STH +3 - a fair solution?

[cjd]

I presume that the.....'Board thought long and hard' means they gave it 5 minutes thought after seeing how well the '1901' went and just said.....'f*** the ruffians......if they don't like it, there's plenty more where they came from......supply and demand...innit..'

 

[Twinkle Toes]

It is a disgraceful decision really, and one that shows our board up for what it really is. I've no problem with existing STHs being able to bring extra people along, it's the fact this can happen before existing STHs that's so wrong. I have worked out that I'll be in the first 1,000 people of priority group one, so it shouldn't affect me TOO much. However, all the people who say "there are plenty of seats to go round" are spectacularly missing the point. Of course there are enough seats, but there aren't enough seats in certain areas. Everyone will get a ticket, but there will be some existing STHs who turn up in February for their meeting to find the most popular parts of the ground are sold out, and that's totally disgusting in my book. While I'm by no means the worst off, 4,000 tickets could have been sold by the time I go, meaning I might not get the section I want.

As mentioned in the first post, this could have been avoided by creating one extra priority group.

Priority 1,2, 3 and 4 - as you were
Priority 5 - existing STHs who want to bring new people

I honestly didn't think I'd be saying this, but top, TOP posting.

 

[Billy the Fish]

While I'm by no means the worst off, 4,000 tickets could have been sold by the time I go, meaning I might not get the section I want.

I just can't see that happening. It's possible, but law of averages says it won't.

 

[Rookie]

It is a disgraceful decision really, and one that shows our board up for what it really is. I've no problem with existing STHs being able to bring extra people along, it's the fact this can happen before existing STHs that's so wrong. I have worked out that I'll be in the first 1,000 people of priority group one, so it shouldn't affect me TOO much. However, all the people who say "there are plenty of seats to go round" are spectacularly missing the point. Of course there are enough seats, but there aren't enough seats in certain areas. Everyone will get a ticket, but there will be some existing STHs who turn up in February for their meeting to find the most popular parts of the ground are sold out, and that's totally disgusting in my book. While I'm by no means the worst off, 4,000 tickets could have been sold by the time I go, meaning I might not get the section I want.

As mentioned in the first post, this could have been avoided by creating one extra priority group.

Priority 1,2, 3 and 4 - as you were
Priority 5 - existing STHs who want to bring new people

blimey I actually agree

 

[cjd]

As mentioned in the first post, this could have been avoided by creating one extra priority group.

Priority 1,2, 3 and 4 - as you were
Priority 5 - existing STHs who want to bring new people

Indeed.....but this would have meant the 'Board' ( presumably Ken Brown) would have had to think 'long and hard'. I don't think he believes us mere ruffian supporters are worth his valuable thinking time......too concerned with 'standing up' supporters.

 

[R. Slicker]

Pointless thread as it's to late, got my 4 tickets

Really? Well done, what seat numbers?

 

[Easy 10]

As mentioned in the first post, this could have been avoided by creating one extra priority group.

Priority 1,2, 3 and 4 - as you were
Priority 5 - existing STHs who want to bring new people

The club have said all along that they want to reward the longest-standing STH's, and thats exactly what they've done. Pushing the long-standing STH's who want to get season tickets for friends/family to the stadium all the way to the back of the queue would not, in my opinion, be very fair either. I've been going to Withdean since day one, but my son is only on his 3rd season ticket. Does that mean if we want to sit together I've got to hold back and wait for your priority 5 ?

Its impossible to implement a system that is going to be 100% fair to everyone, and I do have sympathy for those who've been going for a good few years (but not the last 9) and now find themselves further down the queue. But the club absolutely must attract as many new fans as possible to this stadium to make it work, its imperative. And the best way of doing that is to give the opportunity to existing STH's to bring along (3) of their friends and family along as new STH's for the club. Thats going to put some noses out of joint, but the club needs new fans, and the stadium needs to be as full as possible.

That ain't gonna happen if we're denying the opportunity of group bookings from the most loyal STH's.

 

[Hungry Joe]

The club have said all along that they want to reward the longest-standing STH's, and thats exactly what they've done. Pushing the long-standing STH's who want to get season tickets for friends/family to the stadium all the way to the back of the queue would not, in my opinion, be very fair either. I've been going to Withdean since day one, but my son is only on his 3rd season ticket. Does that mean if we want to sit together I've got to hold back and wait for your priority 5 ?

Its impossible to implement a system that is going to be 100% fair to everyone, and I do have sympathy for those who've been going for a good few years (but not the last 9) and now find themselves further down the queue. But the club absolutely must attract as many new fans as possible to this stadium to make it work, its imperative. And the best way of doing that is to give the opportunity to existing STH's to bring along (3) of their friends and family along as new STH's for the club. Thats going to put some noses out of joint, but the club needs new fans, and the stadium needs to be as full as possible.

That ain't gonna happen if we're denying the opportunity of group bookings from the most loyal STH's.

I have to say that even as a Priority 1 'victim' of this system that I agree with all of that 100%. I'll be a bit pissed if, as is likely me, my dad and my brother can't sit where we'd ideally like to, but it's about the bigger picture and looking to the future. There simply isn't a solution that is 100% fair to all long standing STH's and which best benefits the longer term future of the club.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Fair comment Easy, but I personally feel like I (& a good number of STH's) have been shafted tbh. Maybe I should just eat a mahoosive slice of Humble Pie & just get a 10-Year STH to stick me down on their 'Friends & Family' list, although I'm probably far more likely not to (& thus cut off my own nose). Hey sodding ho.

 

[cjd]

The club have said all along that they want to reward the longest-standing STH's, and thats exactly what they've done. Pushing the long-standing STH's who want to get season tickets for friends/family to the stadium all the way to the back of the queue would not, in my opinion, be very fair either. I've been going to Withdean since day one, but my son is only on his 3rd season ticket. Does that mean if we want to sit together I've got to hold back and wait for your priority 5 ?

Its impossible to implement a system that is going to be 100% fair to everyone, and I do have sympathy for those who've been going for a good few years (but not the last 9) and now find themselves further down the queue. But the club absolutely must attract as many new fans as possible to this stadium to make it work, its imperative. And the best way of doing that is to give the opportunity to existing STH's to bring along (3) of their friends and family along as new STH's for the club. Thats going to put some noses out of joint, but the club needs new fans, and the stadium needs to be as full as possible.

That ain't gonna happen if we're denying the opportunity of group bookings from the most loyal STH's.

I also have two younger sons (10 & 12), who have had season tickets for two of the Withdean years. However, they are NOT long-standing season ticket holders and should not come in front of those who have had tickets for 9+ years.

Who is more loyal and deserving...? My two young sons with just 2 seasons behind them, or some poor sod who has been at the Goldstone, Gillingham and Withdean....?

Your arrogance on other threads about your 3+ on the 10th Jan is quite sickening.

 

[Easy 10]

Well no, obviously you wouldn't be at the back of the queue as (from what you've said) you're not taking anyone new. In the system I suggest noone would be treated unfairly. The 9-year+ STHs still have the option of being among the first to pick their seats, and rightly so. However, they can trade that in for the right to take new people if they so wish. They'll still be in the priority section, just not right at the front of it, which I would say is a fair compromise. Or certainly a lot fairer than allowing everyone to bring in three randoms before the 2,000 people who've had a ST for 1-8 years have their chance and get left with the front/back rows and the corners.

As a 9+ yearer, trading my place in the queue so I can bring new STH's to the club (as well as an existing one) is not a dilemma I'd want to have to face. And the club WANT and NEED the commitment of new fans to the club. Its a legacy - the most loyal STH's have the opportunity of ensuring they will ALWAYS have up to 3 of their companions sitting with them at the ground forever, that is a huge plus, a massive incentive, and will lead to lots and lots of (VITALLY needed) additional sales for the long-term.

Like it or not, the club are right to do it this way. Its had to strike a compromise between loyalty and economics, that was always going to be the case, and I think on balance this is about as well as they could have done it.

 

[fosters headband]

It is a disgraceful decision really, and one that shows our board up for what it really is. I've no problem with existing STHs being able to bring extra people along, it's the fact this can happen before existing STHs that's so wrong. I have worked out that I'll be in the first 1,000 people of priority group one, so it shouldn't affect me TOO much. However, all the people who say "there are plenty of seats to go round" are spectacularly missing the point. Of course there are enough seats, but there aren't enough seats in certain areas. Everyone will get a ticket, but there will be some existing STHs who turn up in February for their meeting to find the most popular parts of the ground are sold out, and that's totally disgusting in my book. While I'm by no means the worst off, 4,000 tickets could have been sold by the time I go, meaning I might not get the section I want.

As mentioned in the first post, this could have been avoided by creating one extra priority group.

Priority 1,2, 3 and 4 - as you were
Priority 5 - existing STHs who want to bring new people

So what priority would you have given to a priority 1 who has been paying for a kids season ticket for 5-6 years who don't even get a priority.
I will be buying 4 tickets 2 for my grandsons and 1 for my son who is priority 4. What priority would you give for my case?

 

[Easy 10]

I also have two younger sons (8 & 10), who have had season tickets for two of the Withdean years. However, they are NOT long-standing season ticket holders and should not come in front of those who have had tickets for 9+ years.

Who is more loyal and deserving...? My two young sons with just 2 seasons behind them, or some poor sod who has been at the Goldstone, Gillingham and Withdean....?

Your arrogance on other threads about your 3+ on the 10th Jan is quite sickening.

If the club want your 2 young sons to continue as season ticket holders at the Amex with you for the long term, then they're not going to manage that by telling you that you can't sit with them unless you hang back till all the other STH's have got theirs are they. Hows that fair ?

As for my "arrogance" - f*** you and the horse you rode in on. If you can point to one "arrogant" post I've made on that thread then I will apologise profusely and ask for the mods to remove it. All I've done is start a thread about appointment times out of interest to see how thats panning out (and mine, for what its worth, is on the 14th not the 10th).

 

[El Presidente]

to guarantee a seat at Falmer you needed to be a STH. Although that is technically true, a more accurate reflection of the system they have introduced would have been to say, "to guarantee a seat at Falmer, you have a better chance of being a non STH as long as you are a friend or relative of one in which case there is a 3 to 1 chance you will get first dibs"?

Regardless of what the club may say about how they expect this to work in practice, the fact is that potentially by the time I get to choose my seat, 6,000 plus NON STH'S could be infront of me and despite all the bollocks of there will be loads of seats to go around - that's not the point. Our staunch support for this club has effecitively been rewarded with the club finding a system that puts thousands of non STH's ahead in the queue purely for commercial reasons that are not to the benefit of a large proportion of people who have effectively been lead up the garden path.

We've put up with some right SH1T over the last few years watching some soddin dull football in dreadful conditions with the lure of what was around the corner and now we find it was a large piece of rhetoric. I would like to know what all the options were that were considered and perhaps a bit of consultation with STH's would have been a good idea.

So let's make this clear.

You want a ST at Falmer, and you are certain to get one, Tony Bloom has stuck £90m+ of his own money into this and you are still whining, because the club has not bowed and scraped to you enough.

There is NO way that the +3 is going to be taken up by all those who could possibly use it, even if say, 1,000 +3's make their choice, then you still have approximately 16,000 seats available to choose from, but that is not good enough for you.

 

[Easy 10]

So what priority would you have given to a priority 1 who has been paying for a kids season ticket for 5-6 years who don't even get a priority.
I will be buying 4 tickets 2 for my grandsons and 1 for my son who is priority 4. What priority would you give for my case?

If you're a P1 then you can get 3 additional tickets for your son and 2 grandsons. So whats the issue there ?