Points of Blue Meeting

[Gingers Dad]

I'd sooner mates got tickets for mates instead of all these half and half scarf tourists with selfie sticks that turn up in the away end, especially at London away games

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Thank you for your thoughtful and considered response.
My Liverpool tickets arrived on the Friday before the Fulham game and we left to go to Hoffenheim early on the Sunday morning.
I began to have my doubts when I read that Atkinson was given the job on the Monday night. At that point I couldn’t take them back, and we didn’t get home until Thursday afternoon. During the game I got so frustrated with the referring that I wondered “what’s the point”. As many of the apologists say ‘if you think it’s bent why do you go?’, hence I changed my mind and decided to sack it off but, as you say City won’t take them back.
Whilst out and about in Heidelberg on the Wednesday I bumped into a friend and told him he could have mine. Clearly a blue, clearly goes to games.

Regarding the allocation of tickets for games I can see the pros and cons in all that’s been suggested.
I know some on lower points would prefer a ballot, and I can see why. But I go to games with my wife, neither of us would go unless we were both successful. Which means I’d sack it off completely as the uncertainty and the cost of travel would be prohibitive leaving it whilst City sort out a ballot.
Some on here shout for a ballot as they want to go to United, Liverpool or a big cup game, other than that they won’t go. Hardly trekking to Swansea mid week or Sunderland for a league cup game.

If Supporters Clubs and corporate weren’t given an allocation then there would be many more available for independent fans on their points. In fact that allocation could be given to a ballot. Then if you have the points you would get a ticket, if you don’t, then go in a ballot with everyone else, and not a ballot to see if your face fits.

I wasn’t a fan of the ticket collection from the off. In Kiev I was on my own and it wasn’t much hassle to walk 25 minutes to collect it although it was snowing lol.
However Paris was a real pain in the arse. Me, the Mrs and our three kids had to trek half way across Paris at some considerable expense and time. Whereas if I could have collected our family tickets it would have been much easier. The issue reached a head in Glasgow when four of us queued for an hour and a half in the rain to get into the dry and a fight started as some ‘fans’ decided they weren’t going to wait in the rain and stormed the entrance.
To top it all my other daughter was late for the game as she drove up direct from work. Had to park up, queue and collect her ticket, and then drive and park up near the ground. Again why couldn’t they let me have her ticket and me give it to her. There has to be an element of trust as four out of our family of five were there.

Unfortunately the club doesn’t speak to its fans or listen to what we have to say although hopefully that will change
The latest ticket chaos has seen Supporter Services ignore its twitter feed and it takes ages getting through on the phone.
I’m not aware that those that are regular awayers are on the fan groups, but I know some that pick and choose, for whatever reason, are.

I'm not sure I'd trust City to run a ballot and I suspect you might not either. United run a ballot for away tickets and they publish the percentage of tickets available to the three ballot categories. Typically 10% of the tickets are allocated to Corporate, around 83% to ordinary season ticket holders and the rest to others, including disabled, players, staff, etc. So if there are 3,000 tickets, about 200 go to players, staff, disabled, etc while 300 go into the corporate ballot and 2,500 into the general ballot.They usually have between 2 and 4 applications per ticket.

 

[Edin blue]

Just a thought and not sure if this happens already but could any tickets returned to the club by fans no longer able to use them not be put back on sale on the ticket site at the points level it initially sold out at, even if its within the 7 day cut off period? The only catch being that any buyers must bring ID and collect them from the stadium the game is being played in? That way there wouldn't be unsold tickets and more fans with the correct points are able to go to the games as well as get tickets plus the points?

You'll never stop supporters who have no intention of going to the smaller unattractive games buying tickets and passing them on. As long as you have United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool away as well as big cup away games, these are the games everybody would like to go to and as it's been mentioned previously they want to keep their points level up to guarantee them tickets for these games. A ballot isn't fair either as those who have been going week in week out for 20 years could miss out and thats not right. The other end of the table is those on a low points count never get a chance to catch up.

A fan starting out now going to games has very little chance of getting away tickets legitimately through the club using the current points system so its no wonder fans turn to other avenues such as facebook reselling pages as well as posting on here looking for spares which I have done myself. There is no easy fix but I do think the club should be a tad more transparent and breakdown the numbers or percentages of tickets allocated to supporters clubs, players, staff and corporate members, that way you know exactly how many are going to the hardcore away fans and whether you're going to have a chance at getting one instead of constantly refreshing the ticket site in the hope that the SOLD OUT! signs do not appear.

Edin

 

[fathellensbellend]

I agree, but the current system encourages people to buy tickets for others (whatever you call them), and I have both benefited from others, and helped others in the past.

I've almost given up on getting away tickets now (even through the SC), as my points are too low (well over 12000), and by the time the points do get low enough for me, I've organised something else (usually work) which I can't get out of, I stopped doing platinum a few years ago too, so even when I do go, I get less than someone on platinum and still fall further behind.

We need to change something somewhere, though I have no sensible suggestion, as there are now too many with lots of points who will always buy, whether they go or not.

Has a family we have invested a fortune into platinum, to remove it would put City on dodgy ground legally, it essentially would be like a mis sold policy that didn't provide what it promised

 

[mancitymick]

I'm not sure I'd trust City to run a ballot and I suspect you might not either. United run a ballot for away tickets and they publish the percentage of tickets available to the three ballot categories. Typically 10% of the tickets are allocated to Corporate, around 83% to ordinary season ticket holders and the rest to others, including disabled, players, staff, etc. So if there are 3,000 tickets, about 200 go to players, staff, disabled, etc while 300 go into the corporate ballot and 2,500 into the general ballot.They usually have between 2 and 4 applications per ticket.

The issue with the United ballot. To enter some ballots you have had to have been successful in other ballots (lucky dip)

 

[mancitymick]

Without turning this into a points debate another down side to a ballot is i have already paid for my hotel (Leicester away). If i did not get a ticket through the ballot i would be down cost of the hotel

 

[Gingers Dad]

The issue with the United ballot. To enter some ballots you have had to have been successful in other ballots (lucky dip)

I don't see a ballot system as fair or workable. All the more attractive fixtures such as the derby, Anfield or Goodison would be hugely oversubscribed. People who have been prepared to travel the length of the country to away games would only have the same chance as those that just fancied an away day. When games that are harder to get to and less appealing come up it would be difficult to organise a ballot for the many that don't want to go. There are games through the season where the points total drops off giving people the opportunity to go. Cardiff was a good example.

 

[Rammy Blue]

Out of interest, we hear about the scum’s ballot system, however how do the vast majority of other Prem teams organise away ticket allocation?

 

[mrtwiceaseason]

I'm not sure I'd trust City to run a ballot and I suspect you might not either. United run a ballot for away tickets and they publish the percentage of tickets available to the three ballot categories. Typically 10% of the tickets are allocated to Corporate, around 83% to ordinary season ticket holders and the rest to others, including disabled, players, staff, etc. So if there are 3,000 tickets, about 200 go to players, staff, disabled, etc while 300 go into the corporate ballot and 2,500 into the general ballot.They usually have between 2 and 4 applications per ticket.

Just a point on this me and the lad do the aways what happens if only one gets picked ?
As I wouldnt go without him ?

 

[r.soleofsalford]

Unfortunately there are some fans who no longer go but still get tickets and pass them on. I know 2 people that do this.