Seating issues

[Richinns]

Complete twaddle same as Brucie.
[highlight=yellow]Unless they have changed the way they do tickets, every ticket has a seat number on it . Seat C73 is between seat C72 and C74 not hard to work out.[/highlight]
The only problem is stewards telling people 'sit where you want'. This is not surprising considering most of the stewards are from Plymuff. A four syllable answer is above norm for them.
The correct response is ' If it's not busy sit where you want but if someone comes along with a booked seat then I'm afraid you will have to go and sit in the seat it says on your ticket'. Bit too much for them to say though.

You must have missed the announcement from the club that you no longer have to sit in the allocated seat on the ticket then?

You must also be stating those affected are lying when they state the people on the turnstiles were telling those entering the ground they could sit where they liked as long as there was not a season ticket holder sticker on the seat?

It was a real mess yesterday and it is not the first time is it! Two seasons ago we booked seats online for the last game of the season only to find our booked seat numbers were season ticket holders seats so effectively the club sold them twice! The response from the Stewards was to leave the ground and go to the ticket office (and therefore miss much of the game). We had to leave the Bench altogether (as it was a sell out) and move into the away end (which was allocated for home support that day). I have seen so many reports such as this in recent times you would really think the club might be a little more pro-active about it all!

It is great to see the success on the pitch currently but this does not allow them to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to the treatment of its fanbase. [highlight=yellow]If you reserve a seat on a train a ticket goes on the seat to show others it is not free to sit in. If they do not have the capacity to do this then do not offer the service - as it only leads to conflict and upset (as happened massively to many yesterday).[/highlight]

Another truth from the shambles on display off the pitch was the lack of monitoring regarding the capacity of Bristows Bench. It is abundantly clear the club sold more tickets than spaces available for home fans yesterday. This was clear indicated by the hundreds of people having to relocate to the Family stand and also request entry to the Popside.

The club have to wake up quickly if they want the decent crowds the football deserves to return because there was so much ill feeling created yesterday by the mixed messages and half-cock ticketing system in place.

[brucie]

WHG - You are a total idiot if you equate a football match with a night out in the cinema and you completely miss the point and clearly havn't the first clue what you are talking about.

The vast majority of people don't want to book a ticket three weeks before a match takes place. This could be for a million and one reasons. The main income comes from people who turn up and pay at the gate.

Noone is arguing that the people who booked their tickets should be able to sit in their seat but as has been spelt out to you when you pay at the gate you don't get a ticket, therefore you quite reasonably can sit in what seats you like (unless the seat is marked with a reserved sticker)

So according to you then its perfectly alright for the guy with his young son and elderly relative to get there an hour before kick off - sit in an unmarked seat and then be forced to vacate it as the game kicks off, just because they had left their crystal ball at home and had unluckily chosen a pre booked seats which were not identified as such.

Trying to then find another seat for his elderly relative and his distressed son in a crowded stand must have been an absolute frigging nightmare.

Under the circumstances those who were sat in the seats first had just as much right to the seats as those who had pre booked them. The issue is with the club for the cock up.

In fact I wouldn't really blame the stewards here - I would actually be interested to know what you would expect them to tell supporters to do.

Unfortunately the issue of pre booking tickets and choosing a seat anywhere doesn't work - its not a concert venue, the seats are packed together and when its crowded its difficult to see the seat numbers etc etc.

The obvious answer as I say is to allocate one pre defined block for pre booked tickets. It shouldn't be too hard to use a counter at the turnstiles for pay at the gate entry to Bristows Bench and perhaps keep one section back for any overspill

How hard can that be?

Richinns is completely right - your insinuation that the pre bookers in some way are superior as they have had "foresight" is just daft. Everyone should be treated the same.

[portugull]

brucie can I just mention one problem with your idea that pre booked tickets must sit in a pre defined block.

I am a season ticket holder and on Jan 5th Home to Slough I have invited a friend to the Match.

Result of your idea is I cannot sit with my friend.

This idea is not the solution.

[Teigngull]

I'm sorry WHG your very very blinkered on this issue.
People have their favourite spots on the pop side & they get there early to snaffle their preferred viewing spot.
If a season ticket holder turns up & sees someone stood where he/She normally stands they don't go pushing & shoving & intimidating people to the point of selfish unrulyness .
Your argument is invalid, obviously there were issues yesterday & quite rightly more seating should & could of been made available to '' Home ' supporters in an instance.
It doesn't matter whether the stewards are from Plymouth or Timbuktu if everybody is CLEAR ON THE CLUBS POLICY on seating arrangements then there shouldn't be an issue.
It would be interesting to see what would have happened if there were 3, 6' 2" 30 somethings brick outhouses sat in those seats? Would they have suffered the same abuse or was it because the gentleman & his elderly relative & young son were an easy target ?
WHG.
TUFC got this very wrong, they should be the ones to put it right, you will obviously disagree but there it is.
Still no word from the club I presume.

[Eirik]

How close upon kick-off is it possible to purchase a match ticket online? The club could have one/or more ticket booths where people could buy ticket before the match. Or they could "reserve" a seat when buying at the turnstiles. This would create longer queues for sure so maybe it would be wise to have one turnstile for seasontickets/pre booked tickets. Come to think of it maybe that is the case today?

[wivelgull]

Teigngull is right re: pop. side. Before going north ('you're going home to die' one snide character said) I always got to the pop. side turnstiles by two o'clock (just about letting-in time). Quite a few of The Codgery were always there before me (including hector's dad) so getting to one's favourite standing place was common among the pop. side codgery.
Have the club replied yet? Have they buggery!

[WHG]

When Bristow's first opened you were given a ticket at the turnstiles with your seat number on it.
They also had stewards inside the ground checking to make sure you had a ticket because people were paying for the cheaper family stand and then going into Bristow's.
You were told as long as it wasn't busy you could sit anywhere but would have to move if the person with that seat ticket asked for it.
On the bigger games you were supposed to sit in the seats printed on your ticket.
As I have been a season ticket holder ever since that first year I did not realise they had changed the way they do it.
So basically it looks like TUFC need to sort their act out on how they want to issue tickets.
I still say that if they give you the option of pre booking your seat I would be annoyed to find that someone else was sitting there because they had arrived earlier than me.
It's bad enough trying to get people out of your season ticket seat sometimes.

Oh and to suggest that a season ticket in the pop is the same is ludicrous.
All seats are numbered you should have 1 ticket for each seat . You can't reserve a standing spot

[Teigngull]

When Bristow's first opened you were given a ticket at the turnstiles with your seat number on it.
They also had stewards inside the ground checking to make sure you had a ticket because people were paying for the cheaper family stand and then going into Bristow's.
You were told as long as it wasn't busy you could sit anywhere but would have to move if the person with that seat ticket asked for it.
On the bigger games you were supposed to sit in the seats printed on your ticket.
As I have been a season ticket holder ever since that first year I did not realise they had changed the way they do it.
So basically it looks like TUFC need to sort their act out on how they want to issue tickets.
I still say that if they give you the option of pre booking your seat I would be annoyed to find that someone else was sitting there because they had arrived earlier than me.
It's bad enough trying to get people out of your season ticket seat sometimes.

Oh and to suggest that a season ticket in the pop is the same is ludicrous.
All seats are numbered you should have 1 ticket for each seat . You can't reserve a standing spot

The ludicrous thing about this thread is the fact the club has taken their eye off the ball & allowed such a situation to arise, we are supposed to be a full time professional football club & I would if thought that meant with the administration side of the business too.
I know it's Christmas & people should be allowed time off for enjoying the festivities, but the lack of clarity coming from Plainmoor is mind blowing, why can't they put an announcement on the web site saying they are aware of the issues with online booking of tickets & are at least looking at the problem it's caused ?
Since George Edwards has been in charge they have got so much right, anybody would think a certain Mr you know who was back in the building fecking things up !
I don't take much notice off the empty seats in 'the bench' but on the highlights you can clearly see there was ample seating available in the 'O' section of seating at least,as an 'over spill' option, it only takes a bit of fore planning to put a viable option in place.

[Southampton Gull]

Lots of people rightly getting angry but surely it's the easiest thing in the world to allocate tickets for seat numbers and stick to that. It then wouldn't be a problem if the club were taken by surprise with an extra large turnout from fans.

From the club's perspective we're now a regional club and the first place the cost-cutting begins is off the pitch. That said, I'm sure that if Osborne sees a need to capitalise on the extra revenue he'll create a position to deal with it. Over to the club before we all fall out

Sympathy to the family involved but it might have helped if a forward email was sent asking for clarification.

[Launceston Gull]

I book my tickets on line before any game. I visit the seating plan, chose where I want to sit (prime position of course) within whats available and book accordingly. I`m allocated a seat, ie row and number and collect my tickets before the game starts. I feel I`m entitled to sit in the seat I`ve paid for otherwise whats the point. Like a few on here I`ve sometimes arrived to find someone sitting in the seat I`ve "booked" because Stewards have told them to sit anywhere... thats total bulls..t. I could ask them to move or I could sit elsewhere and risk being moved on myself. Either way its not acceptable. I`m in agreement with all seating that has been pre-booked being labeled well before the game gets underway.

[View1]

I haven't had the promised call I was advised I was going to get regarding this issue so have tried calling the club a few times today with no answer. I assume no one is around today.

[wivelgull]

Mr. view hasn't had the promised phone call because the club couldn't care less about the supporters (once they have paid, that is).

[gateman49]

Mr. view hasn't had the promised phone call because the club couldn't care less about the supporters (once they have paid, that is).

For some days the club website has had a notice of opening hours over the holiday period and it is clear to see that it is closed today but open tomorrow.

I will be very surprised (and disappointed) if there is then no quick and positive response to "Mr View".

[portugull]

View1 the Club Website confirms the Club is Closed today but will be open tomorrow normal hours.

[View1]

Thanks all, my name is Will by the way. My business is called View, hence the name.