Please explain how I'm feathering my own nest? You keep saying this but the only games I've gone to are games where I've had enough points on my own card when it's gone down to my level. I've not been to the swamp for 30 years. I've not been to Anfield for about 7 or 8 years. I last got a ticket for Spurs when we lost 4-1 I think. My last visit to the Emirates was 2011. So far this season I've done Cardiff & will be at Leicester tonight.
Not only that but you were one of the people who made a powerful argument against a general ballot that I accepted and supported. That could have negatively impacted you potentially and helped me so you of all people should know that self-interest is not a factor with me. And while we've had the conversation about supporters' clubs on many occasions and we both know there are some abuses, on the whole I don't think it's a terrible system overall as it allows genuine fans to go to matches mostly.
Your ire should be directed at seasonal hospitality customers who get a far higher proportion of tickets pro rata than any other group.
My issue surrounds the allocation of tickets to the fans, the one the fans forum was set up to listen to. Not as another mouthpiece for the Supporters Club to defend, or increase, their allocation.
Like you I was surprised that the SC allocation was 20% and the hospitality was 15%.
When enquiries were made about this several years ago the club said it was 10% for both groups.
Since then there has been an increase in corporate seats.
Both the hospitality and SC have had their allocations increased. Where do you think this has come from, as I don’t see the players giving up theirs.
As always it’s the ones with ‘no voice’ who get shafted. The ones who have gone home and away regularly, regardless of how good we were, the opposition, how far it is or what day it is.
And now, whilst I agree with the idea, they are the ones being shafted again to increase the attendance of 16-25 year olds. So from an allocation of 80% going to ticket points holders it will soon be around half. Whilst remembering that SC also have members in the ‘ticket points holders’ group, some of whom rarely go but get the tickets, points whores you call them. Except you didn’t as you posted that you think it’s ok for the SC to pass on the tickets from those who don’t go but have got tickets through their points to SC members. How is that not points whoring, by you definition?
Instead of the continual squeeze on the independent fan why not move it somewhere else. Well that won’t happen will it as ‘no one messes with the SC allocation’, apart from themselves of course.
If we want to increase 16-25 year olds who go to away games, however random that age group has been chosen, then why not do it in the following way?
The SC could give up 5% of their allocation to 16-25 year olds as a priority. The person would have to be a member of the SC (possibly boosting membership) to receive a priority ticket for their age group. It also ensures the ticket goes to the right person and not passed on to someone else. The 16-25 is known to both City and the SC for security and tracking, increases SC numbers and gets them involved with fellow match going blues.
Without something like this in place how would you stop the priority tickets being passed on to people out of that age group?
Currently the system is has shifted from independent fans over the last five years and the proposal is to shaft them even further. As some of the age group will already be in a SC and so that gives them an even bigger slice of the pie.
Looking at Bournemouth away we get 1400 tickets
70 to the players/club? No way, it will be based on requests not percentage
210 to hospitality
280 to Supporters Clubs
Leaving 840 to people on ‘ticket points’. Of which a lot of them will be in a SC who buy their ticket and pass it on if the member is not going. Which probably leaves about 400 to independent fans. Not exactly the 60% quoted.