Completely agree with you on this one. I have no problem with tourists wanting to go to games, but why do they need to be at arsenal away?
I can't speak on their behalf, but surely a tourist isn't particularly arsed whether they're at a home or away game. Why wouldn't they just go and watch us at home.
No problem with tourists being at the game, but they should never ever be ahead of match going fans in the queue for away tickets
I think the Friday night game in the Cup at West Ham educated the Club that they didn’t have to do anything special to increase the fan base in the South. A thousand general sale tickets sold on the day or two before the game, many to Southern based Blues.Probably using the away games to try and build up the ‘fanbase’ in London. I seem to remember they had a spell of putting on some kind of executive package few years ago for London aways. Dinner at swanky London hotel. Meet an ex player. Transfer to the ground. And of course a ticket. And then they had those specials up from London for home European games I think.
That was 8 years ago and it was profiteering at the time. I think the other downside was more people realised the value of away tickets for big games and it increased touting.It isn't building a fan base, it is just profiting from away sales. The first City in the City at Chelsea in 2015 a top 2 game with us needing to win to close a 5 point gap. The club made extra on the packages as it was a half price game, and sold out 1500 points higher than the Arsenal away (also half price) earlier that year.
After that game it seemed the access to away tickets via points for big games changes forever.
The biggest tout appears to be the club. Wonder how many of these fans who somehow obtain tickets for away games now would have trekked to Plymouth away twice (three times if you include the postponed game) in five days or midweek to the north east or South London back in the day.That was 8 years ago and it was profiteering at the time. I think the other downside was more people realised the value of away tickets for big games and it increased touting.
Everyone needs to read the first sentence of the above.The biggest tout appears to be the club. Wonder how many of these fans who somehow obtain tickets for away games now would have trekked to Plymouth away twice (three times if you include the postponed game) in five days or midweek to the north east or South London back in the day.
Maybe so. I’ve enjoyed those trips travelling, back from places like Swansea and Bucharest in the middle of the night to be in work then next morning. My employer wasn’t so charitable though and it was a career change for me.The biggest tout appears to be the club. Wonder how many of these fans who somehow obtain tickets for away games now would have trekked to Plymouth away twice (three times if you include the postponed game) in five days or midweek to the north east or South London back in the day.
As an exiled London Blue and 35 year season ticket holder - I thought the train specials for the midweek European games were fantastic! As I remember you had to have had a ticket to the game before booking the train - it wan't a 'package' - and from memory, they were full of genuine SC folks - very few tourists. It meant not having to stay overnight in Manchester (always wonderful - but not if you have work at 8am the next morning) and not having to navigate the hour+ it takes to get onto the M6 after a game, followed by a 5 hour drive through diversions, night works and closed motorways back to London. I would say bring them back...but knowing Avanti, it would take a few weeks these days to get home after the match...Probably using the away games to try and build up the ‘fanbase’ in London. I seem to remember they had a spell of putting on some kind of executive package few years ago for London aways. Dinner at swanky London hotel. Meet an ex player. Transfer to the ground. And of course a ticket. And then they had those specials up from London for home European games I think.
As an exiled London Blue and 35 year season ticket holder - I thought the train specials for the midweek European games were fantastic! As I remember you had to have had a ticket to the game before booking the train - it wan't a 'package' - and from memory, they were full of genuine SC folks - very few tourists. It meant not having to stay overnight in Manchester (always wonderful - but not if you have work at 8am the next morning) and not having to navigate the hour+ it takes to get onto the M6 after a game, followed by a 5 hour drive through diversions, night works and closed motorways back to London. I would say bring them back...but knowing Avanti, it would take a few weeks these days to get home after the match...