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I agree with Matt entirely. I booked a seat online last week, slap bang in the middle of the section. If then some Jonny come lately was sat there, I would be most annoyed. Aside from the fact I would have turfed them out, if I didn't feel I could and went and asked a steward to do it, I would be incredibly aggrieved if I was then told to sit elsewhere because it was easier.

The **** ing size of you, Ben, I'd be doing as your said and calling you Sir while I did it.

Matt.

SteveDeckchair wrote:I agree with Matt entirely. I booked a seat online last week, slap bang in the middle of the section. If then some Jonny come lately was sat there, I would be most annoyed. Aside from the fact I would have turfed them out, if I didn't feel I could and went and asked a steward to do it, I would be incredibly aggrieved if I was then told to sit elsewhere because it was easier.

Noone is disputing if you have reserved a seat, yiu shouldnt get it. Just those that haven't shouldn't be forced to sit in a particular seat. It works perfectly well in the family stand, and as brucie says, worked perfectlt well in the Grandstand

Kernowgull wrote: Noone is disputing if you have reserved a seat, yiu shouldnt get it. Just those that haven't shouldn't be forced to sit in a particular seat. It works perfectly well in the family stand, and as brucie says, worked perfectlt well in the Grandstand

Then wait until 10 minutes after the match has started, or even half time, see where the empty spots are and sit in it. Give the people who have booked a seat chance to sit in it before going to sit in a seat which isn't yours. The biggest problem of allocated seating is the pure ignorance of 'don't like it, so I'm not going to abide by it' types. Not saying you're one of them, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

isn't it human nature to push boundaries? if the club reserved pre paid tickets only it would be stupidly easier. on saturday I had 10 guys on a stag who all requested to sit together but due to turnstyle attendants urging them to use all of the gates they couldn't sit together.

lankyben wrote:as a steward of the bench, fans need to realise that before I go into a crowd to sort out a seating issue. I firstly have to get cover for my spot I am stewarding and then I need to radio the control box to have the cctv put on me upon entering the crowd for safety issues. so in the time it takes to sort that out surely two mature fans can amicably sort out their own seats....

you would think so, but sadly these days it sounds like its not that simple. there are people out there who would get the hump if you ask them to move and it could turn nasty, just a sad indictment of the way the world is today.

its the same at the cinema you get asked where you would like to sit you choose a seat to your liking thats available and when you go to sit down, guess what, there's someone sat there. i have had this and just thought sod this and moved to the nearest available.twice i can think of this happening the second time i ended up in someones seat and then got asked to move.

i must admit i have been to the cinema got our tickets, the cinema has only had about 12 people in (nice 1 apollo/vue, something to do with your prices perhaps), we have found our row, there is a few minutes until the flick starts and in the darkness have just sat down in any seat. there is nobody else around no harm done.

on the other hand this happened another time, with even less people in and we were sat in the correct row but just sat in any seat, a couple came up after the film started and said we were in their seats, we were polite and duly moved into the seats we had allocated on our tickets.

i was a bit annoyed, i didnt say it but i was thinking bloody hell they've got the whole cinema to choose from, the whole rest of the row, why couldnt they have just sat there.

however i do see the point especially at a football ground there does have to be some semblance of order, if someone has a specific place they like to sit and they heve reserved it or turned up early to claim their ticket for that seat then it is right that they should have that seat. if somebody else hasnt checked their ticket or ignored it and they are sat there when someone who has bought the ticket with that seat number on it then they are perfectly entitled to ask the somebody to move even if its just 1 space....

If you're in a large group like that you need to be arranging it with the club in advance. Firstly, they might offer a small discount to large groups and secondly you can guarantee you'll sit together. It's a stag do, there's a guy called a 'Best Man' who does things like booking a booth in the strip club and hiring the stripper, is it really that difficult to do the same with a football match?

Lankyben - I'll be coming down to the Oxford game in a week or so and will be reserving seats. If some oik decides to sit in my seat and won't budge, do I have your permission to launch him down the steps or would you prefer me to speak to you, make you find someone to cover your spot, make sure CCTV is watching you etc?

ha ha cambgull. its not my doing. I only go by my supervisors and safety officer. look at the other side though the one time a steward goes to deal with trouble will be the one time someone throws a punch or summit. but I couldn't care less where people sit. on the oxford game I don't mind where ya sit. just stay away from block g .

Sounds like a jobsworth to me! I'll ensure I book my ticket in block G!

Great game of football today but unfortunately issues within the ground has caused alot of frustration with the club.

We go with my 92 year old Grandad and my 8 year old son and as we knew it would be busy we got into the ground early (2.05pm). We were advised by the chap on the gate that we can just sit where we want as it wasn't ticket allocation anymore. Obviously we avoided the reserved seats and took a row for the 6 of us.

The crowd filled up nicely (which is great to see) and at 2.55pm a group turned up and advised they had pre booked these seats and we had to move. We obviously explained that they didn't state they were reserved and as the Bristow Bench was full we had nowhere to go. They went to report us to a steward, came back and advised they said we had to move and started getting very confrontation and standing over us, trying to intimidate. My son got very upset and asked if we could leave and so I felt I had to take him out of that situation.

In the end we we had to all sit apart in the family stand and help my Grandad across, after the game had started.

I spoke to two stewards on our way across and both advised it was first come first serve and we shouldn't move but both said there was nothing we could do.

We went in the club shop after to ask to speak to someone and were advised the people concerned were too busy and we should have moved as they had reserved them... Which contradicts the stewards we spoke too and means we just have to guess what's allocated and move if we guess incorrectly even if that means we have no where to go.

My son is still upset, we were due to go again on Saturday but he now doesn't want to come anymore which I'm gutted about. We are life long supporters, we drive up from Tavistock to every home game we can attend when not working and just feel the club allow these things to happen with no firm policy.

The people we speak to in the club seem to contradict themselves so if anyone can advise the actual policy and advise who I should contact in the club I would be greatful.

My mate and I usually go in the pop side but occasionally, if my mate’s Dad comes along, sit in Bristow’s Bench. He buys the tickets and reserves the required seats online and prints an e-ticket which states the ‘reserved’ seat nos.
So these seats are ‘reserved’ and therefore for a steward to tell you that you can sit anywhere is wrong.
I would also add at this stage the numbering on the seats is awful with a lot of seats having no numbers written on them as a lot of stickers appear to have come off.
Agreed this does need sorting especially if crowd numbers are on the increase.

Agree with the sentiments expressed, unfortunately due to our progressive downhill spiral over the last few seasons we are no longer able to cope with by our standards, a large crowd, I saw people being searched three times at the family stand entrance by differing stewards whilst others who had bags were totally ignored, look at the queues trying to get a pint before halftime in boots and laces, I saw groups of people being let in by the gate at the food outlet to the side of the family stand, the only criteria for such access seemed to be they knew the steward in the red jacket, they certainly did not have tickets and they certainly did not pay. Hopefully the management will learn from this but I will not hold my breath.

Issue is the chap on the turnstile advised sit where you want (as long as not marked as reserved) and the stewards we spoke to back this up but the club offer 'reserved' seats to some who book online.... That combination will only lead to problems and frustration and I've now got a little boy who doesn't want to go back as he was intimidated by some clowns who claim to be supporters of our own club. All because the club are clueless (it's not the stewards fault if the club run it so poorly and don't put firm policies in place and share these with those dealing with such issues).

Surely it's acceptable to book a seat with a cut off of midnight before the game

Then a member from the club marks those seats prior to the gates opening

Then anyone coming in would be to sit anywhere that's not reserved or a ST seat

Couldn't agree more Rob. No issues with seats being reserved at all, but we need to know rather than guess.

For us to sit there for 50 minutes before being forced to move with an 8 year old in tears and a 92 year old struggling down the steps while all look on is a new low in my book.