Away tickets 2022/3

[CLARETANDBLUEFOXY]

1 minute ago, ender4 said:

Demand outstrips supply. It’s the same for say home fans at Anfield or Goodison - if you give up your season ticket you won’t get it back in your lifetime. So even if you move to a different country for a year or two, you’ll still keep your season ticket so it’s available when you are back in the country. 

It makes sense but it’s just so disappointing. I don’t get why they’ve made it so unreachable for the masses when, like I say, it used to be so much fairer 14 or so years ago. Things have changed a lot and not for the better  

[OutByEaster?]

16 minutes ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said:

So wait, people buy them whether they’re going or not to ensure they can go when they want to? That needs cracking down. That’s awful. How has it got like this? 

If I could go to eight away games a season, but in order to do so I had to buy nineteen away tickets and I had the money, I'd probably do that if the alternative was going to no away games.

If I try to send those eleven unused tickets back to the club, they'll stop me buying away tickets, so I'd need to find mates I trust to go instead.

That sounds like an insane system, but it's really difficult to come up with one that's better.  It's a really difficult situation and it's caused because of how extreme the demand can be - as long as the choice is between buying just about every ticket or not being able to go to any games at all, it'll always be difficult.

I can't see an easy way to fix that.

I do sometimes wonder if we sold away tickets like they sell high-demand concert tickets how much we'd end up paying - Spurs away on a Saturday afternoon through Ticketmaster for £350 anyone?

 

[Vive_La_Villa]

32 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

If I could go to eight away games a season, but in order to do so I had to buy nineteen away tickets and I had the money, I'd probably do that if the alternative was going to no away games.

If I try to send those eleven unused tickets back to the club, they'll stop me buying away tickets, so I'd need to find mates I trust to go instead.

That sounds like an insane system, but it's really difficult to come up with one that's better.  It's a really difficult situation and it's caused because of how extreme the demand can be - as long as the choice is between buying just about every ticket or not being able to go to any games at all, it'll always be difficult.

I can't see an easy way to fix that.

I do sometimes wonder if we sold away tickets like they sell high-demand concert tickets how much we'd end up paying - Spurs away on a Saturday afternoon through Ticketmaster for £350 anyone?

 

The guy I was speaking about apparently has 9 memberships and eligible for several away tickets. Makes a killing selling them to mancs and scousers.  
 

Id like to go away games here and there but understand it’s not really possible. 

[VillaChris]

Think another issue is there aren't many clubs with big away ends anymore.

Go back 15 years and Blackburn used to give us most of the behind the goal stand and that was 6-7k. Bolton was similar and remember when Fulham had that neutral stand and we basically just took it over. Think it's just the standard 3k now.

Also harder to get tickets in home end with pretty much all clubs wanting you to become members and it rarely going to general sale. I mean Bournemouth with a 10k ground is impossible to get anything for.

[OutByEaster?]

Bournemouth away on the opening day of the season, we could have sold it out.

The whole ground I mean, with no Bournemouth fans.

[sidcow]

11 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

The guy I was speaking about apparently has 9 memberships and eligible for several away tickets. Makes a killing selling them to mancs and scousers.  
 

Id like to go away games here and there but understand it’s not really possible. 

I would 1000% grass him up.

[sidcow]

10 minutes ago, VillaChris said:

Think another issue is there aren't many clubs with big away ends anymore.

Go back 15 years and Blackburn used to give us most of the behind the goal stand and that was 6-7k. Bolton was similar and remember when Fulham had that neutral stand and we basically just took it over. Think it's just the standard 3k now.

Also harder to get tickets in home end with pretty much all clubs wanting you to become members and it rarely going to general sale. I mean Bournemouth with a 10k ground is impossible to get anything for.

Been to some great away days at Blackburn. Was like a home away from home for a few years. Then yobs trashed The Fernhurst and bottled a bar staff. Then Blackburn decided to take their ground back and reduce the away capacity reducing their income leaving the ground half empty. 

[VillaChris]

16 minutes ago, sidcow said:

Been to some great away days at Blackburn. Was like a home away from home for a few years. Then yobs trashed The Fernhurst and bottled a bar staff. Then Blackburn decided to take their ground back and reduce the away capacity reducing their income leaving the ground half empty. 

Actually curious which prem club actually offers the biggest allocation nowadays. That's the thing, interest in the league has never been higher so you don't get half empty stands much now.

Wigan was another one I forgot, went a couple of times with us having 6k behind the goal. Boro was another where they'd struggle to sell out so we'd always get a decent allocation most years.

[VillaChris]

52 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

Bournemouth away on the opening day of the season, we could have sold it out.

The whole ground I mean, with no Bournemouth fans.

Wonder how much they give in a cup tie down there? Probably another 10 seats behind the goal!

[spiezels]

3 hours ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

The guy I was speaking about apparently has 9 memberships and eligible for several away tickets. Makes a killing selling them to mancs and scousers.  
 

Id like to go away games here and there but understand it’s not really possible. 

Would Mean he has 9 season tickets no? I don’t get how this would work? And he’s selling tickets to home fans of the team we’re away at? 
 

Or to villa fans that aren’t from Brum?

[The Fun Factory]

3 hours ago, VillaChris said:

Actually curious which prem club actually offers the biggest allocation nowadays. That's the thing, interest in the league has never been higher so you don't get half empty stands much now.

Wigan was another one I forgot, went a couple of times with us having 6k behind the goal. Boro was another where they'd struggle to sell out so we'd always get a decent allocation most years.

I think they are all the standard 3k allocation or up to 10% of capacity, whatever is the smallest. Fulham used to be  a good one with the 'neutral' section adjacent to the away allocation in the Putney End. I think that is gone now. It was great as it ended up over 4-5,000 away allocation and they used to be fairly cheap for a London club.

Edited January 15, 2023 by The Fun Factory

[Vive_La_Villa]

53 minutes ago, spiezels said:

Would Mean he has 9 season tickets no? I don’t get how this would work? And he’s selling tickets to home fans of the team we’re away at? 
 

Or to villa fans that aren’t from Brum?

Not sure mate. Just know dodgy stuff going on to make money. 

[wedge]

Because back in the MON era we used to get circa 7,000 allocation at places like Wigan, Bolton and Blackburn, the maximum away allocation nowadays for a Premier League away game is just over 3,000! We have 30k+ ST holders with a further circa 20k waiting for one so it's not hard to do the maths...

 

I'm a member as I foolishly gave up my ST when I moved down to Wiltshire and that's cost me dearly, the only way I've been able to get away tickets on my membership recently are for cup games like Bolton and ManUre this season where it's been a bigger allocation for us. I'm around number 8,000 on the waiting list for an ST. I think it's still done the fairest way, those who have been to the most away games are first in the queue, but I'm not sure how ST holders (away league games don't even have non-ST holders listed as a possible criteria) who haven't been to any the previous season are ever going to break into the eligible category!

 

Even though at Fulham they've technically got rid of the 'neutral' section you can still buy tickets in those blocks in the Putney End as their games go on general sale (just create a log-in and purchase). It's the same concourse as the away section and no segregation etc.

 

God knows what will happen if we ever have any kind of on-field success as our support is magnificent which makes it very difficult to get away tickets, VP's capacity will actually be reduced whilst the redevelopments are done so will be hard enough to get home tickets let alone away!

Edited January 15, 2023 by wedge

[Talldarkandransome]

I'm.not quite ready to post here yet

[Robbie09]

Just to post a different perspective on this topic.

I attend every away game with my 2 sons, have done since they were both very young so I guess we haven't missed an away game for 15+ years. Aside from the financial implications it has impacted on many aspects of my life - relationships, career etc. It affected my marriage, I’ve missed family occasions and both my bank balance and sanity have taken a battering. I think there’s about 1200 or so of us that have 100% attendance over the last couple of seasons.

I have every sympathy for fans that can't get to away games because of ticket availability. When i hear of fans buying tickets for games they have no intention of attending so that they maintain 100% booking history it irritates me no end.

Do the club still have a ballot for STH’s? If so maybe they could increase the allowance for games other than Brentford and Bournemouth where the allocation is pathetically small. It’s one way of opening up the criteria to more STH’s.

 

 

[Brumstopdogs]

12 minutes ago, Robbie09 said:

Just to post a different perspective on this topic.

I attend every away game with my 2 sons, have done since they were both very young so I guess we haven't missed an away game for 15+ years. Aside from the financial implications it has impacted on many aspects of my life - relationships, career etc. It affected my marriage, I’ve missed family occasions and both my bank balance and sanity have taken a battering. I think there’s about 1200 or so of us that have 100% attendance over the last couple of seasons.

I have every sympathy for fans that can't get to away games because of ticket availability. When i hear of fans buying tickets for games they have no intention of attending so that they maintain 100% booking history it irritates me no end.

Do the club still have a ballot for STH’s? If so maybe they could increase the allowance for games other than Brentford and Bournemouth where the allocation is pathetically small. It’s one way of opening up the criteria to more STH’s.

 

 

Wow - that kind of attendance takes some doing. Fair play to you for that commitment.

I guess you must get to know a lot of the other regulars going as it is a bit of a closed shop.

[tomav84]

8 hours ago, CLARETANDBLUEFOXY said:

So wait, people buy them whether they’re going or not to ensure they can go when they want to? That needs cracking down. That’s awful. How has it got like this? 

they do now. every away game, or most away games, around 100 randomly selected tickets are not posted, but instead are posted a letter instructing the buyer to pick up in person which must be accompanied with ID. i've had to do this myself.

within the next 5 years, presumably, all tickets will be electronically delivered with one of those QR codes that changes every 30 mins to eliminate any possibility of being transferred to another member. it's currently in operation for some concerts so you'd expect it's around the corner for football. when this day arrives, you'll see away tickets easier to come by. sure, there may be some now that pay the £30 and just throw the ticket in the bin in order to keep their history going, but how many would be willing to do that on any sort of regular basis?

[tomav84]

44 minutes ago, Robbie09 said:

Do the club still have a ballot for STH’s? If so maybe they could increase the allowance for games other than Brentford and Bournemouth where the allocation is pathetically small. It’s one way of opening up the criteria to more STH’s.

 

 

yes but it's really poorly advertised and it's only about 50 tickets i think so do the math regarding chances of actually being successful. i guess you gotta be in it to win it though.

another very little known method of getting away tickets is to join an official lions club. each lions club gets up to 6 tickets per game (depending on the allocation) so join one of those and ask the club chairperson how to get your name in the hat

[ender4]

8 minutes ago, tomav84 said:

tickets will be electronically delivered with one of those QR codes that changes every 30 mins to eliminate any possibility of being transferred to another member. it's currently in operation for some concerts so you'd expect it's around the corner for football.

How does this work? Say I buy 4 legitimate tickets for 2 adults and 2 kids. I get an email with 4 QR codes.  How do I process those QR codes at the turnstile?  Can’t I just send the email with QR code to my mate if he’s going instead of me?

[tomav84]

1 minute ago, ender4 said:

How does this work? Say I buy 4 legitimate tickets for 2 adults and 2 kids. I get an email with 4 QR codes.  How do I process those QR codes at the turnstile?

i guess that's one of the questions that has prevented this from being rolled out already. maybe kids tickets would remain paper tickets...i don't know.

1 minute ago, ender4 said:

Can’t I just send the email with QR code to my mate if he’s going instead of me?

for some gigs ive been to, the QR code gets regenerated in an app every 30 mins, preventing someone from screenshotting it and flogging it for profit

regarding transferring, if you bought tickets for you and a mate who was also eligible, the system would need to only allow you to transfer to that particular person. i.e. you would need your mate's email address so it only goes to their account and can't be passed on to someone who is not eligible. so the system needs to be reasonably sophisticated and in reality, the club probably doesn't care enough to put the effort in to resolving it. i seem to remember from reading FCG minutes in the past whenever it's been raised, it's been brushed off as a fairly minor issue.