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STH - Empty Seats fcks me off







Samej

Banned
Apr 24, 2011
1,303
Do me a favour! I've been a season ticket holder for 13 years (including Gillingham!). It's been my way of supporting the club. I can't go to every game (I live in Somerset), and for all bar three seasons at Withdean it was impossible even to give your ticket away. Your suggestion means that, as a reward for my loyalty, every time I can't go to a game for whatever reason I am penalised?!

I missed yesterday (wedding anniversary), but managed to pass my tickets on to friends. I will do my level best to do the same in future whenever circumstances dictate I can't attend, but please don't come up with any more hare-brained schemes to "teach" me how to be loyal.....

You missed yesterdy for a wedding anniversary? your fcuking mental.
 


PC-Gull

The Muffin Man
Apr 12, 2008
305
Brighton, Sussex, England
I don't like the idea of people being 'taught a lesson,' because they couldn't make it to a game. I just think the club should work on and release a ticket exchange system. It would benefit so many people, and the club if they include a handling fee.
 








mwrpoole

Well-known member
Sep 10, 2010
1,519
Sevenoaks
I don't like the idea of people being 'taught a lesson,' because they couldn't make it to a game. I just think the club should work on and release a ticket exchange system. It would benefit so many people, and the club if they include a handling fee.

Just been chatting to an old friend who being a scouser has suddenly popped out from nowhere! Anyway we got onto the subject of STH's not going to matches in trying to roughly estimate how many tickets for Liverpool might be available. He informs me that Liverpool also have 'smart cards' and run an exchange scheme where if you can't go to a match, the club try & sell your ticket for you and credit 'your account' with the cash. If they sell it they just send a paper ticket out to the buyer and presumably update your smart card. This cash is then held by them and deducted from your ST cost for next season. Seems a great scheme if that's all there is to it, even if it didn't go against next year's ST but was just added onto your smart card balance to spend on pies & beer would still be good.
 


smudge

Up the Albion!
Jul 8, 2003
7,376
On the ocean wave
I'm away till the end of November & have left my card with my mate. Demand for my seat is very high while I'm away & I'm charging them below the face value for each game. Everyone's happy, they get to see a game, there's no empty seat & I get a few quid back for my troubles. Mind you I'd rather be there myself.
 


Davemania

Well-known member
Jul 11, 2011
1,752
Uckfield
Yeah everyone should make as much effort as possible to get their seat filled if they cant go
 




goldstone

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 5, 2003
7,177
One of my sons couldn't go to the game yesterday. I advertised the ticket on Ticket Exchange on NSC on Thursday, had a call within an hour, deal done, met the buyer outside the ground and he came through the turnstile with me.

So, to other season ticket holders, not so difficult! Although I appreciate that in this scenario you need to be going yourself in order not to have to give away your card to someone.
 


Biscuit

Native Creative
Jul 8, 2003
22,319
Brighton
I was desperate for an extra ticket for the Blackpool game so I bought one off someone on here for £30. Not that outrageous and sorted me out big time.
 


GoldWithFalmer

Seaweed! Seaweed!
Apr 24, 2011
12,687
SouthCoast
Off topic-but can we have some flags draped here please-
images
 




eastlondonseagull

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2004
13,385
West Yorkshire
Posted before, posting again. Reckon STH should start the season with a full season's loyalty points. Then lose loyalty points for every game the seat stands empty. It's the only way they'll learn...

Interesting idea. I missed yesterday, but managed to sell my ST seat, so seat was used. Same with the Sunderland game - bought a ticket, couldn't go, but managed to shift it, thankfully.

re: ticket exchange, it is needed, but it can be done informally, among mates or mates' mates if you have the time.
 


kevo

Well-known member
Mar 8, 2008
9,801
This thread is depressing.

I've been watching the Albion since 1972 but have never had a season ticket. The thought of sitting next to the same person, who might be a plank, potentially forever, has always stopped me. My fault, I know, but there you go.

I know at least ten fans of Premier League clubs who have bought season tickets for the Amex. They never went to the Goldstone, or Gillingham, and only occasionally went to Withdean. One Arsenal fan I know only goes when there's no clash with an Emirates match. I know of one pub landlord who bought four, despite never having been to see the Albion before, because they might come in handy for friends and family.

I have tried to get tickets for every match this season and been unsuccessful every time, including for the Sunderland game, when the ticket office turned me down. So, if anyone ever has a couple of spares, it would be good if some kind of a system could be set up.

Forward this to the club. They really should set up an easy system whereby STH can notify the club if they can't attend and get a small refund if the club can re-sell their seat. That way everyone wins - the STH gets some money back, the club gets extra income from on-selling the seat, and we have a fuller stadium.
 


breachy

New member
Nov 18, 2008
67
Lower Bourne
I sometimes move to the back of the North stand as there is a family of smellies in front of me, yes you know who you are (Have a bath) and i like getting in on the atmosphere! My seats may be empty but im in the stadium. Don't always presume if the seats empty then that person has not attended!

I havent got the smellies thank god but i sit in another seat too. So empty seats is not lack of loyalty on a lot of supporters part!
 




nomoremithras4me

Active member
Apr 7, 2011
2,348
I agree its a bit of a piss off but what can you do? People have paid their monies and are taking their choices:shrug:
 


The_Viper

Well-known member
Oct 10, 2010
4,345
Charlotte, NC
I understand that people have overriding reasons as to why they cannot attend games, the loss of your mother for example is a bloody good one, being a die hard Albion fan who is going on holiday is another (not that I'm comparing the two, by the way). But I still believe that alot of people in this thread have the right idea, if somebody doesn't turn up annd sit in your seat, you lose points. You can say "Well I'm in the stadium blah blah blah" but YOU, nobody else, YOU picked those seats, unfortunately you don't get to decide the people who sit next to/in front/behind you but for goodness sake you're there to watch a football game, if you wanted atmosphere why didn't you pick a seat in the north stand initially?

The fact is, people who have been on holiday but attend very regularly, people who have very unfortunate circumstances that result in them losing a game or two, should still lose points just like everybody else. We should have that system in place 100%, it's not so people will learn to be loyal, it's so these people will go out and make the effort to pass on their ticket. Then, the people who have had such shitty circumstances can ring the club when they can, weeks after even and simply say "look, I'm a hardcore fan, you can see I've attended every game at the AMEX bar these two, and I've attended since, you can see it on the system, my situation was X Y & Z, this is why I didn't turn up, I'd like the loyalty points refunding please". Slap bang wallop, BHAFC should give you them back, it's not the people who miss 4/5 games a season we should be targetting, it's the people who miss loads because they managed to get tickets to the Emirates this week or they wanted to watch Gillette Soccer Saturday because Chelsea were a 3pm kick off or other bullshit reasons that are simply unacceptable.

It wouldn't be difficult to implement to be honest, and it's only fair, because it's those same people who haven't even been to the AMEX yet who will snap up their seat as a ST holder to see their beloved Liverpool come to OUR teams ground to play.
 


Charlies Shinpad

New member
Jul 5, 2003
4,415
Oakford in Devon
Posted before, posting again. Reckon STH should start the season with a full season's loyalty points. Then lose loyalty points for every game the seat stands empty. It's the only way they'll learn...

I have bought my season ticket knowing full well I cannot make midweek games as commuting from Devon for a midweek game means losing half a days money to get to the game and not getting back until 2.30 am and then getting 3 hours sleep max before going back to work, also a few of my mates are STH and they are long distance lorry drivers, so punish everyone who doesnt live within a reasonable distance of The Amex why dont you !!
 


melias shoes

Well-known member
Oct 14, 2010
4,830
I agree,even without a ticket exchange STH`s can lend there cards to family and friends when they cannot attend a game, as those around me in the N stand seem to be doing, as the faces are not the same week in week out
Same as.
 




paddy

New member
Feb 2, 2005
1,020
London
I think it's clear that we need a ticket exchange. But rather than punishing STHs for using the ticket exchange why not reward them for doing so, perhaps with a discount in the club shop if a STH uses it five times. After all, the club will benefit financially from someone being in an empty ST seat through merchandise and food.
 


BeardyChops

Active member
Jan 24, 2009
462
Posted before, posting again. Reckon STH should start the season with a full season's loyalty points. Then lose loyalty points for every game the seat stands empty. It's the only way they'll learn...

I presume "It's the only way they'll learn" is a joke.

Putting aside the patronising tone, why would anyone who doesn't regularly attend care if they lose loyalty points?
 


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