[Albion] Will the ticket exchange open? - yes it will!

[Hugo Rune]

Hi Mr Barber!!

I agree with everything you say, except for the fact, that in my circumstance the club's new rules will end up with them making less money not more, as 8-10 matchday revenues are now lost. I have no interest in getting my seat money or selling, but I also can't give for someone to use and spend in the stadium.

There is a lot made of ‘match-day’ revenues lost. I’m not sure the club make as much as you think from catering if that’s what you are referring to.

Say your mates spend £100 between them. You’re looking at £20 to the taxman and maybe £50 to Sodexo. That’s a £30 profit for the club at most. They have the potential to make £220 from the scheme if you and your mates were willing to pay £20 each to see games in the best and biggest domestic league on the planet.

It’s a shame that this system doesn’t work for everyone but without covid issues/parking problems/petrol worries/awful weather, the Amex would have been packed yesterday and those critical of the exchange scheme would not be getting the airtime.

 

[Wozza]

The number of empty seats so far this season indicates it’s not working for quite a lot………

"Not working" for fans wanting to give away or sell their tickets.

But possibly working well for the club's accountants. Yesterday's match would have been record gate receipts at The Amex....

 

[nickbrighton]

"Not working" for fans wanting to give away or sell their tickets.

But possibly working well for the club's accountants. Yesterday's match would have been record gate receipts at The Amex....

The number of empty seats so far this season indicates it’s not working for quite a lot………

I made a late decision not to go today and put my ticket on the exchange at about 1330 and there were quite a few seats available in my block in the west upper when I did and someone's already bought it?!

I would say that quite a lot of yesterdays empty seats were caused by the weather, I cycle to the game and was thinking about going or not. with fuel issues as well how many decided that cycling, walking and those who drive but need fuel for work it simply wasn't worth it, and

Had my father still been alive, he almost certainly wouldn't have gone due to weather conditions , simply couldnt have stood waiting for transport in that weather

I doubt any meaningful assumptions about yesterdays no shows can be drawn, other than its a mixture of covid, fuel, weather, and the ticket exchange opening too late for people to make a decision and arrangements to go.

 

[e77]

I don't think the system in place at the moment is too bad but the prices are a bit prohibitive. If you could pay £20 for life to be able to transfer tickets then there would be much more takers.

My suspicion is the club are trying to avoid the situation at some of the bigger clubs where individuals or groups of people get hold of season tickets (including long dead people's) and sell them on, meaning no one has a chance of getting a ticket for a prime spot.

 

[portlock seagull]

Perversely from a self interest perspective I’d say the new system is working brilliantly. It has seriously inconvenienced a large group inc me who shared STs. Now we’re making a loss, seats are empty and it’s broken up a band of brothers. No ones in a position to make every game, nor afford no takers. I think next season they’ll be perhaps 7 or 8 new season tickets available for others with deeper pockets or at least make every game. We’re already what’s called legacy fans, we enjoy each other’s company win lose or draw since Goldstone days. The opposition and performances are irrelevant really. Following the club in the PL was hard enough by comparison. The new system has all but killed our long long relationship with the club as none of us want to sit alone during the match or in the tourist section in the lower east, which inevitably must happen without STs. I know I’m losing interest in the Albion and haven’t even been to the Amex since before Covid, though still getting to aways like Burnley. But them’s the rules, nothings forever and we recognise we must move a side for fresh blood who have less family and financial commitments. It’s funny but I’m good friends with a Palace and Arsenal fan and they’ve jacked in STs like me since the early 90s for same reasons. Football is expensive, you must be highly flexible and if not local (none of us are) then it gets harder and harder to go and therefore justify the cost. We’re all getting together to go and watch lower league and non league games local to us instead, take the kids there instead etc.

 

[timbha]

Perversely from a self interest perspective I’d say the new system is working brilliantly. It has seriously inconvenienced a large group inc me who shared STs. Now we’re making a loss, seats are empty and it’s broken up a band of brothers. No ones in a position to make every game, nor afford no takers. I think next season they’ll be perhaps 7 or 8 new season tickets available for others with deeper pockets or at least make every game. We’re already what’s called legacy fans, we enjoy each other’s company win lose or draw since Goldstone days. The opposition and performances are irrelevant really. Following the club in the PL was hard enough by comparison. The new system has all but killed our long long relationship with the club as none of us want to sit alone during the match or in the tourist section in the lower east, which inevitably must happen without STs. I know I’m losing interest in the Albion and haven’t even been to the Amex since before Covid, though still getting to aways like Burnley. But them’s the rules, nothings forever and we recognise we must move a side for fresh blood who have less family and financial commitments. It’s funny but I’m good friends with a Palace and Arsenal fan and they’ve jacked in STs like me since the early 90s for same reasons. Football is expensive, you must be highly flexible and if not local (none of us are) then it gets harder and harder to go and therefore justify the cost. We’re all getting together to go and watch lower league and non league games local to us instead, take the kids there instead etc.

Interesting post and understandable from your perspective. We all have to make choices and clearly living some distance from Brighton and being a STH aren’t always compatible.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

I would say that quite a lot of yesterdays empty seats were caused by the weather, I cycle to the game and was thinking about going or not. with fuel issues as well how many decided that cycling, walking and those who drive but need fuel for work it simply wasn't worth it, and

Had my father still been alive, he almost certainly wouldn't have gone due to weather conditions , simply couldnt have stood waiting for transport in that weather

I doubt any meaningful assumptions about yesterdays no shows can be drawn, other than its a mixture of covid, fuel, weather, and the ticket exchange opening too late for people to make a decision and arrangements to go.

Yes, a fair few put off by the weather yesterday. We know a couple in this category who rarely ever miss a game. Luckily we were already soaking wet from a two hour pre match walk so really couldn’t get any wetter.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Shock - Barber preferring not to back down when he's plainly in the wrong.



Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

"Not working" for fans wanting to give away or sell their tickets.

But possibly working well for the club's accountants. Yesterday's match would have been record gate receipts at The Amex....

But also not working for for those who do not know any my albion plus members or are not willing to pay the 20 quid or would just list their tickets on the exchange !
The 2 seats to my right have been empty every game so far and because the exchange actually opened for yesterday i could see that they were listed so i am guessing that they probably have for each game . I do not know why they are not coming or how long that situation will last but wonder if the club will take into account the number of times a ticket is listed when and if they decide to cancel tickets for non attendance ?

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Shock - Barber preferring not to back down when he's plainly in the wrong.



Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

There’s no right and wrong on this issue. Just different opinions and his is the one that counts when it comes to ticketing.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

There’s no right and wrong on this issue. Just different opinions and his is the one that counts when it comes to ticketing.

His is the one that counts on everything. His arrogance is staggering. And he never backs down or compromises.

Always about the £ with him. Loves the stories about being wonderful communicators but never actually listens when people disagree with him

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

 

[Thunder Bolt]

His is the one that counts on everything. His arrogance is staggering. And he never backs down or compromises.

Always about the £ with him. Loves the stories about being wonderful communicators but never actually listens when people disagree with him

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

He works for Tony Bloom, and his remit is to get as much money for the club as possible, instead of using Tony’s money.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

His is the one that counts on everything. His arrogance is staggering. And he never backs down or compromises.

Always about the £ with him. Loves the stories about being wonderful communicators but never actually listens when people disagree with him

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

You say he is arrogant for thinking he is right. Don’t you think you’re right though…..?

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

There is a lot made of ‘match-day’ revenues lost. I’m not sure the club make as much as you think from catering if that’s what you are referring to.

Say your mates spend £100 between them. You’re looking at £20 to the taxman and maybe £50 to Sodexo. That’s a £30 profit for the club at most. They have the potential to make £220 from the scheme if you and your mates were willing to pay £20 each to see games in the best and biggest domestic league on the planet.

It’s a shame that this system doesn’t work for everyone but without covid issues/parking problems/petrol worries/awful weather, the Amex would have been packed yesterday and those critical of the exchange scheme would not be getting the airtime.

But the main reason people are critical of the exchange scheme is that it is plainly NOT working ! Even for the Arsenal game it only opened the evening before the game , far too late to be able to sell the 1000 + tickets listed on it . Then there is the other empty seats and the various reasons offered for it . At the start of the season it was holidays /covid , then it was parking / travel , yesterday it was petrol / weather . It is beginning to look like for the foreseable future we are going to have to get used to the gaps ( and the resulting airtime ! )
It may have not been so bad if the club had not stressed so strongly the value of the exchange as an alternative to the 20 pound charge .

 

[nickbrighton]

His is the one that counts on everything. His arrogance is staggering. And he never backs down or compromises.

Always about the £ with him. Loves the stories about being wonderful communicators but never actually listens when people disagree with him

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

strange that since we have had Barber, and the current set up, who dont listen and are plainly wrong, who are arrogant and dont give a toss about anything other than the ££££££££££, the club is enjoying its most successful time ever.

He is the guy(with others) in charge of the finances at BHA , and yet people are surprised when he does his job.

It is due in large part to how he does his job that we are were we are now, that Brighton have a high standing within the PL set up both in league position and behind the scenes.

Because we are a well run club we are attracting the backroom, executive, and playing staff we have.

Because YOU feel he is wrong doesn't actually make it so. He is a professional running a professional club and running it well..professionally, thats not necessarily arrogance, and even if it is to be successful in this environment you need a bit of arrogance.

I actually (and many others) feel in what is a difficult balancing act, he and the club get it right a lot more often than not. Are all the decisions 100% correct, of course not, but for those who think they would make better decisions why arent you running football clubs. He has a proven track record and that is based on making right, not necessarily popular decisions.

If the decisions made were based solely on what supporters want would we be where we are? I think not.

Barber and the team are delivering football in the best (allegedly) league in the world, and are currently TWO points off top spot. I think hes doing things right

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

You say he is arrogant for thinking he is right. Don’t you think you’re right though…..?

Nah I'm wrong all the time. Barber is never wrong.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Nah I'm wrong all the time. Barber is never wrong.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

You know how I would answer that…

 

[Sid in the Sharknado]

You say he is arrogant for thinking he is right. Don’t you think you’re right though…..?

I don't think I'm always right.


I know I am

 

[BNthree]

It may have not been so bad if the club had not stressed so strongly the value of the exchange as an alternative to the 20 pound charge .

This is my gripe with it. Club promoted it as a benefit of having a season ticket. Not much benefit it only opened once and then just evening before match.

 

[amexer]

Like any CEO his job is to create as much income as possible and expenses as low as possible
Over years crowds have increased with offers along the way like £15 guest tickets and half STs etc. No need now for offers ,ground full so club went down route of increasing capacity by 1000.
Rightly he will continue to try and increase income but with all seats sold no where to go now. Dont think in this climate increasing price of ST go down well so only option now is to chip away with additional costs to supporters or increase corporate income . Unfortunately at the moment he is trying the former