Dunno if this is already common knowledge, but just in case

Just been down for me season ticket (not a proper fan) and I've been given a date of 14th of July for collection. We can pick 'em up on or after this date, or if you've paid for them to be posted to you, I guess they'll be sent out on or around this date.

Doesn't sound like these new swipe cards will make much difference to us this season. There'll still be turnstile operators, but rather than collecting a ticket from your booklet they'll have handheld scanners for your card. However, when it comes to renewing next season there'll be no need to issue anything new. Take your card in to the box office (or, hopefully, do it on the web) and the next season's tickets can be uploaded to your account. Done. Same should be true for cup tickets. And I guess, should they wish to in future, the turnstiles can be updated to an entirely automatic system.

Seems like progress and a good system to me, although I imagine certain members of this forum will be able to pick holes in it. There is one issue that's worth thinking about. 30 years on, Maggie's got her wish. ID cards for football fans. 'No way' we said at the time. Now it's described as progress and something a number of fans have actually pushed for. It's all in the marketing.

We've sold about 6,500 season tickets, which is about the same as this time last year. Box office seem really pleased with that and I must say that I am too. Seems we're not deserting a sinking ship and the majority who were watching us last year were the die-hards who have continued to lend their support. I guess last season we sold additional season tickets in July as people changed seats and new customers bought tickets, but even if we don't match that before kick-off in August, we're not going to be far off. Maybe not at first, but if we start doing well and winning a lot more home games than we lose (big if, I know) I can see us attracting more home fans than we did last season.

Apologies if this is all repeat information.

 

Excellent point on ID cards.

Not one person on this forum can knock the club for all that though. Progress is THE single most important thing.

 

We need a new way of prioritizing our away ticket allocations then, if they'll be no lettered vouchers or cup stubs, the club could do with some sort of loyalty system putting in place for next season

 

I don't know, but I would think that will be summat they'll be able to do with the system they've got. Even if it can't do it now, it's computer software that will be able to be modified.

 

Didn't we get the message inferring we'd sold 6000 four weeks ago? Looks like either sales standing still or people waiting for tomorrow to grab a vacated seat.

Cards the way forward

 

I think most people will have bought their tickets during the early bird offer which finished at the end of April. Sales will have dramatically slowed down since then, but it's worked out that by the end of June we're about where we were last season.

 

Next season they'll be a few grounds that are new to quite a lot of our regular away support, and some grounds that most of our regular away attendees haven't been to for 8 years, add to that we've been getting good away support for last few season wile watching ***** results in the same old stadiums, if we hit the ground running and start winning away, I can see us selling out quite a lot next season. So we really could do with some sort of a loyalty system being put in place.

 

I heard over the weekend about it off tosh and frum tarn. I haven't read any further than E.N's 1st post but I'm willing to bet the ideas getting slagged off already

 

Sales can't just increase exponentially

 

what they also need to do is cut down or eliminate 'cash gates' altogether. Maybe have one or two points where you can pay cash on the day for a ticket and then go to your relevant entrance to the game. (and yes folks this is different to having 'cash gates')

Believe me, this would help

 

That wouldn't be hard to do. When a none season ticket holder buys their first match ticket in advance have them sign up to a card like us STHs have. That way the loyalty of those without a ST can be judged just as easy. Then each home league ticket they buy give them X amount of points (a little less than the average a STH gets put on their card to start with as a STH).

Then depending on the away game depends on the points you get. For example if you go to Sheffield United away on a saturday you get 50 loyalty points added to your card. But if you go to Crawley away midweek on Valentines Day you get 150 loyalty points because of the extra effort. If you go to an home/away FLT match you get say 75 points but if you buy a ticket for Old Trafford away in the third round only 10 points.

Then as the season goes on the club know the most points a fan has so can easily work out a fair order system of STHs with X amount of points, STHs with a lower amount of points, none STHs with X amount of points, none STHs with a lower amount of points and general sale. That way the diehard fans who go away to every game or nearly every game always make sure they get tickets first. The more away games you go to the more chance you have of an away ticket when we get some poor away allocations.

 

Or just make all our games all ticket, then when people go to the box office for their first ticket they get a pay as you go top up card, that's registered to them and can be topped up on line or by phone using a debit or credit card or in person for cash in the ticket office.

 

From tomorrow the prices increase to £370 (Ponte) - £450 East/West upper...be amazed if we shift more than double figures before the season starts. As Jay said, we're down to the hard core support now.

 

Any idea what happens with match day tickets? Would be a good idea to issue people with cards and then we could top up for matches online, would be easier than paying on the gate and you could build up loyalty points (if they are implementing them).

 

I've always liked the idea that's kicked around on here before, that you can buy a prepaid card for say hundred quid. This gets you a reduced match day price (still more expensive than what a season ticket holder pays per game though). Once its been spent it can then be topped up in, say, £50 amounts. It gives the club the advantage of money up front and being able to budget better for the season, and rewards those fans who can't get to enough games to justify a season ticket but attend 10 or more games a season. It also means they can be given a degree of priority for cup games, away matches etc after seasont icket holders.

Obviously the discount can't and shouldn't be big enough that it becomes attractive to season ticket holders who decide to go down that route.

Oh, and a key point. You should be able to use it on the gate. Not by having to collect an actual match ticket in person in advance between 3.46 and 3.57pm on the second Wednesday of every third month.

 

I really want to hear Conan's views on this.

 

This is really progressive and promising stuff. Should help the club to understand it's supporters and their attendance much better. And I was just going to have a moan because I heard a rumour that the new scoreboard is going to be made out of old hotdogs from the West Stand and the fabric from the Tina Tyke outfit.

 

It'd still be an improvement on the current scoreboard.

 

Suppose just having your season ticket is the same as having a lettered voucher, and tickets could still be prioritised by the number of away ticket stubs you have. I'm sure that for home cup games, the club could record your purchase against your season ticket in some way. Suppose there's very little difference other tha ticketless entry.