European away games ticketing policy

[mrtwiceaseason]

That's exactly the point. You wouldn't.

The fact is that, from a position where we couldn't give tickets away, demand now far exceeds supply for most away games. The club and the fans have to come to terms with this and the impact that it's had on the ability to get tickets. A change is inevitable.

Probably the easiest way to go would be to get 10% randomly selected to pick up at the away ground ,should stop the selling on. Points whore problem ,keep the points system going for those who have put the miles in .and ballot maybe 100 or so for the youngsters and fans with lower points that will never get to see city away due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time ,we now have patent ally 12,000 new season ticket holders who we are saying come and commit to city but by the way under the current system you won't go to any away games

 

[ell]

Plenty of games that go to low points/general sale for people to catch up. Its only the fashionable games such as the derby that sell out quickly. The biggest problem is the corporate allocation, city will never release the figures but I'd love to see how many tickets actually went on sale for the derby...

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

dress it up all you like but truth is points and tickets have been available and ignored by all but the keenest of fans for years. they now have the reward for that keenness whereas the moaners who sat on their arse now want equal billing. well they can fuck right off.

The loyalty points started at a snap shot in time and only proves who's bought most tickets in that period .where does it sit then all those blues that had season tickets and did aways from the shit era from Maine road who haven't got a single loyalty point to show for their past loyalty.?

 

[blue corby]

Plenty of games that go to low points/general sale for people to catch up. Its only the fashionable games such as the derby that sell out quickly. The biggest problem is the corporate allocation, city will never release the figures but I'd love to see how many tickets actually went on sale for the derby...

It's not just the Derby , how many actually went on sale for Spurs away last weekend . Reduced allocation of about 2400 take out the City in the City tickets then the corporates and sponsors and there weren't many left for ordinary fans.

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

Plenty of games that go to low points/general sale for people to catch up. Its only the fashionable games such as the derby that sell out quickly. The biggest problem is the corporate allocation, city will never release the figures but I'd love to see how many tickets actually went on sale for the derby...

Getting 20 points here or there will not let anybody catch up now

 

[franksinatra]

I was there along with the usual hardcore you see everywhere (if you go). That's the point, we were there, no one else could be bothered. I thought these fans were desperate to get to aways with NO chance of EVER getting one? Swansea ain't that far if you're so keen to go. That's how you get points, go to the games when you can.

I genuinely dont know if your just being awkward but a carling cup tie on a weds night or Bucharest are difficult games to get to for anyone, including the hardcore, and as they are so infrequent events would not help a young lad, significantly, to gain parity in relation to loyalty points.

Loyalty points now doubt should be used but weighting points to recent attendance and a small ballot would keep larger number people engaged in watching City away. I can only think that is of benefit to the club.

As for not being bothered, stop talking emotive nonsense, my point was in reference to kids who have just left school, got a job for the first time etc and now have the disposable income to follow City away. It is something which should be incentivised.

 

[i kne albert davy]

Getting 20 points here or there will not let anybody catch up now

Back to who can get their arse off the bed at 5am to queue outside ticket office for 5 or 6 hours for the big games then, chances are still be lads on higher points get to go.

 

[Tonster]

I genuinely dont know if your just being awkward but a carling cup tie on a weds night or Bucharest are difficult games to get to for anyone, including the hardcore, and as they are so infrequent events would not help a young lad, significantly, to gain parity in relation to loyalty points.

Loyalty points now doubt should be used but weighting points to recent attendance and a small ballot would keep larger number people engaged in watching City away. I can only think that is of benefit to the club.

As for not being bothered, stop talking emotive nonsense, my point was in reference to kids who have just left school, got a job for the first time etc and now have the disposable income to follow City away. It is something which should be incentivised.

They were just the most recent examples from this season. At least 10 games (possibly more) made sale to any season card holder or open sale or didn't sell out at all last season. Young kids or anyone for that matter could then have gone to all these games and would have begun to catch up those not going who had higher points.
That's my point, do the games and eventually with natural wastage they will catch up. Why should they get to go to the big games straight away? It takes time but can be done.

 

[didsburyblu]

Why all the talk of ballots? Not even rumoured by the club to date plus what would that solve. If people believe we have lots of people who buy simply to sell on and boost their points all we will end up with through that is a different group of 2500 people (ballot winners over Ticket point holders) selling the ticket on to boost their own points

 

[cibaman]

I can see the merit of a small number of tickets being subject to a ballot. Perhaps restricted to the aged under 25s?

But presumably the youngsters would only succeed in the ballot once in a bluemoon, so would this really help them close the gap?

 

[franksinatra]

They were just the most recent examples from this season. At least 10 games (possibly more) made sale to any season card holder or open sale or didn't sell out at all last season. Young kids or anyone for that matter could then have gone to all these games and would have begun to catch up those not going who had higher points.
That's my point, do the games and eventually with natural wastage they will catch up. Why should they get to go to the big games straight away? It takes time but can be done.

So what is it 20 points for an away game? That is 200 points extra a season. If a kid of say 17/18 is on around 5/6 k loyalty points he should have caught up in 20/30 years

 

[mcfc1894]

How about not awarding points for the so called big games in the league and champions league? also this points whore stuff is a load of rubbish. I know people who got tickets for celtic through a supporters club and they don't even have a season ticket and will be lucky if they went to 3 games in a whole season.

 

[paul1894]

So somebody who was 5 in 2003 (when the system was introduced) and now is 18, with his first paid job and is now allowed to travel to away games should not have any chance of going to away games so the dads army can use there discounted railcard?

Its stopping a whole generation of blues watching City away. Small percentage in a ballot and weighted loyalty points based on recent attendance is the fairest way.

It's strange cos I'm 55,went to bucharest and Swansea in the cup,there were enough empty seats to satisfy any low pointers,same as Sunderland in cup last year,and league the year before,you could of gone to any of the champions league games in Italy,napoli,Roma,juve,loads of empty seats there,kiev last season,or is this whole generation just wanting to pick and choose the more glamourous games ?we all started at the botto and worked our way up,when you queued up round maine road for away tickets,if you were behind the guy that got the last ticket,it was tough,but you just kept trying,if your that desperate to go,it won't matter where or when city are playing you'll make the effort to get there if there are tickets available at your points criteria,you'll be ok for barca,it won't sell out,so I will probably see this whole new generation at barca !!

 

[the_invisible_man]

How about not awarding points for the so called big games in the league and champions league? also this points whore stuff is a load of rubbish. I know people who got tickets for celtic through a supporters club and they don't even have a season ticket and will be lucky if they went to 3 games in a whole season.

That's a different issue, supporters clubs get a small allocation and ticket points don't matter as they can distribute among their members

The "points whoring" is a genuine issue..the points criteria has come down a lot since the away pick up was introduced. Last season was a joke the amount of tickets being sold on. eg via the Facebook site - people openly posting/advertising that they could buy tickets for people. This wasn't one or two people either

 

[pedigreeblue]

How about not awarding points for the so called big games in the league and champions league? also this points whore stuff is a load of rubbish. I know people who got tickets for celtic through a supporters club and they don't even have a season ticket and will be lucky if they went to 3 games in a whole season.

Not sure how that was possible with the collection process ???

 

[franksinatra]

It's strange cos I'm 55,went to bucharest and Swansea in the cup,there were enough empty seats to satisfy any low pointers,same as Sunderland in cup last year,and league the year before,you could of gone to any of the champions league games in Italy,napoli,Roma,juve,loads of empty seats there,kiev last season,or is this whole generation just wanting to pick and choose the more glamourous games ?we all started at the botto and worked our way up,when you queued up round maine road for away tickets,if you were behind the guy that got the last ticket,it was tough,but you just kept trying,if your that desperate to go,it won't matter where or when city are playing you'll make the effort to get there if there are tickets available at your points criteria,you'll be ok for barca,it won't sell out,so I will probably see this whole new generation at barca !!

Sorry mate you sound completely detached from reality. The majority of games you mentioned are glamourous games but the issue there is the cost, taking time off work etc, it supercedes loyalty and that is why even those on the highest points who snap up the Utd, Pool tickets did not fill those seats either.

For a kid he has little chance of catching up with those on 18/20k. Even with all the games you have mentioned he would still not be able to catch up if the high pointers keep cherry picking the United, Stoke, Pool games etc.

It just seems wrong that a whole geberation of fans will have little chance of watching a Manchester derby at Old trafford etc. A weighted loyalty points to recent attendance and a small percentage given to ballot would at least give them an outside chance.

 

[i kne albert davy]

That's a different issue, supporters clubs get a small allocation and ticket points don't matter as they can distribute among their members

The "points whoring" is a genuine issue..the points criteria has come down a lot since the away pick up was introduced. Last season was a joke the amount of tickets being sold on. eg via the Facebook site - people openly posting/advertising that they could buy tickets for people. This wasn't one or two people either

I was wondering when the supporters club was going to cop for it,they do take a small allocation and have to give supporter numbers and name in for Euro away's their allocation hasn't stopped the points req'd dropping way lower since the collection schemes been brought in.

 

[beermusic]

I think the solution for European away games is fairly simple, ticket holders have to provide some sort of proof of travel in their name, post match on request, (travel or a hotel booking etc) on a random spot check basis - or you lose the right to access or buy tickets for the next games that season. Anyone who is going legitimately shouldn't have a problem with this, I wouldn't, and it worked for the old original England Travel Club when I was a member. Goes for corporate tickets also. If they checked say 100 per game it would quickly put people off buying to sell on, and wouldn't take more than a couple of hours admin.

Bit on top maybe, but no more so than having to go to a hotel in the middle of nowhere. Domestic away games are more of a problem.

It really depends what the club is keen to get out of any change in system - obviously they don't care about the corporate tickets, as it makes good business sense to keep sponsors happy, and the supporters club would go mad if they abolished supporter allocations.

 

[mcfc1894]

That's a different issue, supporters clubs get a small allocation and ticket points don't matter as they can distribute among their members

The "points whoring" is a genuine issue..the points criteria has come down a lot since the away pick up was introduced. Last season was a joke the amount of tickets being sold on. eg via the Facebook site - people openly posting/advertising that they could buy tickets for people. This wasn't one or two people either

if that's the case with facebook, then they will be able to locate that person and ban them from future purchases surly? especially if they are doing it all the time. a one off ain't too bad.

 

[northstander62]

for euro aways, why not have city's staff on the turnstile and ask for passport and supporter number to confirm name of person, write it down then check on computor if that person was allocated a ticket for that game, minimal inconvenience and little queuing, just a thought.