Well, what ever became of learning from your mistakes?
I'm pretty pissed off with being dicked about on a regular basis as a result of the Clubs ideas regarding cup ties and ground management.
Had an almost identical experience once before and raised it with the Club, did'nt expect to have to revisit this area, but unfortunately looks like I'll have to.
Having paid for my villa tickets a couple of week or two ago, and bought my preferred season ticket seat E lvl 3, was suprised when going to the fulham match, to find a good friend from the seat behind mine, had been told when she tried to purchase her own season ticket seat for the Villa game, that unlike me, she couldn't, and that she'd have to relocate to either lvl 1 or lvl 2.
When she found out she'd been missled, she rang up and complained, as she like I doesn't particularly want to sit amongst total strangers.
Anyway, she was told that it was basically tough titty and the Club wasn't prepared to allow her to sit in her own seat.
I find this to be absurd, as whilst watching the Villa game from my seat, there were at least 10 empty seats nearby and her seat was vacant.
I then used the Official Site to buy my ticket for the Reading game, on Wednesday evening, and was relieved to find my seaon ticket seat was available for me to purchase. I was also very pleased to see the ticket prices were very reasonable and that the price was only £15.00, which I felt was good value and something the Club should be praised for.
I then discovered via this forum that it was the Clubs apparrent intention, to close both lvl 3 tiers, not for away fans, but for reasons I can only assume must be their expecting a very poor attendance?
I was a little confused and hoped that as I'd already booked and paid for my own seat, they maybe would have to allow those of us doing so to sit in the seat we had purchased.
Alas, today I recieved a text from the Club telling me to ring the ticket office and relocate to either lvl 1 or lvl 2. Now as on the last occasion this happened last year, the seat I got on lvl 1 was so poor that I didn't enjoy the game, and hated the view and perspective, I rang from work and after being on hold for over ten minutes, I eventually got through and explained that I had been told to ring to relocate, but that I didn't want a seat on lvl 1, was told I could have a seat on lvl 2, but was told I would have to pay a further £10.00.
I know I'll get the stop moaning brigade and those who don't see what my problem is, but when you go to the match on your own, as I do, feeling part of a good group of friends, sitting in close proximity, is part of the enjoyment of going to the game and in all honesty, though I accepted and paid the extra £10.00, it really did go against the grain, and I can certainly understand with a game like this and all the pissing about, plus the fact there's live TV coverage, why many others may choose to say 'fuck it', save £25.00 and watch it in the comfort of their own home.
Surely this sort of bad marketing, ticketing and organisational bullshit is at least one reason so many can't be arsed with all the midweek European and FA Cup games, and why our attendances have been a joke at times?
I don't know about expanding our capacity, maybe they should be looking at a ground share with Bury, because that seems all our Clubs Organisers and ticketing agents are capable of dealing with efficiently.
Something somewhere is going very wrong.
However
