European away games ticketing policy

[i kne albert davy]

Every system is flawed though. I think a loyalty points based system is the least flawed, however it has to have a cut off. I reckon someone who's just turned 18 now and can travel on their own to away games would need a solid 5 or 6 years going to EVERY game to even get close to the people at the top of the pile. A lot of people would drop out more quickly and the result would mean our fanbase would continue to evolve healthily rather than ageing. We lost a generation of supporters to united and we're losing another because the away day culture isn't accessible to them.

Realistically though, you are correct in a way. I don't even necessarily think points whoring is the biggest issue here. Someone with 20,000 points is only entitled to 1 ticket. I seriously doubt there will be that many who do it for every game (you'll get hundreds who buy a ticket and can't attend as a one off). The issue is all the corporate tickets we're dishing out. That's why it's become so much harder to buy tickets. Did you know that if you have a box you're entitled to 6 tickets for ANY game?

The corporate issue I fear is one we can't win the club want to make money any way they can and grabbing of the very rich so they can say they've been to a big soccer match is going to happen. Long gone are the days when we rocked up at an away match and gave your money to an old boy on the turnstile sadly. I wish I could solve the problem of away tickets for younger fans it's a tough one we for big aways we rarely get more than 3k someones always going to lose out.

 

[chaddblue]

The way Utd do it, is you don't know if you will be selected to pick up on match day when you purchase.
Then if you're selected to pick up on day and someone else tries to collect your ticket, or you fail to turn up, or if you try to cancel the order - then you get a ban for 12 games & if occurs again can lose season ticket.

So it would be effective in stopping people applying for away tickets they don't intend using.

I'm not advocating this policy, just pointing out that it would work if the objective was to ensure correct person used each away ticket. Once bans started being handed out people would amend their behaviour.
My own view, as has been pointed out already, is that we don't sell out our aways or have anywhere near as many want it go as Utd, Liverpool do. So it's not needed yet. But I think as/when we do start selling out all the time then it's the easiest and most effective policy. Perhaps with a rolling points system.

What if you were ill on the day, or if your train was late or car broke down. Would be a pisser to get a 12 game ban for something like that

 

[GortonBlue62]

Has the person with 18000 points actually been going to games though, or are they buying every ticket and selling them on ? I know that happens because some want to make sure of getting to certain games. The guy on 13000 points may never have sold a ticket on in his life, and been to every one he's ever applied for.

Has the person with 13000 points actually been going to games though, or are they buying every ticket and selling them on ? I know that happens because some want to make sure of getting to certain games. The guy on 18000 points may never have sold a ticket on in his life, and been to every one he's ever applied for.

Works both ways. The points system with all its faults is all we have to go on.

To repeat my initial point the current system rewards long term loyalty and commitment.

But I agree with you that 'points whoring' is an abomination as is the 'platinum tax'.

 

[Dubai Blue]

I see what you're thinking is now the club discards the support from when we we're bobbins for the newer fan (only joking) I can see a 5 or 10 year cut off being a possibility and something the club may look at, as human beings we do tend to die off letting younger lads go and I do see plenty of youngsters at both domestic and Euro away's so I assume they've spent a fair bit of time and money watching City.

I'm sure they do. I'm more considering the longer-term future. If City never introduce a cut off for the points system, there are going to be lads left way down the pecking order due to points accrued by others before they were even born. This is only going to encourage more people to tap up older friends/relatives for tickets instead of building up their own points. That's why I'm certain a cut off will eventually be introduced.

 

[GortonBlue62]

A rolling period wouldn't reset the loyalty points, it would just cut off anything older than 5 years (it would be in effect straight away). Everyone at the front of the queue could continue going, but the distance to catch up if you're a young fan who couldn't attend games previously wouldn't be as far.

I favour the 5 year rolling idea too.

Although it would slightly work against me personally, it would allow people to catch up over a relatively short period of time, if they put the effort in.

 

[sktooblue]

Surely loyalty means loyalty.
If you've put the hours in travelling, taken the holidays off work, spent all the cash, deprived the kids and then got divorced - surely your more deserving than someone who chooses not to make those sacrifices. Also, on the same vein, how about deducting points for leaving early & arriving late. Those who stay to cheer the team off at the end could make up points very quickly.

 

[nozzyblue]

Personally think a 5 year rolling cycle is fair and logical, allows those that do them all with high points to continue to do them all and means those on less points have less of a gap to climb up to the high points making the trips to Swansea on a Wednesday in the league cup worthwhile. Also means the £50 we have spent on platinum over the last few years doesn't go to waste. Obviously we'll end up with a ballot then.

 

[cleavers]

Has the person with 13000 points actually been going to games though, or are they buying every ticket and selling them on ? I know that happens because some want to make sure of getting to certain games.

If he had been buying every ticket, he'd have 18000 points though ;o)

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

Every system is flawed though. I think a loyalty points based system is the least flawed, however it has to have a cut off. I reckon someone who's just turned 18 now and can travel on their own to away games would need a solid 5 or 6 years going to EVERY game to even get close to the people at the top of the pile. A lot of people would drop out more quickly and the result would mean our fanbase would continue to evolve healthily rather than ageing. We lost a generation of supporters to united and we're losing another because the away day culture isn't accessible to them.

Realistically though, you are correct in a way. I don't even necessarily think points whoring is the biggest issue here. Someone with 20,000 points is only entitled to 1 ticket. I seriously doubt there will be that many who do it for every game (you'll get hundreds who buy a ticket and can't attend as a one off). The issue is all the corporate tickets we're dishing out. That's why it's become so much harder to buy tickets. Did you know that if you have a box you're entitled to 6 tickets for ANY game?

If an 18 year old went to every game over 5 or 6 years he still wouldn't catch up unless those in front of him suddenly stopped going or stopped buying the tickets to sell on.

 

[jrb]

What about those fans who go to all the PL away matches, but don't go to all the cup home matches.

There are plenty of City fans who have signed up for the 3 cup schemes, will attend all the home cup matches, regardless of the opposition.

There were 14,000 empty seats against BMGB. I bet some of those empty seats belonged to fans who always go away, but have enough *loyalty points* not to have to bother with homes cup games, especially in the ELC and/or FA Cup.

Loyalty isn't just about attending away matches.