Statement from fan groups ahead of new season

[paulchapo]

Why couldn’t you have a flexi gold season card and if your life circumstances changes and you attend 16/19 home league games in a season it converts into a standard gold season card?

Me personally? When I was still at sea I'm not sure they existed. I'm retired now but I don't like my newly acquired free time being dictated to. I like to go to somewhere warm in bad weather and if the club sells my seat they make at least £40 on it after they've paid me back.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

For 42 years I was in the merchant navy. Before the jobs dried up deep sea it meant being away from the UK for up to eight months a year, with leave in-between. When home on leave I got to every game I could. We weren't great back then so getting into games home and away was doable and I did so. When those jobs dried up I ended up working on cross channel ferries in Dover in 1987. This was a week on week off basis. I bought a season ticket then even though due to my shift patterns I missed a lot of games and it cost me more having one. This was the days before seat exchange etcetera. The club were happy to take my money whether I turned up or not. Obviously we were a different financial animal back then.
Anyway I've digressed slightly. The point is many people have jobs where their shift patterns will mean they can't personally attend games. They keep their season ticket because they want to be amongst friends and families when they can attend. Only a fool wouldn't put it on the seat exchange or pass it to family or a friend if they can't attend. What's the problem with that?? The club will often make more money by selling it for more than the season ticket holder paid for it. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this ten game ruling except to get rid of season ticket holders who could fall foul of it.

Top post mate

 

[dannybcity]

Why couldn’t you have a flexi gold season card and if your life circumstances changes and you attend 16/19 home league games in a season it converts into a standard gold season card?

There's no guarantee that will happen every season.

 

[BLUE THUNDER]

For 42 years I was in the merchant navy. Before the jobs dried up deep sea it meant being away from the UK for up to eight months a year, with leave in-between. When home on leave I got to every game I could. We weren't great back then so getting into games home and away was doable and I did so. When those jobs dried up I ended up working on cross channel ferries in Dover in 1987. This was a week on week off basis. I bought a season ticket then even though due to my shift patterns I missed a lot of games and it cost me more having one. This was the days before seat exchange etcetera. The club were happy to take my money whether I turned up or not. Obviously we were a different financial animal back then.
Anyway I've digressed slightly. The point is many people have jobs where their shift patterns will mean they can't personally attend games. They keep their season ticket because they want to be amongst friends and families when they can attend. Only a fool wouldn't put it on the seat exchange or pass it to family or a friend if they can't attend. What's the problem with that?? The club will often make more money by selling it for more than the season ticket holder paid for it. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this ten game ruling except to get rid of season ticket holders who could fall foul of it.

Alienating the soul of the club. It will bite them in the arse one day when things aren't so rosy and there will be nothing left. Shameful really.

 

[paulchapo]

Alienating the soul of the club. It will bite them in the arse one day when things aren't so rosy and there will be nothing left. Shameful really.

The hard core who prevailed throughout the dark years are sadly dying off. We are still there week in week out but our numbers get thinner every season. We do have a younger element coming through but it appears the club value tourists more. It's a dangerous policy as they will melt away if we go a few seasons without a trophy.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I was chatting to a mate this morning who went to see the LA Lakers in January with 10 work colleagues. His ten work colleagues who had Apple phones got in no problem. He had an Android phone and despite being very tech savvy he could t get in and had to queue. Up to set it in a portacabin. Clearly, some of the faults with NFC adoption are known in the sporting industry.

 

[crystal_mais]

What a shit show of a football club we have here. I reached out to the club in May and explained the reason for an exemption for my son season ticket, there was probably a challenge he would not be able to make the 10 games due to commitments. The club were sympathetic and provided guidance to see how things go and if there is a risk "the will" provide an exemption.

I have written to them in October and early November and today got a reply from a Fan Support Supervisor denying the request.

I have responded back expressing my disappointment and also included the email i received from the club in May - this is the final sentence from them in the email "Our best advice is to see how you go, and if you're struggling to attend a lot of matches let us know via access@mancity.com and we will add an exemption to your accounts."

14 years my son has been in his seat since the age of 3.

 

[spider blue]

For 42 years I was in the merchant navy. Before the jobs dried up deep sea it meant being away from the UK for up to eight months a year, with leave in-between. When home on leave I got to every game I could. We weren't great back then so getting into games home and away was doable and I did so. When those jobs dried up I ended up working on cross channel ferries in Dover in 1987. This was a week on week off basis. I bought a season ticket then even though due to my shift patterns I missed a lot of games and it cost me more having one. This was the days before seat exchange etcetera. The club were happy to take my money whether I turned up or not. Obviously we were a different financial animal back then.
Anyway I've digressed slightly. The point is many people have jobs where their shift patterns will mean they can't personally attend games. They keep their season ticket because they want to be amongst friends and families when they can attend. Only a fool wouldn't put it on the seat exchange or pass it to family or a friend if they can't attend. What's the problem with that?? The club will often make more money by selling it for more than the season ticket holder paid for it. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this ten game ruling except to get rid of season ticket holders who could fall foul of it.

Great read, top post.

 

[paulchapo]

Great read, top post.

Thanks, appreciated.

 

[GSW Blue]

For 42 years I was in the merchant navy. Before the jobs dried up deep sea it meant being away from the UK for up to eight months a year, with leave in-between. When home on leave I got to every game I could. We weren't great back then so getting into games home and away was doable and I did so. When those jobs dried up I ended up working on cross channel ferries in Dover in 1987. This was a week on week off basis. I bought a season ticket then even though due to my shift patterns I missed a lot of games and it cost me more having one. This was the days before seat exchange etcetera. The club were happy to take my money whether I turned up or not. Obviously we were a different financial animal back then.
Anyway I've digressed slightly. The point is many people have jobs where their shift patterns will mean they can't personally attend games. They keep their season ticket because they want to be amongst friends and families when they can attend. Only a fool wouldn't put it on the seat exchange or pass it to family or a friend if they can't attend. What's the problem with that?? The club will often make more money by selling it for more than the season ticket holder paid for it. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for this ten game ruling except to get rid of season ticket holders who could fall foul of it.

Good post. They would never answer honestly but I would love someone in authority at City (Soriano, Mubarak) to be asked on camera why they seem intent upon reducing the number of full season ticket holders!

 

[CC1]

Good post. They would never answer honestly but I would love someone in authority at City (Soriano, Mubarak) to be asked on camera why they seem intent upon reducing the number of full season ticket holders!

@Tim of the Oak - have we had an explanation from anyone at the club (including Danny W) about why they want to stop ST holders putting their ticket on the exchange as often as need be? After all, it’s the club who benefit by getting more money for the seat - the ST holder gets nothing extra so they’re not buying their ST for any sort of gain.

 

[uwerosler28]

What a shit show of a football club we have here. I reached out to the club in May and explained the reason for an exemption for my son season ticket, there was probably a challenge he would not be able to make the 10 games due to commitments. The club were sympathetic and provided guidance to see how things go and if there is a risk "the will" provide an exemption.

I have written to them in October and early November and today got a reply from a Fan Support Supervisor denying the request.

I have responded back expressing my disappointment and also included the email i received from the club in May - this is the final sentence from them in the email "Our best advice is to see how you go, and if you're struggling to attend a lot of matches let us know via access@mancity.com and we will add an exemption to your accounts."

14 years my son has been in his seat since the age of 3.

Can't really comment on if the club is being unfair or not without more detail as why you think an exemption is due, although appreciate you might not want to share that to a forum full.of strangers.

 

[paulchapo]

@Tim of the Oak - have we had an explanation from anyone at the club (including Danny W) about why they want to stop ST holders putting their ticket on the exchange as often as need be? After all, it’s the club who benefit by getting more money for the seat - the ST holder gets nothing extra so they’re not buying their ST for any sort of gain.

Its an interesting question. My take on it is this. They can't sell them all, even for the big games, in spite of all the so called new fans and tourists desperate to buy them. On Sunday, for the second home game running, there was at least six empty seats behind me. Two of those i know are regular season ticket holders who I'm sure would have put their tickets on the exchange if they couldn't attend. Of course something occurring last minute may have prevented them doing so. Now given how important that game was and considering the opposition, why were they empty?

 

[Saddleworth2]

Its an interesting question. My take on it is this. They can't sell them all, even for the big games, in spite of all the so called new fans and tourists desperate to buy them. On Sunday, for the second home game running, there was at least six empty seats behind me. Two of those i know are regular season ticket holders who I'm sure would have put their tickets on the exchange if they couldn't attend. Of course something occurring last minute may have prevented them doing so. Now given how important that game was and considering the opposition, why were they empty?

As an example. We got to Tebay on Sunday and the car packed in. We limped back to Scotland just in time to see the game on TV. We could see our seats empty. Far too late to put them on the exchange. Shit happens.
At least the result was good.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

Its an interesting question. My take on it is this. They can't sell them all, even for the big games, in spite of all the so called new fans and tourists desperate to buy them. On Sunday, for the second home game running, there was at least six empty seats behind me. Two of those i know are regular season ticket holders who I'm sure would have put their tickets on the exchange if they couldn't attend. Of course something occurring last minute may have prevented them doing so. Now given how important that game was and considering the opposition, why were they empty?

Rather six empty seats than having tourists wearing half and half scarves. Apparently…

 

[crystal_mais]

Can't really comment on if the club is being unfair or not without more detail as why you think an exemption is due, although appreciate you might not want to share that to a forum full.of strangers.

Fair comment but from my conversation with them in May, they wholly agreed his situation would warrant an exemption. We are now having to scramble around and try and change plan to try and make the min 10. My view here is don't make commitments and then go against it.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

@Tim of the Oak - have we had an explanation from anyone at the club (including Danny W) about why they want to stop ST holders putting their ticket on the exchange as often as need be? After all, it’s the club who benefit by getting more money for the seat - the ST holder gets nothing extra so they’re not buying their ST for any sort of gain.

In a roundabout way. City say they are trying to find ways to rewards people (eg in terms of tickets points) who attend the home games. The City Matters guys are likely to know more.

There has been a rationale to some of City's ticket initiatives that work for some fans and not others. Season card holders are expected to attend 10 games plus in person. Flexi-season card holders were expected to attend up to 10 (now seven plus 3 transfers) but many attended more games. Individual match day members were probably expected to attend less games than flexis.

In addition, there is not unlimited demand for resold tickets. We also have to sell more tickets with the expanded CL League format.

 

[johnnytapia]

What a shit show of a football club we have here. I reached out to the club in May and explained the reason for an exemption for my son season ticket, there was probably a challenge he would not be able to make the 10 games due to commitments. The club were sympathetic and provided guidance to see how things go and if there is a risk "the will" provide an exemption.

I have written to them in October and early November and today got a reply from a Fan Support Supervisor denying the request.

I have responded back expressing my disappointment and also included the email i received from the club in May - this is the final sentence from them in the email "Our best advice is to see how you go, and if you're struggling to attend a lot of matches let us know via access@mancity.com and we will add an exemption to your accounts."

14 years my son has been in his seat since the age of 3.

Am I misunderstanding this? The club have said:

"Our best advice is to see how you go, and if you're struggling to attend a lot of matches let us know via access@mancity.com and we will add an exemption to your accounts."

They’ve agreed to add an exemption if you’re struggling. Isn’t that what you wanted?

 

[CC1]

In a roundabout way. City say they are trying to find ways to rewards people (eg in terms of tickets points) who attend the home games. The City Matters guys are likely to know more.

There has been a rationale to some of City's ticket initiatives that work for some fans and not others. Season card holders are expected to attend 10 games plus in person. Flexi-season card holders were expected to attend up to 10 (now seven plus 3 transfers) but many attended more games. Individual match day members were probably expected to attend less games than flexis.

In addition, there is not unlimited demand for resold tickets. We also have to sell more tickets with the expanded CL League format.

Ah. That makes sense. Guess everyone assumed the club could sell them all.

 

[CC1]

What a shit show of a football club we have here. I reached out to the club in May and explained the reason for an exemption for my son season ticket, there was probably a challenge he would not be able to make the 10 games due to commitments. The club were sympathetic and provided guidance to see how things go and if there is a risk "the will" provide an exemption.

I have written to them in October and early November and today got a reply from a Fan Support Supervisor denying the request.

I have responded back expressing my disappointment and also included the email i received from the club in May - this is the final sentence from them in the email "Our best advice is to see how you go, and if you're struggling to attend a lot of matches let us know via access@mancity.com and we will add an exemption to your accounts."

14 years my son has been in his seat since the age of 3.

Don’t give up. They haven’t said no yet. Just before the end of the season if you have good reason, email the club again requesting an exemption for the good reasons you provide. Any problem - go above their heads to Danny Wilson. He has to take a sympathetic view if your son has had his ST for years & a good reason for not going 10 times this year. I suggest you put his ticket on the exchange when he can’t go - then they can’t accuse you of passing it to F&F (at an inflated price). Just pre-empting all possibilities