New Away Ticket Scheme

[TheMalandro]

From my club chairman:  “AWAY TICKET SCHEME UPDATE

Just come off the phone with a Villa rep.

They stated they had an idea how many memberships would be issued, but they aren’t disclosing. They said they weren’t sure. However, when pressed I will be honest and I was honest with them, where I said I believe they do know, because fans will be thoroughly brasses off with what the number is. A figure of around 1200 was mooted from what I said I’d heard, but would not be confirmed.

They said that only 700 may be sold if thats only how many people purchase them..? I pointed out people are worried they will miss out so will purchase a membership. I pointed out members need to know this info, because they are clearly worried and needed to make an informed decision if they needed to spend more money..? The actual figure was still not divulged and won’t be divulged...! Why is this figure such a secret I enquired..? I did point out that I’m coming away from the conversation even more disconnected and untrusting of the Villa hierarchy than I was before, due to the secretiveness.

With regards last seasons away history, it won’t be wiped clean. However, they did confirm those with a new season ticket, with or without previous history will now be first in the ticket queue....!!!

They told me, head of ticketing, will be publishing a Q&A about this system to be posted on the OS tonight. It may be on as I write..? It is however, not direct answers to any questions they’ve been asked directly, so I did point out it’s only got Villa’s slant on the situation.

I’m not speaking out of turn, because I said this to the rep, that I’m feeling that this whole situation and the calls from them are simply lip service and what was the point of our two lengthy conversations because all they were giving me was ‘straw man’ excuses and lip service and that’s what it felt like. Pointing out I now felt very detached and untrusting of my club and that our opinions were being disregarded.

I asked, why should I and especially my members feel pressured to spend £40 or more for several family members, for a membership on top of their already unwavering loyal support. Sorry Villa, you are out of order this time. The scheme is flawed, the communication of it is diabolical and the technical implementation (selling memberships to non season ticket holders) is farcical. As you may sometimes say to a loved one we once had in our life...’I don’t know who you are anymore Villa’ “

[Dominic22]

I have renewed ours today but it is a very flawed system.  I am not sure there have actually thought it through but maybe they have for the sake of the extra few quid with a belief that they can afford to upset by definition the most loyal fans as they will still go anyway

[wittonwarrior]

I see that they have clarified available to season ticket holders only.   Such an underhanded scheme which  will have far fetched consquenses although I do not blame anyone joining - If I had ready cash I would have but do feel cheated.

[dave.woodhall]

Devil's Advocate time, because I don't think they'd risk alienating a large group of supporters for such a small amount of money:

Is the scheme unuttertably useless, or just different? Is the big complaint not so much that it's disadvantaging some with no apparent benefit, or simply down to the fact that everything now must be wrong, because it's the Villa doing it.

I'm not in it and never have been, but I'd like to know the reasoning behind the change.

[Dominic22]

I believe one of the drivers for change is administrative and a happy consequence is initial revenue generation. They now default to the fan calling and doing the work rather than them automatically debiting the money and sending the tickets.  It is frankly all wrong, it is really just an up-selling exercise for season ticket holders and one of those things devised in marketing school to maximise revenue by squeezing your existing client base.

It;s a bit like a bank selling extra insurances to there customers with bundled products what is really just a way to revenue generate. The issue is we are different with the way we relate to villa than we would with a bank or other institution. I guarantee that away followings will drop with this new system and the bad feeling it has created will last longer than this current administration will.

It is not just general moaning. This is really bad system that has really upset fans who do not usually criticise the club. I am sure other members are the same but i have had long standing  friends and fellow away scheme members  message me with how upset they are.

[Clampy]

Devil's Advocate time, because I don't think they'd risk alienating a large group of supporters for such a small amount of money:

Is the scheme unuttertably useless, or just different? Is the big complaint not so much that it's disadvantaging some with no apparent benefit, or simply down to the fact that everything now must be wrong, because it's the Villa doing it.

I'm not in it and never have been, but I'd like to know the reasoning behind the change.

It's been changed to make more money. I can't think of any other reason for it it. Why add to something which no-one had a problem with in the first place?

[amfy]

I guess I'll play devils advocate a bit here because I totally appreciate that loyalty should be rewarded and the fans who deserve tickets for any games most, are those that go to the most games....

......but the last couple of seasons I've pretty much got excluded from being an away fan. The odd game where we get 5000 or 6000 tickets is a goer, or if I can get the time off to go to Middlesborough or somewhere far on a Tuesday night (which I might once but not on any kind of repeated basis) - but it's reached the point where anyone with less than 9 always on their record isn't going anywhere easy or interesting. If I want to go to an away game now, I usually have to borrow a reference, which doesn't do anything for my booking history. I think many of us have got stuck here - going to half a dozen to a dozen always, but never getting credited with it because we're in a vicious circle.

.......and, I know this won't be received well but I'm going to dive in - our 'tremendous' away support have actually been though the mill over the past few years and whilst they keep going out of loyalty, many of them are so fed up they have got a little prone to not being that tremendous all of the time (sorry - but I am qualifying this by acknowledging what you've been though).

During the relegation years I did get fed up with fans that would rather sing 'We're fucking shit' than 'Making all the noise' but I understood that if you're there all the time, you get more pissed off than I do when I only do it less than half the time.

Those who have become a little weary shouldn't be excluded of course, but I don't think they are being, because no one who goes to every away game (& has been in a scheme where the money for tickets can come out of your account at any random moment) can claim not to be able to find £40 - but could it be a good idea to mix it up a bit, allow a few more people who are enjoying the novelty of a big day out, rather than a concentrated core of people thinking 'here we fucking go again' might actually bring some new energy?

(ducks)

[Lastfootstamper]

I agree with you, amfy. My last big 'aways' season was 09/10, before me and me bruvver both had our kids. Like you say, it grates a bit when the only way you can go now is by maintaining someone else's booking history.

[PeterWithesShin]

You also have to add in 23 lots of booking fees they didn't used to pay plus now having to take the time to book tickets for the 23 games, which they also didn't have to do. They spend enough time and money following Villa around the country now have to spend more time and money. They are asking their most loyal 'customers' to pay more for a lesser service so I can understand why many already in it would be pissed off.

I very much agree with you on the closed shop thing, what may have been an idea is keep it as it was for however many were in it last season, cap it at that number, but bring in the new option for X amount of new fans.

[amfy]

You also have to add in 23 lots of booking fees they didn't used to pay plus now having to take the time to book tickets for the 23 games, which they also didn't have to do. They spend enough time and money following Villa around the country now have to spend more time and money. They are asking their most loyal 'customers' to pay more for a lesser service so I can understand why many already in it would be pissed off.

I very much agree with you on the closed shop thing, what may have been an idea is keep it as it was for however many were in it last season, cap it at that number, but bring in the new option for X amount of new fans.

Yep- I think there's a compromise somewhere.

I wa thinking about it in the terms of the scramble for Glastonbury tickets every year. On the e-festivals message board there will be a yearly debate that those of us that have been going since the year dot should get some kind of preference on ticket day - a reward for our loyalty, a way of getting the people there that really 'get it'...

....but in the end we always come to the conclusion that the festival will become more and more stale if the same people are enabled to come back year after year to the exclusion of 'new blood' (without wishing to open any debate her about the 'staleness or otherwise of Glastonbury!) - & I can kind of see how this dynamic could also apply to our away following.

Mixing it up a bit would be a good thing - but pissing off those who have put their heart and soul into it for so long can't be as good.

[Ads]

It's the removal of convenience that I find annoying.

I don't think it's a closed shop. 550 tickets pre-sold last meant plenty for the rest. We have been rewarding loyalty as you're in the away scheme because you do the uninteresting Tuesday night's to Sunderland, which makes Small Heath away easy to get into.

[wittonwarrior]

A couple of things here

1. What are the Club going to do about non season ticket holders who they allowed to join the scheme before backtracking and sensibly restricting the scheme to Season Ticket holders.

2. And it will happen - the adverse publicity when certain tickets are advertised at inflated prices by one or two members of the new scheme.

[Clampy]

Me and a mate normally do around 13-14 away games. He does Blues, I don't bother as I hate the hassle of going to St Andrews but he loves it. The 13-14 game booking history is normally enough for him to get a ticket. Next season, he might not be able to now this has been brought in.

[Clampy]

Nah, i mean like the 'Black Country Lions' supporters club (as a made up example)

Who would take a coach away to all away matches. I was somehow under the impression they all got their hands on as many away tickets as needed. I don't know why i have that impression and it could be miles off, hence asking

Being a member of the aforementioned club, I 'think' they are allowed a set number of tickets. I don't think they can have as many as they want but i'll ask the question next time i see them.

[Marlon From Bearwood]

A good way of balancing the rewarding of loyalty and also giving new fans a chance of away tickets would be something like the England travel club method, say;

75% of tickets allocated on a loyalty / booking history basis.
25% of tickets go on general sale / ballot system.