A (relatively) simple solution to all the problems

Apologies if you have already seen this, as I posted it yesterday, but it quickly got lost in the thousands of "they can shove their season ticket..." postings, but here are my thoughts.

There's only one way to do this and it costs some money initially, but it will solve just about all the problems we've had - ticketing for big games, racist abuse, the hassle of the lost season tickets, telephone booking, people transferring season tickets, etc.

And that is an electronic 'credit card' type season ticket (we'll call it an ID card for want of a better term).

People who buy season tickets get given one and your photograph can go on it. The games are then loaded onto the card and you can swipe yourself into the ground on matchdays. It then keeps a record of your attendance.

When season ticket holders then book away tickets they ring up the club, order the ticket, give their season ticket ID number and that game is credited to their record. Again, this provides a record of attendance (the importance of this comes later).

Of course, there are some supporters who won't decide in advance whether they will go to an away match and instead will pay on the day. Unfortunately the only way to credit their record for this is retrospectively, i.e they retain their ticket and head over to the box office to have their record credited. But that would be open to potential abuse, so I would suggest that it's just tough luck and that the only way to get credited is to purchase in advance.

Now, non season ticket holders can apply for the ID card and then when they book their ticket for the game over the telephone the box office can simply credit their card with that game, so when they turn up at the (fab new) electronic turnstyles they can just swipe in. Hey presto, no lost ticket scenarios any more!

Electronic turnstyles may sound futuristic, but those who have been to Southend will know that even rubbish grounds can have them.

Okay, so we've got the ID cards, meaning fast entrance to the ground, fast turnarounds in the box office, booking by phone is not a problem, but what about other advantages?

Easy, the photo on the cards means it's non-transferrable. This means that the club's paranoia about fraud should be eliminated. Spot checks at the turnstyles can identify culprits and the season ticket holder can then be prosecuted accordingly (or whatever punishment the club sees fit!).

It also helps the police identify hooligans. Banned fans have their card removed, etc.

It's transferrable into the new season, so renewing the season ticket is easy peasy on the phone.

It can cut down the ridiculous 5 hour waits that people have had today. I mean, surely the ambition of all is for us to be having these big games every week, so we need to be better prepared.

The big problem that we had at the beginning of the season when it was announced that lost season tickets will have to be re-purchased will disappear. If the ID card is lost the club can simply cancel the card and reissue a new one, for a nominal surcharge. Simple.

Another advantage then is that it makes our club look forward thinking and gives better PR.

But what about disadvantages?

Well firstly there's the expense. But this is mainly going to be the initial expense. If only the club had someone who used to run a multi-million software company, who could set it all up for us...

And then there's the problem if the electronic turnstyles malfunction. Well the season ticket ID cards could be issued new every year with 'Season ticket' indicated on it, so they can get through with a manual check (remember, they will have their mug shots on them), and non season ticket holders can be given a booking reference number when they purchase the match for their ticket.

If the barriers have failed, the ones that have purchased tickets onto a non-season ticket ID card can give that number at the turnstyles to gain entrance. This will mean that we have to have a couple of turnstyles for each stand equipped with computer terminals to check the booking reference numbers as the fans go in. This shouldn't be needed except in case of emergency though, so there would be plenty of time to work out a contingency plan.

Finally (although I'm sure that people will come up with more disadvantages), there's always going to be the 'ID cards compromise freedom' brigade. I know people down here in London who refuse to get oyster cards because they don't want to be controlled by 'the man'. Well there's nothing that you can do about these people and you have to ask what they have to hide? It's a ticket for going to the footy, you're not exactly getting electronically tagged and followed round by secret cameras!

So on to the original question, how do you make it fair when we get to big games? Well, one ticket per season ticket is not fair. There are plenty of people who have to pick and choose their games because of other commitments (family, financial, work, distance) and plenty who pay on the day, not to mention plenty of fans who go to more games home and away than season ticket holders, so why should they miss out to someone who, admittedly, has a season ticket, but who hasn't been to an away match since we played at Old Trafford 10 years ago?

These electronic ID cards keep a record of attendance, as I mentioned earlier, so we can stagger the release of the tickets and ensure that the die hard, home and away fans don't miss out, whether they have a season ticket or not. And it can be done over the phone (alright, the box office staff will have to physically send out the actual away match tickets, but they won't have to go through the hassle of checking the address, as it will already be on their system, so they just need to employ someone to print them off and stick them in envelopes).

Example of a fair system then:

Day 1 - season ticket holders who have attended x number of away games

Day 2 - season ticket holders who have attended y number of away games

Day 3 - fans who have attended x number of matches

Day 4 - fans who have attended y number of matches

And so on...

This would also stop 3,000 people turning up on Day 1.

So season ticket holders who regularly travel away (and let's face it, those of us who travel to away matches know it's considerably less than the 6,000 who feel they have a right to the Liverpool tickets) get first and second dibs. This 'rewards' the fans who have made the financial commitment to the club, whilst ensuring that the aforementioned Old Trafford/Wembley/Millenium Stadium type away travelling season ticket holder doesn't get the advantage over the fan who doesn't miss a game, home or away, but who chooses not to buy a season ticket.

When we then get down to Day 3 and Day 4, when adding up the total games attended you woud then expect a season ticket holder to have an advantage over non-season ticket holders anyway, because they will have been to most of the home matches, giving a big head start.

Anyway, I've gone on a bit, but it is something that is so easily fixable that it drives me crazy when nothing is done about it.

Yours

Perplexed of Mill Hill (who actually watched Barnsley Boys win the national school trophy at Anfield against Sefton Boys about 15 years ago. And I watched Barnsley Reserves play Liverpool Reserves at Anfield around the same time. So surely that means I should get a ticket...darn it, I'm as bad as everybody else!)

 

Well intentioned and sensible but.....

.... as you acknowledge, this is an expensive system which would need costly support in terms of staff and software.</p>

It involves what amounts to an ID card. Try getting that principle past most folk on here and you'll end up with a BBS swamped by &quot;Big brother&quot; debates.</p>

BFC is not in this league. One massive away fixture every ten years is not cost effective in relation to the outlay.</p>

I'm afraid where technology is concerned it's a non starter. We need the cash to buy players to stay up - not fancy electronic loyalty schemes that cost a fortune.</p>

Sorry.</p>

 

another simple solution ALCHOL and all thoses liverpool worries will fade away

 

It's a good idea and suitable for bigger clubs but realistically as RR says, we don;t have enough 'big' games where demand outstrips supply to make it worthwhile...

Maybe if get back to the Prem..........