Some things can't change fast enough.

We're playing Bruges on Friday and I heard discounted tickets have to be bought in advance. So I popped in the box office this morning. "Sorry they don't go on sale until Monday". Well no, I'M sorry Barnsley FC. I work out of town during the week and can't get back to the box office before Friday. So you've lost a 4 ticket sale. Hard luck.

But that's not the main point of this thread. Whilst there I couldn't help but be struck by the negativity and unwelcoming nature of the place. The screen is packed with negative notices - don't do this, don't that. "Children under 5 are not welcome here. Please don't try and use deception to get one in." "If you lose or accidentally wash your ST don't come running to us for help or advice. We're not interested except in selling you another ticket." And best of all, "Before purchasing your ST please refer to condition x on page y." I HAVEN'T BOUGHT IT YET, SO HOW CAN I READ THE CONDITIONS??

If I were Ben Mansford I'd be in there at half past eight on Monday, before it opens, and rip the lot down. Then I'd give the Marketing Manager an hour to come up with some positive, welcoming messages to replace them.

Please note this is NOT a rant at the BO staff, who I have never found to be anything other than helpful and polite. Goodness knows what working in such a negative, miserable atmosphere does to them.

 

Agreed.

But it's slowly changing.

Lets be right 12 months go a friendly of this nature would be 15 quid each.

I'm just a bit miffed why the wolves game isn't included in a bulk buy scheme..

 

It does state clearly on the website that tickets go on sale on Monday the 8th of July.

Adults can pre-purchase a ticket for both matches for just £15 (a saving of £5) and concessions for just £6 (a saving of £4). This special offer is only available for tickets bought in advance from the Oakwell Box Office before 5pm on Friday 12th July, 2013.

Tickets will go on sale from the Oakwell Box Office at 9am on Monday 8th July, 2013.

Read more at http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/ar...eaux-04072013-894884.aspx#mZgSgLOPHIL500ph.99

 

I can't agree with your first point at all, we all have commitments, etc. which take us out of Barnsley but that doesn't mean we should get preferential treatment when it comes to ticket sales. Nowt you can do if they don't go on sale while Monday.

I honestly cannot say I've ever even noticed anything up in the box office to be honest, I should pay more attention! What would you suggest they put up instead?

 

I nearly bought some peanuts once but having read the packet first and noticed it said "may contain nuts" I thought I'm not having that so I bought a tracker bar instead.

 

Well whoop-de-do, bully for them who've managed to read the website. As it happened I hadn't had time to do that, and I could just have been one of those strange people who don't use the Tinternet. Hard luck for them I suppose. The point is there's a match next Friday and today Saturday we can't buy tickets for it. If anyone thinks that's good business practice well...words fail me.

Look, don't get me wrong - I love the club to bits, it's been in my blood for more than fifty years for goodness sake. I want, no NEED it to succeed. But standing there this morning reading notice after notice saying in effect "You know, you really are a bloody nuisance you lot" just made my blood boil.

LDRed I know you're a long-distance fan and I have every respect for your commitment. But I'm disappointed to find you appearing to accept that shoddy business practice is acceptable at Oakwell. Apologies in advance if I'm misreading you.

 

And......breathe

 

To be fair it also says in the Chron when tickets go on sale (I think), could always order them online or ring up to book them?

I did notice the messages about season tickets though, didn't think that was too good.

 

Sorry I don't buy the Chron either. Maybe I need to get out more

 

Aye - hehe. It's been a challenging day.

 

Not having a dig or anything mate, I just don't know what you expected of the club? To sell you tickets before they go on sale because you'd turned up?

And there's no need to respect my commitment, I'm just fecking bonkers

 

Ring up next week and buy them or use the online ticket site.

 

You can look for something negative in every scenario, don't agree regarding the box office, always has been a very friendly place even when other parts of the club haven't.

- They've stated tickets are on sale from the 8th, I'd imagine there is a lot of admin work to do in regards to tickets and this deal was only announced yesterday along with one of the two friendlies so they probably need until Monday to get everything sorted out. A lot of us are miles away from Barnsley during the box office hours and can't always get there, in those cases isn't it easy just to ask a friend or family member to nip down for you at some point?

- Under 5's rule is a bit sh*t, I'm sure that will change, but they might as well let people know with a sign whilst it's in place. My personal experience of under 5's at a football game is they generally lose interest shortly after the kick-off as they don't really understand it all, although I know some do take to it and these are obviously a future generation of fans. Saying that we do have some 45 year old fans who seem to lose interest at every game as well and just sit their moaning whatever the score it, yet they keep coming week after week. Maybe we can have a designated "moaning tw@ts" section of a stand?

Slightly agree with you on the lost season ticket point - I'm sure a lot of us have lost a wallet or phone from our pockets and these are bulkier items than a season ticket so there should definitely be something in place for being able to get a replacement (even with a fee of £25 or something) as people WILL lose them.

Trouble is that would be open to abuse as people could claim to have lost a ticket and someone else could use it to enter the ground and sit in one of the many empty seats so I'm not sure how they could replace a ticket and void the old one unless we had the scanners that they have at a lot of new grounds.

 

We do, we call it the East Stand

 

Not looking for special treatment, I just think of them missing a trick by not having tickets on sale on the only available weekend date before a match. Okay, I know it's a pisspot friendly and they're not going to be flying out of the door, but it's the principle of advertising a game and then not having tickets immediately available that I'm really getting at. They're printed onsite on a 1948 dot matrix for goodness sake, how long does it take to programme the PC?

I just want them to sharpen up their act, be - and look - professional and make me proud of them again. Is that too much to ask?

 

They made it well known when they were going on sale and they've given people as much notice as possible, only the club know what they have to do to sell a ticket, maybe it's a two minute job, maybe it isn't - I very much doubt the person at the window can just press a button and print a ticket for games before they are officially on sale though.

 

Taking into consideration the crowds, the consumed alcohol, the aggressive shouting, the swearing, the history of scuffles, anyone thinking of subjecting an impressionable under 5 to that needs to become a responsible adult. Under f***ing five! They live in a land of teletubbies and pedal cars. I don't think Playschool prepares them for a drunk, furiously yelling profanities at a referee.