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?
City sold Palace's returns so demand is there but you can't stop seasoncard no-shows especially for games like Palace. Two seats next to me were empty. I think they are seasoncard holdersJust 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?
Agreed. I know a lot of City fans(who used to attend perhaps 10 matches a year casually) who have just stopped going. They can't be bothered with the hassle of purchasing tickets, getting stuck on the M60, the chronic lack of public transport at the stadium, the shit catering. It won't stop me or the diehards but not everyone is so fanatical.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.
Indeed. Not one major thing to blame, but it seems a combination of little annoyances and club decisions that negatively impact on many fans, and which appear to be increasing by the week, seem to be seriously pissing off a growing number.For me it's all the minor seemingly trivial micro-aggressions that are eroding at my enjoyment of going.
First game of the season for example, they want us all in early to avoid queues so offer half price booze from 1-2 (not 1 until kickoff, 1 hour and then prices return to normal the hour before kickoff). Then they don't open the bloody turnstile s until 1:30.
Ssl3 booze queues. The token system is great, but one game I'm told season card discounts are no longer a thing, the next game I'm overhearing people using their season cards for discounts.
It's just generally mismanaged and with all the little annoying things mounting up each season, they've royally fucked it with the mobile ticketing and incompetent ticket office.
Honestly, I'm getting to the point that the whole thing just seems like I'm wasting a few hours I could be spending with my 16 month old.
1/5th maybe.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?
I'm slightly surprised as I was in the South Stand yesterday (117) and it didn't seem empty by any means. Not every seat was taken in the rows near me, but only a few empties. You usually get a feel for it and certainly I've seen it far, far worse. Conversely, the North Stand didn't look too bad for once......although I do need glassses!
I am sure I am going to invite hostile replies...but I just wanted to make the case for those Blues who don't have the good fortune to live in the North West. I have been a season ticket holder for 30 years - one of the 300,000 at York, and go home and away (and Europe - including Lokeren and Poznan) whenever I can. I have lived in London all that time, and have personally subsidised Virgin and now Avanti, and this season, for example have not missed a game, home or away - including some long painful journeys to see shite like Southampton and yesterday - not just the 'glamour' games. However, for a midweek game - as everyone knows, the trains stop running back to London by half time, and most of our motorways are down to a single lane for 'night works' by 10pm. Getting home at 3am to be at work at 8am, is not an ideal scenario to have to experience every other week. Before the Ticket Exchange, I used to give my card to the guy I have sat next to since we were together at Maine Road, and he will use it for free to make sure my seat is always full for the games I couldn't get to. With the exchange, if he cant use it - I will post it for sale, but to penalise those Blues who cant just jump on a tram every game, is deeply unfair (as some are suggesting, for example not allowing us to renew if we exchange more than 10 games). The shifting fixture list, the lack of parking, the queues to get in, the restrictions on bags into the Stadium for those on 3 hour train journeys, let alone the travel nightmare are enough reason for many long-distance Blues to have dropped season tickets. But for those of us still trying - If we don't bother to fill our seats when we cant go - by all means, have a go - but most of us try to make sure our seat is full, if we cant get there.
I have a season ticket in SS3 and the fans nearby are mostly Season ticket holders..very rarely do any of us miss any games so why should we be moved out ..I personally haven't missed a home game for donkeys years and am in all the cup schemes even if I do get moved to SS1 for some of the cup games.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.
City sold Palace's returns so demand is there but you can't stop seasoncard no-shows especially for games like Palace. Two seats next to me were empty. I think they are seasoncard holders
Edit: Checked BBC match report and the official attendance was given as 53,014
Got to be a factor, although I also deferred but my seats and seemingly still being sold on a match by match basis.
I deferred my season card (mainly cos of Avanti as I posted earlier), but at the start of the season I booked tickets for 7 games using a Citizen's card (inc. yesterday) and was able to secure my 'own' seat for every single one!
Would agree with this as well. Usually I go to games with my lad but on the odd occasion when he is doing things, my wife used to have his card, now with new system, which I am not against, she has to register as a supporter for the ticket transfer system.This is how i feel, We have three season tickets and up until this season when one of us couldnt go we could always lend the card to a friend or another family member. Now i have to get them to register with city etc and i just cant be bothered with this nonsense. So we have had several empty seats this season due to the club making something very simple much more of a hassle. I know this also applies to several who also sit round us.
Could be our last season as season ticket holders.
Yes mate. The driver of the Harrogate Blues coach did a great job and we got to the ground in time for kick off (when I eventually got in lol). We were fairly close to the accident so got rolling soon after the road was cleared. Hopefully, everyone in the collision is OK.1st tyesterday I have missed a game due to traffic. M62 closed at 1pm at Huddersfield.
Were many other Yorkshire blues stuck in this and did any get to the game?
years ago I wouldn’t have had a problem with parking up at 2.55 and getting in a bit late but now it seems that you will miss a fair chunk even if you are in the queue at 2.30
I said at the time and was shouted down that cheap season tickets would cause more half hearted fans to pick & choose games they could be arsed coming to.
Not sure what the answer is, halfway up SS3 there's people missing every game, not always the same game but unless what is perceived top match it's rarely full.
Maybe charge more and a rebate for actually attending but, I'd have visions of people bleeping in with 3 cards to make sure they didn't miss out.