Bristol rovers game.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 27 Dec 2013, 09:07

Irrespective of the ticketing issue making these games all ticket is destroying football. The crowd was pathetic really for a boxing day local derby.
Really its Health and Safety gone mad. Perhaps I can see the logic of making the game all ticket to away fans but they only sold half their allocation.
There wasn't a hint of trouble - there won't be on sunday.
Who actually makes the decision that you cannot purchase tickets on the day of the game - is it the police or is it the club? - for a club that is attracting 3 or 4 thousand its a nonsense.
If you need to control numbers then why an earth couldn't you sell tickets for the game up to kick off time?
If people could have turned up and got in yesterday the gate would have probably increased by hundreds.

Gullscorer · Post by **Gullscorer** » 27 Dec 2013, 11:51

Quite agree Brucie. Why can't the club do what National Express do? Go to the website, check availability, order and pay for your ticket (credit or debit card), then print it out. Or make a phone call, check availability, order and pay for your ticket, then go and pick it up, right up to departure time. You don't even need a ticket; just the unique Identification Number, which you can note at the time you order, then give this number to the coach driver. Simple.

wivelgull · Post by **wivelgull** » 27 Dec 2013, 11:57

As always, brucie is correct. When you remember the Boxing Day crowds of the past, and compare them with the pathetic 3400+ yesterday, then there is clearly something wrong. I think it is unreasonable and silly police demands that is the cause (and, of course, the dreadful football served up this season).

Swanny · Post by **Swanny** » 27 Dec 2013, 13:11

I really hope the board re-assess the ticketing arrangements next season as not selling tickets on the day has killed the casual supporter. At every all ticket match I've been to this season I've seen supporters without tickets turned away. The club has lost thousands of pounds as a result as well as better atmospheres at the big games. Look at the crowds for Portmouth, Plymouth and Bristol Rovers and they are simply awful. You would think we are Accrington!

I think the online ticketing is impressive and will suit some who want a particular seat and guanantee of getting in but it is not everyones cup of tea. Lots of people, including myself, like to do things on the spur of the moment and how they feel at the time. For example if I fancy going to the cinema I do not expect to have to pre-book it. And for a league 2 match I expect the same especially as it's hardly going to be a sell-out. Besides do you really want to have queue up twice? At each game before a match I notice a really long queue outside the ticket office and is a right turn-off for many supporters.

Can someone confirm if you pay a surcharge if you order online? I believe you only pay a surcharge if you get the tickets posted to you but could someone confirm if this is true or not.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 27 Dec 2013, 13:22

Your right the whole thing is a complete and utter frigging joke. I have just spent 35 minutes on the phone to Plainmoor - guess what noone can be arsed to answer the bloody thing. And there supposed to be selling tickets for feck sake.
No doubt whoever is suppposed to be manning the phone has pissed off for lunch.
I have actually now managed to order the tickets using the online facility - that took me another half an hour.
The whole thing needs reassessing completely - the tannoy announcer at Fridays game kept banghing on about how it was not possible to buy a ticket for the Exeter game on the day - its a joke when the ground is half full for these games. The club should be lookking for ways to sell tickets on the day not putting people off
How much money are we losing when noone is answering the phone. If people are turning up on the day and being turned away its a disgrace.
Do we actually want the income or not - those in charge such as Andrew Candy are sat on their arses congratulating themselves on what they have done with the online ticketing system but are assuming that everyone who wants to buy a ticket will use it.
They just cannot see that noit everyone will do so.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 27 Dec 2013, 13:23

And can someone explain to me why I have to pay two pounds extra buying a ticket online - really the whole thing is a farce.

Sunnysideup · Post by **Sunnysideup** » 27 Dec 2013, 13:33

brucie wrote:And can someone explain to me why I have to pay two pounds extra buying a ticket online - really the whole thing is a farce.

Have you tried buying a ticket from somewhere like ticketmaster??

wodger of awabia · Post by **wodger of awabia** » 27 Dec 2013, 13:56

brucie wrote:Irrespective of the ticketing issue making these games all ticket is destroying football. The crowd was pathetic really for a boxing day local derby.
Really its Health and Safety gone mad. Perhaps I can see the logic of making the game all ticket to away fans but they only sold half their allocation.
There wasn't a hint of trouble - there won't be on sunday.
Who actually makes the decision that you cannot purchase tickets on the day of the game - is it the police or is it the club? - for a club that is attracting 3 or 4 thousand its a nonsense.
If you need to control numbers then why an earth couldn't you sell tickets for the game up to kick off time?
If people could have turned up and got in yesterday the gate would have probably increased by hundreds.

I.M.O. the problem is the lower league club chairmen won't "take on" the local Police Commander if he "suggests" an all ticket match & an early lunchtime start. The club have to insure that there are sufficient staff inside the ground to ensure public safety in accordance with their safety certificate, this is not the responsibility of the Police.

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