Ticket Loyalty Points

[Big Pussy Bonpensiero]

Nobody gets points for away games.

Forgotten that’s changed a few year alright.

 

[Stephen230]

Just catching up on this thread. I must admit I assumed that away supporters were building up loyalty points. So now wondering how someone gets enough points to be able to start going to away matches - or how will those 18-25 year olds who are able to get tickets without adding points - manage when they turn 26?

Looking at my own record I have 13000 points built up over 40 years as a season ticket/card holder who has always been in the cup schemes (an investment I was able to make so that I could guarantee semi and cup final tickets if I wanted them) I did buy into Premium for a while - but then realised it wasn't worth it as the only benefit might have been occasional away tickets - but the criteria was rising faster than my points.

So how does someone build up a minimum of 20k points at a young enough age for away support to become a regular part of their life? As older long-standing away supporters get to a point where they can't manage it anymore will the criteria naturally start to fall so that a 26 year old who has perhaps had a season card for 16 years will have enough points to carry on watching City away?

Previously Under 18s could build up points through away games if they had someone pulling through a ticket for them in the first window.

Now it’s just: Premium and all Cup Schemes and wait for people above to die/ stop going.

 

[cyan]

Previously Under 18s could build up points through away games if they had someone pulling through a ticket for them in the first window.

Now it’s just: Premium and all Cup Schemes and wait for people above to die/ stop going.

And that is how I wonder how future away support is built - that 25-35 age group is when patterns are established - in my case work/marriage/children meant it was no longer a priority and that will be the case for many. If there isn't even the opportunity then people get in the habit of doing other things - if the club value a vocal away support then they need to encourage the people who will do that for the next 30 years or so.

But perhaps that is what the clubs want - no away fans = less hassle more merchandising opportunities for tourists. Yet a big part of the product they are selling to tv is the atmosphere created by away fans - so it seems counter-productive.

 

[Citycity76]

We were tracking this for the first half of the season and the evidence clearly shows that for bigger matches it is 30% or less going to ticket point holders of the available allocation. I get your point about a number of tickets being taken away from the overal pot but we are talking sometimes 600 to 1200 tickets out of 3000 unavailable to points holders that should be if the 60% was true. The evidence is also there in cup finals where huge swathes of prime seats are not available on Day 1 to points holders but magically appear later. Same is true for away allocations, you do see 'chunks' come back and it is not because people are holding in the basket.

Reality is people on around 21500 points should probably get a ticket to all matches if it was allocated properly at 60% with the exception of some really small grounds.

People who used to be able to get tickets at the same mark are slowly being phased out despite no real points being available to make a difference (assuming these people stay on cup schemes).

Personally I think there is a legal argument against the club that either should result in a change of ways or compensation to those that have spent vast amounts of money on the selling point that there is a 'priority' which is arguably no longer the case. But who wants to take action against their own club who also have a lot of good points too!

I accept that for many away matches the criteria goes low and of course we don't want to be in a position where we don't sell our allocation but the way to deal with that is simply to give ticket points holders a proper exclusive window well ahead of time and the bulk (60% is absolute minimum, ideally 80%) of tickets.

My view is away tickets should only be by ticket points. I've no issue with a ballot option or limited number of junior pull throughs as long as the bulk is still going to ticket points. Issue I have is we don't get the full 60% and we've no idea how to really push a change here.

Suggestions like rolling windows are all great but really we need to see the data to help propose something sensible. But to see the data requires the club to be extremely transparent about the levels supporters are at. Maybe that's a start.

What is clear is despite some away matches selling out to a high ticket points levels, there are at least 500 to 1500 people in that away end that did not have the required number of points, that's just not right.

This is the voice of sense.

We need clarity on supporters clubs. How many are allocated?
What branches got what?

i know a branch just started up getting 4 away tickets per game non have the. have loyalty points how is this fair

 

[Stephen230]

And that is how I wonder how future away support is built - that 25-35 age group is when patterns are established - in my case work/marriage/children meant it was no longer a priority and that will be the case for many. If there isn't even the opportunity then people get in the habit of doing other things - if the club value a vocal away support then they need to encourage the people who will do that for the next 30 years or so.

But perhaps that is what the clubs want - no away fans = less hassle more merchandising opportunities for tourists. Yet a big part of the product they are selling to tv is the atmosphere created by away fans - so it seems counter-productive.

I can’t think of any reason why the club would want no away fans. The team certainly wouldn’t want that.

There’s a million suggestions on here on a ‘fairer’ system. And not one of them will be agreed upon by everyone.

The current system is far from perfect. But personally, I’ve not heard an alternative system that I think is any fairer.

If people want to lobby for anything to do with ticket allocation for away games, I’d go for more transparency on where the tickets actually go, particularly for the big games, than changing it.

 

[Eds]

I can’t think of any reason why the club would want no away fans. The team certainly wouldn’t want that.

There’s a million suggestions on here on a ‘fairer’ system. And not one of them will be agreed upon by everyone.

The current system is far from perfect. But personally, I’ve not heard an alternative system that I think is any fairer.

If people want to lobby for anything to do with ticket allocation for away games, I’d go for more transparency on where the tickets actually go, particularly for the big games, than changing it.

Transparency is key. Said it before but partners / sponsors should be given home tickets not away ones. Unfortunately the way the club now distributes away tickets is almost based on your wealth e.g. sponsors, hospitality etc seem to be allocated more and more tickets. Supporters branches (not all) seem to abuse the system yet nothing is done and of course the club seem to love giving vloggers / ticket agencies / hangers on etc tickets for the bigger games. Why aren’t City Matters all over this or the 1894 group. We know the club monitor this board so how about they start listening to your core supporter base and stop pandering to others. We want City fans at home and away games not people who sit there, spend a little in the shop and then video the whole game. Grow a pair and sort it out for next season. If we can win the title at Brentford with their small allocation look at how many people manage to end up in the away end who haven’t been away all season.

 

[cyan]

I can’t think of any reason why the club would want no away fans. The team certainly wouldn’t want that.

I wonder if all clubs would prefer no away fans. It cuts down on the stewarding/security costs. It increases revenue possibilities (are away prices still capped?), it creates a monopoly of home branding. It leaves away teams with no support giving the home team a competitive advantage. It's not the way those of us that enjoy the match going experience would choose - but it feels like away fans are an irritant that the corporate world could do without.

 

[jslater11]

Bumping this (and first post!) - been a silent reader on this forum for years and finally putting something in.

With everything going on with us potentially getting to another final this year, I've been checking my loyalty points and feel I'm potentially owed some. I've been reading up on posts here and understand Wembley visits and aways don't get points anymore, but does anyone know when this rule took effect? I was in a supporters club in 17/18 and went to Chelsea away with them, and got my ticket for the EFL Cup final vs Arsenal through them that year. Both these games aren't in my history whatsoever on my ticketing account history or ticket point page and it's bugging me.

I know it's not a lot of points to be bothered about but it all adds up!

 

[Stephen230]

Bumping this (and first post!) - been a silent reader on this forum for years and finally putting something in.

With everything going on with us potentially getting to another final this year, I've been checking my loyalty points and feel I'm potentially owed some. I've been reading up on posts here and understand Wembley visits and aways don't get points anymore, but does anyone know when this rule took effect? I was in a supporters club in 17/18 and went to Chelsea away with them, and got my ticket for the EFL Cup final vs Arsenal through them that year. Both these games aren't in my history whatsoever on my ticketing account history or ticket point page and it's bugging me.

I know it's not a lot of points to be bothered about but it all adds up!

20/40 points were awarded for the Arsenal League Cup Final.

If you got ticket through supporters club and no points, then the ticket won’t have been registered in your name.

 

[Corky]

Bumping this (and first post!) - been a silent reader on this forum for years and finally putting something in.

With everything going on with us potentially getting to another final this year, I've been checking my loyalty points and feel I'm potentially owed some. I've been reading up on posts here and understand Wembley visits and aways don't get points anymore, but does anyone know when this rule took effect? I was in a supporters club in 17/18 and went to Chelsea away with them, and got my ticket for the EFL Cup final vs Arsenal through them that year. Both these games aren't in my history whatsoever on my ticketing account history or ticket point page and it's bugging me.

I know it's not a lot of points to be bothered about but it all adds up!

Points were awarded up to and including the Watford final.

Supporters Clubs haven't always allocated points to who attends, others have complained on here before.