Fairer Loyalty Points Scheme?

[Uwes Grandad]

Putting my two penneth in. The system is as fair as it can be. I speak as a 41 year old been going for 20+ years and with just over 8000 points.

But for the younger ones they will just have to wait (like I and many others did). When I first started going I only got tickets for the swamp by queuing for hours (pre-points) but if the points system was in then I wouldn't have got them as I had only just started going and others would have been ahead of me and that would have been fair.

Let's be honest over the last few years nearly every away game has made open sale and so those that REALLY wanted to go could have done but didn't and now demand for the big games is there everyone is bleating about it. If they did go they would have started to catch others up quickly (as many obviously weren't going, the numbers backed that up).

Finally, points should be just a side issue to WANTING to go and support your team. I would be there regardless of points because I want to, not because of points on offer.

The loyalty points issue has once again been raised on BM because we may have a semi-final at Wembley to look forward to. It is usually the flavour of the month when a big away game with limited ticket allocation is on the horizon but mark my words, if (god forbid) we lose on Sunday, this topic will be put to bed for another season.

As has already been mentioned on this thread (and many others on the same issue), most of our away games go to Citycard /general sale. The main bone of contention regarding lack of tickets this season has been Chelsea away when the club decided to take a reduced allocation. I am sure that the club will learn from this decision but some of the allocations that we were getting when in the second and third tiers of English football were tiny. I and other City fans were scrambling around for tickets for those games on a weekly basis. We would have been over the moon with a 1500 allocation in those days.

United away is always going to sell out but I have had to stand / sit in the home end at Old Trafford when I didn't qualify for an away ticket. That is what supporting City is all about. It isn't about collecting loyalty points for the so called glamour games; it's about following your team, going to the less popular away games because you want to and not so you will have a better chance of getting a ticket for a Wembley semi-final.

As a 43 year old who has had a season ticket for over thirty years, I have had to build my points up by attending games. I had to go through the system at Maine Road to be then classed as a "regular" season ticket holder. I then have continued to attend games home and away whilst we have been at CoMS to get to the position that I am in now that entitles me to a ticket for any game on day one of sales.

Those fans who unfortunately did not to get a ticket for United, Chelsea and Blackpool; your time will come. I have had to build up points over the years and whilst living in London, I never missed a home or away game for seven consecutive seasons. I have had to put a hell of a lot of time, money and effort into not missing games and I will continue to do so.

Why have I done it?

It wasn't to get loyalty points. It was to follow my club. The club that I love!

There have been a few threads on Bluemoon that attack OSCs and making statements that supporters with next to no points have attended games like United away. I have been a member of two different OSCs over the years and I have never come across supporters that have managed to get to attend high profile games without meeting the relevant loyalty points criteria.

If people on here do have concrete evidence of OSCs fiddling allocations then I say name and shame them as that is out of order. I would be very surprised if that actually happens.

Many on here believe they should be entitled to a semi-final ticket because they have attended all the cup games this season.

If the club had have come out at the start of the season and stated that should we have a good cup run, then those that have attended all the games will get first refusal on a semi-final and final ticket, then they would have a valid point.

However, that isn't the case but as it is, any seasoncard holder that wants a semi-final ticket will get one and the majority will get a final ticket so loyalty points won't come into the equation in the way that most on here believe.

That brings me back to United away and as has been said..... your time will come when you qualify for a ticket.

 

[Dextersmate]

Putting my two penneth in. The system is as fair as it can be. I speak as a 41 year old been going for 20+ years and with just over 8000 points.

But for the younger ones they will just have to wait (like I and many others did). When I first started going I only got tickets for the swamp by queuing for hours (pre-points) but if the points system was in then I wouldn't have got them as I had only just started going and others would have been ahead of me and that would have been fair.

Let's be honest over the last few years nearly every away game has made open sale and so those that REALLY wanted to go could have done but didn't and now demand for the big games is there everyone is bleating about it. If they did go they would have started to catch others up quickly (as many obviously weren't going, the numbers backed that up).

Finally, points should be just a side issue to WANTING to go and support your team. I would be there regardless of points because I want to, not because of points on offer.

The loyalty points issue has once again been raised on BM because we may have a semi-final at Wembley to look forward to. It is usually the flavour of the month when a big away game with limited ticket allocation is on the horizon but mark my words, if (god forbid) we lose on Sunday, this topic will be put to bed for another season.

As has already been mentioned on this thread (and many others on the same issue), most of our away games go to Citycard /general sale. The main bone of contention regarding lack of tickets this season has been Chelsea away when the club decided to take a reduced allocation. I am sure that the club will learn from this decision but some of the allocations that we were getting when in the second and third tiers of English football were tiny. I and other City fans were scrambling around for tickets for those games on a weekly basis. We would have been over the moon with a 1500 allocation in those days.

United away is always going to sell out but I have had to stand / sit in the home end at Old Trafford when I didn't qualify for an away ticket. That is what supporting City is all about. It isn't about collecting loyalty points for the so called glamour games; it's about following your team, going to the less popular away games because you want to and not so you will have a better chance of getting a ticket for a Wembley semi-final.

As a 43 year old who has had a season ticket for over thirty years, I have had to build my points up by attending games. I had to go through the system at Maine Road to be then classed as a "regular" season ticket holder. I then have continued to attend games home and away whilst we have been at CoMS to get to the position that I am in now that entitles me to a ticket for any game on day one of sales.

Those fans who unfortunately did not to get a ticket for United, Chelsea and Blackpool; your time will come. I have had to build up points over the years and whilst living in London, I never missed a home or away game for seven consecutive seasons. I have had to put a hell of a lot of time, money and effort into not missing games and I will continue to do so.

Why have I done it?

It wasn't to get loyalty points. It was to follow my club. The club that I love!

There have been a few threads on Bluemoon that attack OSCs and making statements that supporters with next to no points have attended games like United away. I have been a member of two different OSCs over the years and I have never come across supporters that have managed to get to attend high profile games without meeting the relevant loyalty points criteria.

If people on here do have concrete evidence of OSCs fiddling allocations then I say name and shame them as that is out of order. I would be very surprised if that actually happens.

Many on here believe they should be entitled to a semi-final ticket because they have attended all the cup games this season.

If the club had have come out at the start of the season and stated that should we have a good cup run, then those that have attended all the games will get first refusal on a semi-final and final ticket, then they would have a valid point.

However, that isn't the case but as it is, any seasoncard holder that wants a semi-final ticket will get one and the majority will get a final ticket so loyalty points won't come into the equation in the way that most on here believe.

That brings me back to United away and as has been said..... your time will come when you qualify for a ticket.

And so say all of us,100% correct

 

[SWP's back]

I agree with the idea :)

However I would lose from it, but the younger ones will gain, and have a chance.


Also there are load of fans who never misses a game in the 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s who still go but were not recognised for this.

Supporting city is a long term thing a think a term thing, so a long period like ten years is needed.

However, if the sytem stays as it is in 25 years time you will only see people 50+ going to the high demand aways (plus people on their tickets).

The line has to be drawn somewhere to give younger fans a chance. Many will not take it and still moan , but others will.

Nail on the head mate.

 

[danebanksheik]

Hammer on the thumb mate

 

[brianstrousersnake]

Loyalty is more about wanting to go to the shit games than the most popular

Exactly!

Yeah, I'm thinking 'queue jumper'!

Think what you want mate. I go everywhere (except the "big" games when the old timers come out for a day out), so I think there's a flaw in the system when I can't get tickets for certain games.

Look at Felix. 102 consecutive competitive games and he can't get a ticket for Chelsea. I bet there are people there who have done about 4 aways maximum in the past 2 years.

i've not done 4 in the last 4 years and i'll be there,whose felix btw?

 

[bluemanc]

Everybody just wants a scam that suits them,until somebody or a section of support with a bit of power starts to not get tickets it will not change.

 

[foolsgold*]

I think the idea of a rolling 10 year loyalty points scheme is a good idea.
The only people who seem to be moaning are the older people who have been able to afford to go all these years.

This doesn't apply to me but if a person has lost their job in this recession or a person is struggling with finances then they are suddenly not loyal to city because they can't afford it?

Smacks of arrogance to me.

 

[steveb15]

The only thing that is unfair is that loyalty points are awarded for the high demand fixtures that require a large number of loyalty points to get a ticket. This is what hurts those loyal but younger fans as not only do they not get a ticket, they fall further behind on loyalty points.
For fixtures which are clear sell outs ZERO loyalty points should be awarded.
For less popular/more expensive away trips MORE points should be given.

 

[Shooter 83]

Putting my two penneth in. The system is as fair as it can be. I speak as a 41 year old been going for 20+ years and with just over 8000 points.

But for the younger ones they will just have to wait (like I and many others did). When I first started going I only got tickets for the swamp by queuing for hours (pre-points) but if the points system was in then I wouldn't have got them as I had only just started going and others would have been ahead of me and that would have been fair.

Let's be honest over the last few years nearly every away game has made open sale and so those that REALLY wanted to go could have done but didn't and now demand for the big games is there everyone is bleating about it. If they did go they would have started to catch others up quickly (as many obviously weren't going, the numbers backed that up).

Finally, points should be just a side issue to WANTING to go and support your team. I would be there regardless of points because I want to, not because of points on offer.

When you stated going there were not people with 9k points as there is now.

You can't catch up peple who go all the time even if you go all the time, you just fall behind as there are 5 or 6 league and a few cup games you can't get a ticket for this season.

It is a pretty selfish attitude.

There's not a hardcore 3k(rough est of allocation) away support every other week though. If you keep going all the aways, you will slowly catch up so you will be in line for most games.

 

[bluemanc]

I think the idea of a rolling 10 year loyalty points scheme is a good idea.
The only people who seem to be moaning are the older people who have been able to afford to go all these years.

This doesn't apply to me but if a person has lost their job in this recession or a person is struggling with finances then they are suddenly not loyal to city because they can't afford it?

Smacks of arrogance to me.

Smacks of moaning to me,without the "older"Blues a lot of them struggling to do it but still stumping up much needed cash for a ST City might still be in the 2nd division.
It's a bit like new posters coming on here moaning about the changes to Bluemoon but not one of them has ever stumped up a fuckin penny to help this site run when things were a bit rough.
The criteria for tickets should NEVER have changed,length of time holding a ST gets priority,nft.