Seating issues

[Lloyder5]

All Tickets will have a designated Block Number, Row Number and Seat Number. Holders will be required to sit in the designated seat. There is no unreserved seating.

I pre-booked three tickets for the match, sadly none had this vital information; the Block Number (letter) was missing. Asked a steward and was told sit where you like.
I think all the rights and wrongs of pre-booking or paying on the gate are hot air. How the club wish to sell tickets is up to them but it is beholden on them to get it right.

[standupsitdown]

At most clubs seats are either allocated or unallocated. It is mixing these that causes problems. If a stand is likely to be close to capacity allocated seating is the norm. Often Safety Advisory Groups will reduce capacity by ten percent if seats are unallocated or if a club’s fans are known to sit where they like, as it is hard to fill odd seats and overcrowding may occur in favoured areas.

The solution for the Bench would seem to be to ensure that all fans have numbered tickets for numbered seats and that they are told they have to sit in them. Groups need to either prebook or arrive together. And the segregation line should be moved by one block for games with small away support.

[portugull]

Lloyder5 your post above confirms what I posted on 27th Dec (Page 2) of this blog that the vital detail namely the Block Letter is missing.
How the hell is a first time visitor to Bristows going to find his seat when the Block or Section Letter is missing???
Andrew Candy is a top man but he needs to dig deeper to unravel this problem because it will not go away.
I say copy Exeter City's System.

[Dazza]

So to accommodate people who haven't been attending for years someone ( possibly someone who hasn't himself attended for 2 years) has come out with a raft of rules . Most clubs would be rewarding fans who have been attending through thick and thin but not here. Instead we are now to have a fixed system more suitable for Sadlers Wells.

[wivelgull]

Interesting to note that there has been complete silence from the 'Gang of 8' who caused the trouble in the first place. This may well mean that they don't read this site (or, more likely, know nothing of it). It may also mean that they are completely unaware of the trouble caused by what seems to me to be nothing short of bullying. They may also, and this seems to me the most likely scenario, that they are 'occasionals' - you know, those who turn up on a public holiday for a once in a season game (or maybe just followers of fashion, i.e. a winning team). Whatever the case, if they are spotted in the Grandstand again then they should be 'outed'. Does anyone know them? Did anyone observe the incident?

[brucie]

How an earth is it "swings and roundabouts".

I would be interested to see how many people pre book their tickets ? I bet there is no way its the vast majority. There are very few games where the stand is full so it should be reasonable for people who pay at the gate to be able to sit together surely - not be presented with tickets in different blocks. That is farcical.

It seems that the rules have now been introduced to satisfy those arrogant **** who decide to get to their seat at two minutes to three.

Also purchasing numbered tickets at the gate slows down the queues dramatically - on one occasion the person at the gate didn't have any tickets at all and had to wait for some to be delivered - even more farcical.

I'm not really fussed where I sit in the stand but if there is enough seats surely its only fair that if I drive the best part of two hours to get to the game I should be able to sit next to whoever I go with.

As previously stated I am not attending the next two home games now and won't be attending again until someone at the club comes up with a fairer system to satisfy both the supporters who pre book and those who don't.

Ferrr is talking nonsense - all seat allocation would NOT have meant that View 1 would have been guaranteed a seat next to his 92 year old relative if he had turned up early because the pay at the gate tickets are not issued sequentially.

Just because the pre booking system suits Ferr it clearly doesn't suit people who are unable to pre book the tickets. View 1 has already stated that he can't pre book because he needs to wait until the day to see if his relative is fit enough to go.

The only fair way is to allocate blocks for pre booked tickets and leave the rest to be filled on a first come served basis for those who don't want to pre book.

[Ferrrr187]

Bruce I'm surprised you are a fan of the club at all??? All you seem to care about is your own personal situation and not the greater good of the club.
So many errors on your post.

1.If you want to see how many people pre book go to the website and see how many seats are available.
2.If someone has other commitments preventing them getting to the game much early that KO , how does that make the arrogant? Further more why should they?
3. People pre booking speeds up entrance to the ground (making it a better experience for everyone)
4.Great that you drive two hours to the game it how does that prioritise you over some who has travelled 5 hours or 5 minutes who decides to pre book?
5. If a seat allocation was available like other events and seats where available together there would be the facility to Guarantee your seat! That's how and why seat allocation works! Admittedly they would have to upgrade the current system buts it's all quite doable.This is a tried and tested approach at many sporting events not something I have invented to suit my circumstances.

Sorry if you find this "nonsense" but it is my opinion based on facts!

[wivelgull]

Whatever happened to 'ferrarilover'?

[brucie]

Where I have I said that I want my seat guaranteed.

I don't think you have any conception of the problem at all. People don't pre book seats for a million and one reasons. My sons for example play local football - if their game is called off we most likely would go to Torquay.

I don't want to sit in anybodies seat that is pre booked. Clearly though if I enter the ground early enough and there are enough spare seats I don't want to be given seats in different blocks. What is so difficult to understand or grasp about that?

[Ferrrr187]

"Clearly though if I enter the ground early enough and there are enough spare seats I don't want to be given seats in different blocks"

Kind of sounds to me you want to guarantee your seats????
A seat allocation would solve this for you!

[Midlandgull]

Where I have I said that I want my seat guaranteed.

I don't think you have any conception of the problem at all. People don't pre book seats for a million and one reasons. My sons for example play local football - if their game is called off we most likely would go to Torquay.

I don't want to sit in anybodies seat that is pre booked. Clearly though if I enter the ground early enough and there are enough spare seats I don't want to be given seats in different blocks. What is so difficult to understand or grasp about that?

Brucie, so you want to turn up on a whim and get seats all together. Most of the time this will be fine and the solution of everyone having to book (either on the day at the ground so you can sit say 5 people together, or pre-booking online) means all angles are covered. However, for popular fixtures if people have pre-booked then it's a case of first come first served and you'll have to sit or stand wherever. It is tried and tested in far bigger stadia, it is the only way to do it so it is fair. Timing has nothing to do with it really, if I have pre-booked and you were in my seat and it is 2:59 I would politely ask you to move as I have booked them. The current issue is that we have booking mixed with a sit anywhere approach - we have to go one way.

Let's take a step back and think about the greater good and how the club can thrive - for me, systems and processes are a fundamental part of achieving ambition.

[Lloyder5]

Lloyder5 your post above confirms what I posted on 27th Dec (Page 2) of this blog that the vital detail namely the Block Letter is missing.
How the hell is a first time visitor to Bristows going to find his seat when the Block or Section Letter is missing???
Andrew Candy is a top man but he needs to dig deeper to unravel this problem because it will not go away.
I say copy Exeter City's System.

Just to clarify the information was missing from the actual printed ticket, there was no block number, just row and seat number.

[portugull]

Yes but today was different.

Today the ticket said Bristows Bench and the Block/Section ONLY. No row or number. I know because I asked to look at a ticket.

There were also Notices outside the turnstiles.

[Willowgull]

There were obviously seating problems again in Bristow bench today. With a couple of minutes to ko there were quite a few standing and struggling to find their seats. This time the stewards seamed helpful and we're looking for seats for everyone. In the end it was sorted but only because the crowd was a little lower than boxing day. If it were a similar crowd I think there would have been more unrest.

[Willowgull]

View 1.
I'd be interested to know how your meeting with Andrew Candy went today?