Hi, Query regarding the new family stand. My dad, brother (20) and myself (24) purchased our first season tickets together in the 97/98 season. We have renewed the same seats every season since and will be doing so again this year. We sit in gangway 15 of the East Stand Upper which was the family stand when we first purchased our tickets. Are we still entitled to re new our seats? Thanks Chris Reply- The family area is going to be exclusively for families so unfortunately as you have no children under 16 accompanying you, you won't qualify. We will be able to help you find other suitable seats. We would advise you to purchase seats in the stand of your choice so you don't miss out on the early bird price even if there are no suitable seats available. We can always move you on 1st July when other seats become available once the renewal deadline has passed. It may not be a big deal to some. But losing our seats makes me not want to re-new my ticket.
I understand why you're disappointed, genuinely, I do, I'd be disappointed too. But my seat isn't so important to me that not getting it would stop me going. If Oakwell was packed and I was offered inferior seats then yes, but you'll be able to get your three seats together in the same stand, more than likely on the same row, just a few seats along. It's disappointing, yes, but not to the point where you end your association with the club, surely?
as Jay says I can see you would be a bit annoyed - I would be annoyed to lose my seat ( though that will happen if we ever redevelop the west stand) but I can see the clubs position on this as well - Had we kept a Family stand area wouldnt you have had to move when your younger brother grew up anyway - otherwise family areas would just fill with young adults if they never move out. If we ever lose our seats we'll just have to move - Id only be really annoyed if I had to move to one which was much worse - say right by the corner flag for example but as we currently only sell about 25% of the seats to ST holders I think we should be able to find a few decent ones somewhere
Calling it the "Family Area" and then not allowing people who are family sit there together anymore isn't right.
Possible solution Financially it makes sense for me to move back to the Family Stand. 1 adult, 1 12+, 1 free U12. However, I'd prefer to sit nearer the Ponty End if I'm in the Upper Tier. Wonder if I could secure your seats, and you secure 3 together further down, and we just sit in each others?
Re: Possible solution Not as bad as being a season ticket holder from 1978 then finding out two thirds of the ponty had sold out before I even got my renewal notice for the 97/98 premiership season due to spinksy selling them (in the week after the Bradford City match) on the basis of buy your own season ticket plus 2 for your mates (even though they've never even been to oakwell before). That will never be topped in the "let's **** on our most loyal fans" awards
Re: Possible solution That was a bad 'un, but at least everyone who wanted a season ticket got one, where as the Barnsley crowd at the Liverpool game in 2008 consisted of a couple of thousand season ticket holders plus their mates, many of whom hadn't been to Oakwell in years. Muggins here has only missed a handful of home games in 30 years, season ticket in pocket and doesn't get to go when we play at Anfield. Thanks a ******* bunch.
Definitely not, surely?! Hasn't Gentle Ben recently come out with a clear statement on sitting in your allocated seats? Bad admin. Naughty admin. Ban her!!!
Remember it well. I sent a strongly worded letter with my season tickets, and told them to stick their loyalty up their ar$e! Got a call back from Shepherd, with a personal apology for the fiasco
Re: Possible solution Exactly - was assured that as season ticket holders we would get to know well in advance when they went on sale - I got my renewal form the morning that they went on sale. Then when I rang up (from work because I couldn't get away) to book was told that "we give priority to those that could be bothered to come and queue" Cnuts.
Re: Possible solution Yes that has to be the biggest **** up in my 45 years My Dad ST holder and Supporter since WW2 and hardly missed a home game since I can remember went to try to get us tickets and failed. I was very fortunate in that one of the London Tykes had a ticket and then couldnt go so I managed to grab that ticket. 6000 seats to spead to over 6000 ST holders - how hard was it to work out one per ST holder to begin?
Re: Possible solution Best of it was I think there was only 2000 season ticket holders at the start of the 96 97 season plus about another 3000 bought half season tickets at xmas so it wasn't hard to let them 5000 have a few days to renew/pick their seats first as it was the sit anywhere rule 96/97. I wrote a scathing letter of complaint to spinksy and he invited me to a meeting to discuss it, during which he openly admitted that it was a deliberate ploy to cause mass panic so that the tickets would sell out faster and he also admitted that was done knowing it would **** on the diehards who had supported the club through the bad old days. Basically tough **** n stop complaining big lad. Unbelievable!
Re: Possible solution That was a complete shambles Jay. Totally agree. 8000 season ticket holders, 6000 match tickets, sell them at 2 per season ticket holder n piss 5000 season ticket holders off. Deary me
Re: Possible solution Correct mate. That's why our lot ended up in the bottom right hand corner of the ponty cos they were the best seats left when I got my renewal notice on the Thursday as we played our last match at Oxford the following sunday
Re: Possible solution Tossers. Seat I'd sat in since the Ponty got rebuilt was sold to some **** that didn't know Barnsley had a football club til his mate got him a ticket. Back in it now, seeing as he couldn't cope with 2nd tier football....