Statement from fan groups ahead of new season

[artfuldodger]

This is exactly the predicament I have with my son's ticket. He often finds that he can't attend at short notice, sometimes a matter of hours before ko, so he's transferred his ticket to me and I have taken someone with me. I'm on hold with the ticket office as I type this to see what can be done - I know that there was a facility to nominate a non-member for transfer but wasn't aware that what we have previously been doing is no longer possible.

That’s because they didn’t put it in the email. Only on the website.
Can you not download your son’s season ticket onto your phone? Obviously City aren’t going to suggest that.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Didn't people who had proper medical reasons for it going unused last season 3 or so games get told they couldn't renew this season? Seem to remember some uproar in May about some genuine ill people who the club refused to make an exemption for?

That was a reply to centurions but I messed up the quote buttoin!

I can't comment on the specific case as I don't have the information. The overwhelming majority of Blues who have had significant health issues affecting attendance have said the Club have been very flexible and supportive. I am going off comments on wider social media as well on here.

 

[James2401125]

This won't be popular but I find that notion of our Club hating our fans a bit far fetched. I am more a fan of the cock up theory.

The changes may be unpopular and misguided but there is a rationale to some of them. For example, there is a hierarchy of attendance:
a) Match day members choose individual games.
b) Flexi-golders attend 10 games or more (I think they can transfer 3 games now though).
C) Season card holders are expected to attend most or all games, with a minimum of 10 in person. There are exemptions for illness, shift working etc.

When season card holders attend less games than flexi-golders or match day members it becomes irrational. That might have been happening and I don't care that much about, especially where season cards have been shared amongst family..

I would have been happy for the changes to be put on the back burner, particularly with the expanded capacity coming.

Just a thought but maybe the statement could implications for filling the North Stand. One of essentials to getting a good signing section going was said have the same Blues around each other every game during the season. Is this no longer the case?

Obviously, there are still concerns about premium / hospitality seats at the front of the stand.

I agree with most of what you said but there is no exemption for shift workers I have asked the club this they currently recommend you switch to Flexi gold if you're a shift worker .

 

[birchvillablue]

Have cancelled cup scheme membership because of this bollocks, slippery slope for me…

 

[Tim of the Oak]

There are absolutely no exemptions to the attendance policy for shift working so I don't know where you've got that from.

They have still not come out publicly and said that there are any exemptions. The Club are relying on fans with health conditions and disabilities to ring them up - in itself atrocious - and there already examples of affected fans having simply not renewed this season because of these rules.

Yes I am not in favour of all the changes but I have read many accounts on social media where Blues have reported that the Club has been very supportive. Particularly on health issues. I expect City to be flexible where fans attendance has been hindered by shift working. Yes if this isn't being exempted atm it should be. It's a new policy so there won't be tons of examples about.

I think it is fair to say that many Blues were shocked when we read how few games many season card holders attended in person. I certainly got the impression that City Matters were shocked at the time this became a live issue. Maybe that's a useful thought to bring into the negotiations, namely that hardly anyone was aware of the scale of the likely impact of the ten game rule.

 

[artfuldodger]

This won't be popular but I find that notion of our Club hating our fans a bit far fetched. I am more a fan of the cock up theory.

The changes may be unpopular and misguided but there is a rationale to some of them. For example, there is a hierarchy of attendance:
a) Match day members choose individual games.
b) Flexi-golders attend 10 games or more (I think they can transfer 3 games now though).
C) Season card holders are expected to attend most or all games, with a minimum of 10 in person. There are exemptions for illness, shift working etc.

When season card holders attend less games than flexi-golders or match day members it becomes irrational. That might have been happening and I don't care that much about, especially where season cards have been shared amongst family..

I would have been happy for the changes to be put on the back burner, particularly with the expanded capacity coming.

Just a thought but maybe the statement could implications for filling the North Stand. One of essentials to getting a good signing section going was said have the same Blues around each other every game during the season. Is this no longer the case?

Obviously, there are still concerns about premium / hospitality seats at the front of the stand.

The season card attendance I do understand, even though my son, a shift worker, has been shown no flexibility by the club. It’s the ticket transfer rules I don’t understand the rationale behind.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I agree with most of what you said but there is no exemption for shift workers I have asked the club this they currently recommend you switch to Flexi gold if you're a shift worker .

Sorry to hear that James and I've clearly got that wrong on shift working. As it is a new policy, I hope there can be plenty of flexibility for shift workers.

As I said to Danny, I don't think hardly anyone was aware of the scale of the potential impact of the 10 game rule. Therefore, there is no shame on City revisiting this policy.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

The season card attendance I do understand, even though my son, a shift worker, has been shown no flexibility by the club. It’s the ticket transfer rules I don’t understand the rationale behind.

Yes mate, the ticket transfer rules are very frustrating and City can't be making enough money out of the new processes for them to be worth the money.

In the OSC Branch I run, I have offered to subsidise the match day membership fees for juniors. I realise that's not really a big solution.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

I approached the club as my son plays cricket at a decent standard.
Explained he's not always aware what team he'll be in until Wednesday and that's not always convenient to pass it on!

I got the 'he should try flexi-gold' option!

Thanks for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BertM19]

Sorry to hear that James and I've clearly got that wrong on shift working. As it is a new policy, I hope there can be plenty of flexibility for shift workers.

As I said to Danny, I don't think hardly anyone was aware of the scale if the potential impact of the 10 game rule. Therefore, there is no shame on City revisiting this policy.

There is no way the club are going to revisit this policy unless there is a serious push back from fans.

The Trade Union Blues lot could clearly see the policy for what it was months ago, and raised it with a serious law firm on a discrimination basis - that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere and the club is ploughing on with the policy.

The club is not run by idiots who seem to regularly make mistakes, they have form for doing these things and assume they'll get little pushback. Remember they offered City Matters a season ticket price increase last season! A lack of care for supporters is another form of malice, considering it's a football club after all and we are meant to be the most important part of it.

The fact it literally says "aim for 10 games and see how it goes" on the club FAQs for this policy is absolutely crazy. In what other business would any of us put up with that kind of wishy washy language, and for a policy that is threatening removal of people's season tickets?

They may not be "out to get us", but supporters, especially season ticket holders, are rock bottom of the list of priorities and that in practice is essentially the same thing.

 

[PistonBlue]

The season card attendance I do understand, even though my son, a shift worker, has been shown no flexibility by the club. It’s the ticket transfer rules I don’t understand the rationale behind.

I read the ticket transfer ban as a way of pushing those tickets towards the Ticket Exchange, so that the club can then sell on a higher price.

 

[artfuldodger]

I approached the club as my son plays cricket at a decent standard.
Explained he's not always aware what team he'll be in until Wednesday and that's not always convenient to pass it on!

I got the 'he should try flexi-gold' option!

Thanks for that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That what I got told. Alex from CM took on my son’s case, but said the best City could offer was flexi gold.

 

[BertM19]

I read the ticket transfer ban as a way of pushing those tickets towards the Ticket Exchange, so that the club can then sell on a higher price.

But then they've gone and limited the ticket exchange to listing a minimum of 24hrs before the game, so all this really does is make it more likely that season ticket holders will end up being classed as missing more games if they find out the night before/morning of a game they can't make it

 

[DiscoSteve]

That’s because they didn’t put it in the email. Only on the website.
Can you not download your son’s season ticket onto your phone? Obviously City aren’t going to suggest that.

Stick any S/T where there is any issue of attending 10 games etc straight onto a burner phone which you're happy to share with people who you trust - problem goes away, City won't know, seat is occupied (as far as City is concerned) and everyone happy.

 

[BertM19]

Stick any S/T where there is any issue of attending 10 games etc straight onto a burner phone which you're happy to share with people who you trust - problem goes away, City won't know, seat is occupied (as far as City is concerned) and everyone happy.

Mental that Blues are having to go to these lengths to find workarounds (that the club class as illegal). Many fans won't be able to do this, won't know how to, and will be stung by the policy

 

[Tim of the Oak]

There is no way the club are going to revisit this policy unless there is a serious push back from fans.

The Trade Union Blues lot could clearly see the policy for what it was months ago, and raised it with a serious law firm on a discrimination basis - that doesn't seem to have gone anywhere and the club is ploughing on with the policy.

The club is not run by idiots who seem to regularly make mistakes, they have form for doing these things and assume they'll get little pushback. Remember they offered City Matters a season ticket price increase last season! A lack of care for supporters is another form of malice, considering it's a football club after all and we are meant to be the most important part of it.

The fact it literally says "aim for 10 games and see how it goes" on the club FAQs for this policy is absolutely crazy. In what other business would any of us put up with that kind of wishy washy language, and for a policy that is threatening removal of people's season tickets?

They may not be "out to get us", but supporters, especially season ticket holders, are rock bottom of the list of priorities and that in practice is essentially the same thing.

Fair enough on the poor treatment of fans. City drop too many clangers. Increasing the number of match day members is a core part of Roel and Danny Wilson's strategy so the transfer rules aren't an accident.

I am not going to get into the Trade Union Blues stuff because the threats of legal action were premature IMHO. That said, I am sure they are committed Blues.

I've said this many times but I also think the use of OSC members as targets in the "fans groups" campaigns have also been unacceptable. We are all Blues together.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

That what I got told. Alex from CM took on my son’s case, but said the best City could offer was flexi gold.

Joke of a decision.
Arrogance from the club and shows how far detached they are from real supporters.

If they tracked his attendance over the 15 years he's been a season ticket holder they would see he's a loyal fan who misses games in August/September and May!

I've had a season ticket for over 40 years and haven't felt this disillusioned in all that time.

Suppose they'll be glad if I sack it off, cos they can sell it at more than I pay per game.

 

[Sheik Battle and Goal]

I’m fucking my season ticket/card/ e wallet ticket off after this season and have told the kids this (they’re adults so they can decide if they want to carry on going). Not sure why we have these draconian measures and have to jump through endless hoops so I can pass my ticket to a mate if I can’t make it for “safety & “security” reasons which is what another poster mentioned on here when quoting the clubs response. This, plus VAR shit, player wages rising to now obscene levels and mard arses like Izak downing tools have sucked the fucking enjoyment out of the game for me.
I may go to the odd game but I’m done with the PL. It’s a horrible experience.

 

[DiscoSteve]

Mental that Blues are having to go to these lengths to find workarounds (that the club class as illegal). Many fans won't be able to do this, won't know how to, and will be stung by the policy

I know for a fact its what goes on at Klanfield to get around their sharing challenges for S/T Holders there - and at the Rags they're trying their damnest to stop it by tying their App to the phone to the S/T too! It doesn't matter to me as I will probably miss no more than one PL home game all season, but I know a few that are literally b*ggered for one reason or another if they don't make these kind of steps.

 

[stefb36]

The 10 game rule would be achievable for most if they could guarantee that all games are played at 3pm on a Saturday - but they can't. I go to the games with my son & brother (who lives nearly 300 miles away). He gets to a few games a season & a couple of away games if points go down to his level - including Champs League away games. He can't make plans to get to Manchester booking train tickets when they're cheaper as the games are then changed for TV. You're then knackered as you've made travel arrangements. Same goes for midweek games. In previous seasons we have transfered his ticket to my friends or my sons friends for them to attend. Now we can't do that unless we have named them. So, we'll have to list it on the exchange. I want to sit with like minded City fans not some 'You-Tuber' or 'Vlogger' who spends all game looking at their phone ( told one once to put his phone down & watch the game), just so they can say they were at the match.

A friend of mine who is also a season ticket holder has contacted the club about their situation. Health issues which sometimes stops them attending at short notice. The club said that they were not 'after' supporters like that they wanted the ones that only attend a couple of games per season (we know which games they are).

If that s the case then deal with them...don't lump the rest of us with this inane rule.