STH +3 - a fair solution?

[Billy the Fish]

I want as many new ST holders as possible but they can have their seat after all those who have sat through years of soakings first. I appreciare that the club has a difficult decision to make on this but I can see some disgruntled current season ticket holders come Feb when they go to book their seat only to find all the areas they wanted to go have gone.

If you're so disgruntled then don't f***ing buy one, that goes for everyone bleating on about it.

As has been said, come back in March and have a moan if you can't get close to your preferred seat or in the stand you wanted. I'll bet any money that everyone who gets a meeting in january or february is able to sit exactly where they want. FFS, to suggest that some new fans might get the exact 4 seats that you wanted is ridiculous and childish.

 

[severnside gull]

Thankyou...in a rather confused way you are illustrating my point of view.

You are saying that you expect 'only' 2 people to take up each additional seat available to existing priority 1 STH's. You are saying that supporters from lower Priority groups are liable to piggy back on existing Priority 1 STH's.........plus of course newcomers.

The first Presentations are on Jan10th.. There are 4 Presentations each day, with each presentation accommodating 40 people.

Some Priority 1 presentations are not until 25th Jan..( as is mine).

Therefore, even on your 'only' prediction there would be approx. 13,000 seats unavailable to choose from..( 11 days x 4 presentations each day x 40 STHs at each meeting x 3 tickets each (original STH + 2) , 2400 1901 members and 2500 'away' allocation and ? 3000 seats put aside for non season-ticket holders).

The seating arrangement at Amex has many different pricing levels. The reason is quite simple. Some viewing positions are better than others.. We all know that.....and THAT is why it is important to reward the existing long-term STH's first, as promised by the club.

By the way, the question on ATC is not pointless.Clearly not everyone is aware of the rules regarding seating of the '+3' allowance...ask El Presidente....and he can read...LOL..!

I'm not a current STH and live far enough away that, although seriously tempted, I think that common sense will prevail and I won't be buying a season ticket at Amex. That obviously colours my view just as your much more fortunate status colours yours.

I think everyone's needs will be pretty easily met and the numbers certainly look that way. I think you are all worrying far too much. For all your sakes I hope I'm right so good luck

 

[Notters]

Not directly relevant to this argument but surely everyone who goes to the Albion regularly must know at least one 9+ STHer? I reckon I know about 20 on first name terms.

I also doubt that many of the +3 will be anything other than big Albion fans or young kids.

 

[The Large One]

Seeing as you choose, confirm and pay for your seat on the night it's a fair assumption isn't it?

In talking to KB and MP this week, that wasn't my understanding.

Perhaps I've misunderstood.

 

[The Large One]

Well I'm not saying you're wrong as I doubt anyone has actually been told explicitly, but why else would they ask you to fill out a form with credit card details if you weren't buying a seat on the night? In fact, what would be the point of this whole charade if it wasn't to choose a seat?

My understanding was that you choose an area (or an area within an area, e.g. West Upper, near the front in line with the centre) in which you wish to sit, rather than an individual seat.

Like I said, perhaps I've go it wrong.

 

[Billy the Fish]

Not directly relevant to this argument but surely everyone who goes to the Albion regularly must know at least one 9+ STHer? I reckon I know about 20 on first name terms.

I also doubt that many of the +3 will be anything other than big Albion fans or young kids.

Of course they won't, I don't understand how people have got it in their heads that every STH is going to find 3 people who've never been to an Albion match before.

In my group of 3 STH we will be getting 2 extra seats, so that's 1 each. Of those 2, 1 is ex STH and been working abroad for 2 years and the other is a regular at away games and does a handful of home games.

 

[kingcole]

This is exactly correct. In fact, only a fraction will take up their +3. This is because no kids are entitled to a plus 3.

Me for example are a STH as are my 2 lads. Now my 2 lads will be +2 of my +3 allowed. Im actually getting one extra, but for me thats one extra from 3 exisiting STH,s not 9 as some might suggest.

I dont doubt that some adults who dont currently go with kids will take their entire +3, but i think the proportion that do will be conderably lower than is being anticipated.

 

[Wilko]

If you're so disgruntled then don't f***ing buy one, that goes for everyone bleating on about it.

As has been said, come back in March and have a moan if you can't get close to your preferred seat or in the stand you wanted. I'll bet any money that everyone who gets a meeting in january or february is able to sit exactly where they want. FFS, to suggest that some new fans might get the exact 4 seats that you wanted is ridiculous and childish.

What do you mean don't buy one? It is because I am so passionate about this club that I do want one. You may see it as chilidish but I think those of us that have sat in the rain for 11 years have every single right to pick a seat AHEAD of someone who has never been to a match, if that makes me childish then so be it.

 

[fosters headband]

What do you mean don't buy one? It is because I am so passionate about this club that I do want one. You may see it as chilidish but I think those of us that have sat in the rain for 11 years have every single right to pick a seat AHEAD of someone who has never been to a match, if that makes me childish then so be it.

Although I am very happy with my being able to get mine +3, I can see things from both sides here.
Like Wilko says I would hate to think that someone has got a seat before me that has never been to an Albion game, but in reality I think they will be few.
And I do feel the club has missed a trick here. The person buying the tickets first will be a P1 fan, but I do think that the three others that person buys for should be known to the club and be some kind of member with his name on the database.
So, the club could have sold memberships to people before they sell the tickets, if that was a requirement, then I for example could buy mine plus three members.
The club have stated that they have a 12000 break even for running Falmer.
Taking away the 1901 club sales and without the kids they can't have many more than a further 3000 STH's, so this system of plus three if taken up by a large percentage of current STH's will go a long way to meeting this break even point.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

The person buying the tickets first will be a P1 fan, but I do think that the three others that person buys for should be known to the club and be some kind of member with his name on the database.

I put this on Ask The Club yesterday. Be interesting to see what the response is.

 

[Hungry Joe]

I think a lot of how people feel about this also comes down to how desperate and set you are on wanting to sit in one particular spot in the stadium. That may not be possible for some like me, my dad and bro attending the later presentations (depending on whether the Large One's take on it is right or not). For me there several zones that I'd be more than happy in. The likelyhood of not getting three decently positioned seats together in any of them is very unlikely, and even if that did happen we'll still have the pick of 'the best of the rest'. If you've got into the mindset that 'I deserve to sit exactly where I want to from day 1 season 1 because...' then you're never going to be happy with a system that doesn't guarantee that. But as many have already said, it is partly a business decision and rightly so - because if the business fails to acheive its aims then you can have the pick of your seat anywhere in the stadium, rattling around watching League 1 or 2 football for years to come with the club facing losses and potentially no future at all.

 

[NS Herald]

You do have priority over non STH. I'm not a STH and don't know any P1's, you therefore have priority over me, and plenty like me, and we're not moaning about it, as it seems eminently fair.

I'll be at Gigg Lane on Wednesday, and the Galpharm next Saturday, but probably won't get a ticket for Daggers as I'm only a blue member. But I won't be bitching about being further down the pecking order to a STH who goes to two away games a year.

Don't normally participate at weekends but thought I'd pop back and see how this debate is going and find it F'ing unbelievable that EP isn't even a STH and is spouting rubbish about a system in which he can only benefit while STH's are deprived choice. Even worse his pontification about not getting a ticket for Daggers and not bitching is laughable. He seems to have completely forgotten the lengthy debate about away allocations and existing priorities which the masses think is fair and reasonable so what the hell has he got to bitch about?

What does seem clear is that the club really hasn't thought this through and will now be busy trying to justify what many perceive to be unfair when perhaps a little more considered thought and dare I say consultation could have avoided this backlash.

 

[HP Seagull]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have a question.

I am a priority four season ticket holder, having had a ST for six of the Withdean years. However, I sit with a group of priority one ST holders. As they can book an appointment a good month before me I am considering dithching my season ticket and going as one of their plus three's. This will ensure I will be able to continue to sit with them.

My question is about away match priority for next season. I heard that the club were going to base away tickets on loyalty points, meaning that if you have held a ST for a longer amount of time, you would be at the front of the queue. By ditching my season ticket would I lose all my 'loyalty points' that I have built up? Or is this information wrong?

 

[Billy the Fish]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have a question.

I am a priority four season ticket holder, having had a ST for six of the Withdean years. However, I sit with a group of priority one ST holders. As they can book an appointment a good month before me I am considering dithching my season ticket and going as one of their plus three's. This will ensure I will be able to continue to sit with them.

My question is about away match priority for next season. I heard that the club were going to base away tickets on loyalty points, meaning that if you have held a ST for a longer amount of time, you would be at the front of the queue. By ditching my season ticket would I lose all my 'loyalty points' that I have built up? Or is this information wrong?

As I see it, the system is designed for exactly that situation. There's no reason not to go as someone's +1, it's about sitting with your mates at football and there's no need for you not to do that.

They loyalty points is an interesting question, but even if they do give you a new membership I'm sure it'll be possible to port your purchase history onto it, or for them to acknowledge your old membership

 

[clippedgull]

I haven't read the whole thread, but I have a question.

I am a priority four season ticket holder, having had a ST for six of the Withdean years. However, I sit with a group of priority one ST holders. As they can book an appointment a good month before me I am considering dithching my season ticket and going as one of their plus three's. This will ensure I will be able to continue to sit with them.

My question is about away match priority for next season. I heard that the club were going to base away tickets on loyalty points, meaning that if you have held a ST for a longer amount of time, you would be at the front of the queue. By ditching my season ticket would I lose all my 'loyalty points' that I have built up? Or is this information wrong?

How would you be ditching your season ticket? Everything will be in your name. Priority for away games will go to 1901 club members if there is a chance the allocation won't be sufficient to accommodate everyone. I haven't heard about the loyalty points thing, if implemented then they would obviously get 2nd dibs.

 

[HP Seagull]

How would you be ditching your season ticket? Everything will be in your name. Priority for away games will go to 1901 club members if there is a chance the allocation won't be sufficient to accommodate everyone. I haven't heard about the loyalty points thing, if implemented then they would obviously get 2nd dibs.

Because with my season ticket I am priority four, but if I go as a plus one I will be in priority one, and therefore get to sit with the people I do now. Your telling me that I can simply jump to priority one with my current season ticket as I want to sit with priority ones?

Admittedly it won't make much difference as it will all be in my name, only if they were planning on giving away priority to people who have had long-standing season tickets. Hopefully I was wrong about that then.

 

[Rookie]

Because with my season ticket I am priority four, but if I go as a plus one I will be in priority one, and therefore get to sit with the people I do now. Your telling me that I can simply jump to priority one with my current season ticket as I want to sit with priority ones?

Admittedly it won't make much difference as it will all be in my name, only if they were planning on giving away priority to people who have had long-standing season tickets. Hopefully I was wrong about that then.

You can jump yeah, it will all be in your name. And don't even need to sit (or even know) with the person you are getting the ticket from if you don't want