Supporters Club tickets

[Centurions]

I just love threads on any sort of forum where the OP has to include the word scam. Do people just not genuinely understand the meaning of the word or do they honestly think that it gives more gravitas to thier rants?

 

[Invisible Man's Bandage]

The Platinum system was, and still is, simply fraud. Charging you £50 for the benefit of additional 'loyalty' points with no tangible product or benefit. If Trading Standards ever looked at this, I reckon it would go the same way as the banks miss-selling of credit card and loan insurance.

Correct. That's the real scam.

The club is currently happy to do extremely underhand things such as quietly reducing the overall number of seasoncard holders and offering Silver as an 'affordable' option last year without making it clear that there was no way back to Gold to name but two. The Platinum offer has always been clear, upfront and completely brazen. Pay £50 a season to double your 'loyalty' points with no other 'benefits' included.

There is absolutely no ambiguity about it whatsoever.

 

[franksinatra]

Will those 11 tickets go to people who have more points than the level it sold out at? If so why couldn’t those people bought their tickets via the points system. If not your branch is abusing the system.

No its not. The Supporters clubs role is to grow the support and motivate, in a lot of cases, exiled blues to keep connected to the club which in turn results in merchandise sales, tickets being shifted in far flung locations on midweek matches etc. Consequently of the two tickets typically allocated (to a lot of clubs) systems like ballots, attendance at meeting are used to distribute the tickets and give all members a chance to watch the side. Just because you don't like the system does not mean it is being abused.

 

[franksinatra]

Obviously you run your branch with integrity, fairly, and clearly help numerous fans, do you feel this is across the board

My supporters club branch is run infuriatingly fairly and often its been to my detriment as I am useless at remembering dates etc so find myself down the pecking order to apply for tickets etc.

I do find it funny though the focus on Supporters club.

Im a gold season ticket card holder (I refuse to pay for loyalty points even though 50 quid is neither here nor there) Each home match is a 500 mile round trip and in addition to the cost, circa 90 quid in petrol etc, it also impacts heavily on my holiday allowance having to take time off etc, hence I cannot justify the carabao cup scheme.

Now my circumstances are not relevant to the debate but for the 19 games I pay for I get 190 points, a ‘loyal’ local fan applies to the Carabao cup scheme last year (had to pay for two matches) and get as I understand it (please correct me if I am wrong) 200 ticket points.

How does that work? Where is the fairness in the ticket points scheme? Seems the actual big questions of unfairness get brushed under the carpet as many are benefitting.

 

[Chappie]

I know at least one former mod on here who was very vocal about supporter clubs but who regularly passed on his kids' tickets for away games to a non-season ticket holder. The word 'hypocrite' isn't remotely adequate.

But that individual also knew the inner workings of the supporters club and was very critical of some of its practices .
You/we maybe critical of him passing his tickets on to non-season ticket holders but isn't that what alot of the supporters clubs are accused of doing.
We all appreciate the club want to grow "the brand " but do it at the home games and not at away games,and certainly not at the expense of their most loyal core support.
I think all that most people want is transparency of where the away ticket allocation is going .
Not percentages but actual number's per category. I know you as part of the City matters team tried for this but the club seems to promise with one hand and do the total opposite in reality.
Unfortunately we are the victim of our own success and things will, never go back to how they were.
And I for one don't want that to happen.

 

[Chappie]

No its not. The Supporters clubs role is to grow the support and motivate, in a lot of cases, exiled blues to keep connected to the club which in turn results in merchandise sales, tickets being shifted in far flung locations on midweek matches etc. Consequently of the two tickets typically allocated (to a lot of clubs) systems like ballots, attendance at meeting are used to distribute the tickets and give all members a chance to watch the side. Just because you don't like the system does not mean it is being abused.

The problem is loyalty point holders accuse the supporters clubs of abusing the system.
Non point holders, accuse the loyalty points holders of abusing the system.
When in reality it is City, who are abusing the system.
And unfortunately they have just had their eyes opened wide by the fact that they don't need either group as they have shifted 32000 tickets for the community shield ,without much help, from either the supporters clubs or season ticket holders.

 

[There is a Light]

My supporters club branch is run infuriatingly fairly and often its been to my detriment as I am useless at remembering dates etc so find myself down the pecking order to apply for tickets etc.

I do find it funny though the focus on Supporters club.

Im a gold season ticket card holder (I refuse to pay for loyalty points even though 50 quid is neither here nor there) Each home match is a 500 mile round trip and in addition to the cost, circa 90 quid in petrol etc, it also impacts heavily on my holiday allowance having to take time off etc, hence I cannot justify the carabao cup scheme.

Now my circumstances are not relevant to the debate but for the 19 games I pay for I get 190 points, a ‘loyal’ local fan applies to the Carabao cup scheme last year (had to pay for two matches) and get as I understand it (please correct me if I am wrong) 200 ticket points.

How does that work? Where is the fairness in the ticket points scheme? Seems the actual big questions of unfairness get brushed under the carpet as many are benefitting.

There’s no fairness in any of it. Most of the ones singling out supporters clubs will be up to all sorts themselves trying to get ahead in the queue, that’s what all of this is about.

But like you say, they’ll happily ignore the other “unfair” ways to pick up a ticket or to get up the ladder. Like you I’ve never bought platinum (until this year), probably lost a couple of thousand points by not paying 50 quid each year for the privilege. If supporters clubs allocations are unfair then it’s only right to call out the rest of the ticketing system as a joke as well.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

But that individual also knew the inner workings of the supporters club and was very critical of some of its practices .
You/we maybe critical of him passing his tickets on to non-season ticket holders but isn't that what alot of the supporters clubs are accused of doing.

It's not equivalent at all. He was passing on tickets that somebody further down the points ladder, or who applied a minute too late, could've had. So I'd say that's worse.

There's no requirement or rule that OSC branches can only pass tickets onto ST holders, only to their members with a supporter number. As long as OSC's are fair and transparent about how they allocate the tickets then I don't have a problem.

Targeting OSC branches when both General Admission and Hospitality ST holders are far more culpable is simply wrong.

 

[Tim of the Oak]

Obviously you run your branch with integrity, fairly, and clearly help numerous fans, do you feel this is across the board

Thanks mate. I don’t know. When I’ve thought about this in the past I think it’s like society. Most of the people are good but there are a few liberty takers and a very small minority of bad apples.

The way the systems are set up and developing means the scope for bending the rules has diminished. I think it’s really important that City and anyone else with access to tickets makes it as hard as possible for touts to prosper. That’s why I sometimes buy up spares on the ticket page to fill our coach with Blues (sometimes lapsed match going supporters).

 

[blue44]

Now my circumstances are not relevant to the debate but for the 19 games I pay for I get 190 points, a ‘loyal’ local fan applies to the Carabao cup scheme last year (had to pay for two matches) and get as I understand it (please correct me if I am wrong) 200 ticket points.

How does that work? Where is the fairness in the ticket points scheme? Seems the actual big questions of unfairness get brushed under the carpet as many are benefitting.

He only gets 200 if he has paid the £50 for platinum,if he hasn't ,he gets 100 points