So how many?

[Eds]

Just for explanation, I decided to go yesterday and spent almost an hour on Friday morning trying to buy two seats together, anywhere in the stadium.

The best I could do was one seat apart in the second tier of the North Stand and because the receipt said they were a resale, assumed that somebody who was part of a regular trio, was coming on their own.

Thankfully, that was the case, and the person sat between us happily shifted across.

Seen numerous empty seats threads (not my intention for this to morph in to another)

However, from my vantage, there were scores of doubles and rows vacant all around the stadium, running in to thousands, irrespective of what the attendance announced was yesterday?

The entire South Stand from bottom to top was the worst populated I had seen it, yet I couldn't buy two together for love nor money.

Is it really the case we have so many season ticket holders who just aren't turning up, as I had never really thought it was a huge issue, but my issues on Friday trying to buy just two tickets outside of the website's recommendation of the last row on tier three of the Colin Bell, left me wondering yesterday what is going on and how the club can fix it?

I suspect people heard you were coming and decided to stay home. Weather may have played a part as parts of the country were flooded and maybe people didn’t want to risk it. Deferred season tickets which the club is struggling to sell. Said it before we don’t have vast loads of tourists wanting to fill the void. But this is what pisses me off in that tickets get siphoned off for big away games yet these same people never want to watch Palace at home. mind you for £50 a seat I wouldn’t either. Third tier of south stand should be match day tickets only, no season card holders and every seat priced at £25 for adults and £10 for under 18‘s. First come first served with seats opening up three weeks before a game.

 

[Saddleworth2]

The usual excuse of S/T holders not turning up for a variety of reasons doesn't hold water in this instance as the away section of SS3 was available to home fans and those seats are not sold as season tickets.
There looked to have been at least a third of seats available in that section.
How does the ticket exchange work? Are tickets put up for sale together with other seats available on the day or are they in a separate area of the web site?

Ticket exchange works well in my experience. Easy to request and your seats are put up for sale a week or so before the game. They appear with every other sold seat. In the time we have used it they have sold for all but one game. We specifically look on tv to see if the seats are populated and they always are. That’s why I’m not sure that season ticket holders not turning up is the whole story as many will have sold on ticket exchange. Just for info, if you sell your seat more than ten times in a season there is a chance the club will not let you renew.
maybe a more plausible explanation is the free tickets given out by the club aren’t taken up or those holding them don’t turn up. I can imagine it wouldn’t take much of a COVID issue for schools to call off for example.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Just for explanation, I decided to go yesterday and spent almost an hour on Friday morning trying to buy two seats together, anywhere in the stadium.

The best I could do was one seat apart in the second tier of the North Stand and because the receipt said they were a resale, assumed that somebody who was part of a regular trio, was coming on their own.

Thankfully, that was the case, and the person sat between us happily shifted across.

Seen numerous empty seats threads (not my intention for this to morph in to another)

However, from my vantage, there were scores of doubles and rows vacant all around the stadium, running in to thousands, irrespective of what the attendance announced was yesterday?

The entire South Stand from bottom to top was the worst populated I had seen it, yet I couldn't buy two together for love nor money.

Is it really the case we have so many season ticket holders who just aren't turning up, as I had never really thought it was a huge issue, but my issues on Friday trying to buy just two tickets outside of the website's recommendation of the last row on tier three of the Colin Bell, left me wondering yesterday what is going on and how the club can fix it?

Actually I was amazed that the south stand took a full half hour to fill up. Must have been some serious delays at the turnstiles but it did actually fill.

 

[City_Sean]

Actually I was amazed that the south stand took a full half hour to fill up. Must have been some serious delays at the turnstiles but it did actually fill.

Took me about 25 minutes of queuing to get in the south stand yesterday. Missed the first 15 minutes. It was really slow. Many of the turnstiles weren't accepting people's tickets and the stewards kept having to let them in with their passes.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Took me about 25 minutes of queuing to get in the south stand yesterday. Missed the first 15 minutes. It was really slow. Many of the turnstiles weren't accepting people's tickets and the stewards kept having to let them in with their passes.

I’d been seat counting and the game was sold out apart from a couple of dozen single seats. It was hugely noticeable at kick off that the whole south stand, particularly the top tier, was about 50% capacity at kick off. People were flooding until about 3.30pm so you knew something serious had happened.

Heads should roll for this season’s ticketing shambles. It’s been appallingly handled.

 

[Alcatraz]

Took me about 25 minutes of queuing to get in the south stand yesterday. Missed the first 15 minutes. It was really slow. Many of the turnstiles weren't accepting people's tickets and the stewards kept having to let them in with their passes.

Already posted in another thread, getting into SS yesterday was a nightmare / so slow to get people in.
supporters know the drill by now so can’t blame ignorance……

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

Third tier of south stand should be match day tickets only, no season card holders and every seat priced at £25 for adults and £10 for under 18‘s. First come first served with seats opening up three weeks before a game.

This bizarre suggestion has popped up a few times recently.

Nearly all seats in SS3 are SCs so where will the 4000 plus people (including me) be moved to?

 

[Alcatraz]

One observation for what it is worth…. Little space behind SS.
The security work in a very confined area…we are N2.
The security had to stop checks because the area behind them was full with supporters waiting to get inside the turnstile.
The whole system needs looking at , but you will never see that sat in your office whilst telling your bosses everything is working fine !
of 5 home games this season have had problems getting in 3 times….

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

Actually I was amazed that the south stand took a full half hour to fill up. Must have been some serious delays at the turnstiles but it did actually fill.

Yes. It looked very full after about 30 minutes in. I honestly think the main problems we have are ticketing, turnstiles and transport. It is just too much hassle getting into and out of the ground for the fair weather fans (and that is a lot of people at any club)

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Yes. It looked very full after about 30 minutes in. I honestly think the main problems we have are ticketing, turnstiles and transport. It is just too much hassle getting into and out of the ground for the fair weather fans (and that is a lot of people at any club)

Just when the club are coming under fire from everywhere with the “empty seats”’jibe it’s like this season they’ve done everything in their power to make it worse. Buying tickets got harder, getting in got slower, access has got worse. I’m no Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells and find 90% of fan whines to be embarrassing and often misplaced, but this season someone has fucked up on a massive scale.