Some of us like to go to a City spend some time looking around without having to go out of our way and waste time.
In Paris because we were only there for the day it prevented us from doing a couple of things we had planned.
In Madrid we were in Spain for a few days and whilst it was not a massive problem to go up to the ground I still find it an intrusion
into my time after I have paid in advance for a ticket.
There is also the question of wearing a wristband in Madrid for two days which identifies you to the local pickpockets/muggers.
In fact the collection point became a focal point for pickpockets late afternoon on the day of the game.
i agree, its a pain. 2 hours wasted in paris going somewhere we didnt want to go.
when my mates went to ajax - they got delayed and got to ground from airport wiv 30 mins to spare....in madrid / paris they wouldnt of been able to collect tickeks!
im not sure why we cant have a ticket issued in england with our photos on - save everyone all the hassle if that was done!
It was in MadridWhy can't the ticket collection be near the ground?
The negatives of the new system seem generally to be a bit of inconvenience and people not liking things to change. Surely though the issues of the old system - some caused in the main by us fans were much worse?
IMO - The New system is much fairer and therefore better. The club are seeking to address the issues of the past and can be given credit for therefore listening to fans I would suggest.
While it's good that this pretty much eradicates "points whoring" for European aways, there is a train of thought that that isn't the sole reason this system has been brought in, and that another reason is that they want to control us more - even to a point that it will discourage fans from travelling independently in future and pushing them towards official club trips. If there is an element of truth in that then that's sad - while the club trips obviously suit some supporters, many fans don't want to just fly in and out on a day trip and want the flexibility of doing their own thing or prefer booking on Spike's trips rather than club trips. Certainly those arriving on the day of the game on Spike's trip will see the ticket collection process eat into a significant chunk of their spare time, yet those on club trips get their tickets and wristbands on the plane. In Madrid, it wasn't too big an issue for me as I was there the day before the game and still had loads of time to play with but for those who don't have the luxury of staying for a couple of days it's something they could do without.