Play off semi away

[amfy]

I’ll put my cards on the table as one of those who benefitted from his season’s scheme.

I always used to go to about 6-10 aways a season but gradually found that I never had enough aways to qualify for tickets. In recent seasons, when I have gone to an away game, it’s been on someone else’s reference, so the required booking history was never coming back - once you’re out, you’re out.

This season I have been to 8 - the exact average for my traditional level of away support. Enough to not be thrown off the scheme, & not enough to have been due a ticket for this game any other way.

For what it’s worth I believe there should be NO away scheme whatsoever. Just sell tickets to people who want to go to each game, and prioritise sales accordingly going forward. I have no problem with people who have BEEN to the most games getting the tickets. It’s how it should work.

I believe the ‘problem’ actually started with the previous away scheme. You could stay in as long as you returned no more than 3. So those in the scheme made sure they returned no more than 3 whether they were going or not. There are a number of Villa supporters who go to all or nearly all the aways, but not as many as it looked. It’s easy to return no more than 3 - they landed on the doormat & then got sold to people like me that want to get to a few away games but can never accumulate the booking history.

I think if we returned to a NO away scheme system, there would still be a few people who would buy to keep their history up even for games they knew they wouldn’t be at, but it wouldn’t be as many as it was when they just arrived at your house & the money had already gone out. Tickets would go back to being allocated to those who GO to the most games - which is how it should be. Those of us who like to go to aways but not all of them, keep track of sales criteria, & try to keep up with the bottom line if we can. That’s what I always used to do.

The money Villa make from running an away scheme of any sort is a drop in the ocean in football terms. Although I know we need to be money conscious as a club, the amounts involved in either scheme are not worth pissing fans off for.

I have just moved to Lancashire this weekend so I have really valued the opportunity to be able to go to away games when I have wanted to this year. I will hopefully still get to some, but for away trips the travel with fellow fans is a big part of the experience - so I have been able to do that this year & have loved it.

....& I do feel bad that I have a ticket for this game ahead of people that have been to more aways than me, but not bad enough to give it up I’m afraid. There will be people there who deserve to be there less than me, so any thought of giving it up is quickly dismissed from my mind! This is both in terms of those who have been in the scheme and only been to one or two (who have abused it for just the big games), & in terms of the fact that I have been a more active supporter of the club in other ways. I am taking up my place at The Hawthorns and I promise I will give them hell!

[Dominic22]

I can only agree with all that is said above. The away scheme is always sort of forgotten about until really late on by Villa so every year it seems to get rushed out.

This year the admin has been better. last year I got no emails of confirmation what hasd been taken out and when so it got really confusing as the games did not get debited in logical order but this year has been open to a bit of abuse but I imagine that is always the case. 

I am sure whatever they do someone will moan about it but I am sure there is a better way. I am not sure re other clubs but I imagine all clubs run similar and I imagine all charge a yearly fee. It will be interested if next year they run a reduced admin fee ( £25 for existing members rather than £40 for new) as they did last year. I did actually ask for a meeting last year after the problems I ran into but of course at the time there was chaos at the club so I imagine it was way down the pecking order. As there is certainly more stability at the club irrespective of what league we are in I would hope they plan and roll it out a bit better.

[wittonwarrior]

I’ll put my cards on the table as one of those who benefitted from his season’s scheme.

I always used to go to about 6-10 aways a season but gradually found that I never had enough aways to qualify for tickets. In recent seasons, when I have gone to an away game, it’s been on someone else’s reference, so the required booking history was never coming back - once you’re out, you’re out.

This season I have been to 8 - the exact average for my traditional level of away support. Enough to not be thrown off the scheme, & not enough to have been due a ticket for this game any other way.

For what it’s worth I believe there should be NO away scheme whatsoever. Just sell tickets to people who want to go to each game, and prioritise sales accordingly going forward. I have no problem with people who have BEEN to the most games getting the tickets. It’s how it should work.

I believe the ‘problem’ actually started with the previous away scheme. You could stay in as long as you returned no more than 3. So those in the scheme made sure they returned no more than 3 whether they were going or not. There are a number of Villa supporters who go to all or nearly all the aways, but not as many as it looked. It’s easy to return no more than 3 - they landed on the doormat & then got sold to people like me that want to get to a few away games but can never accumulate the booking history.

I think if we returned to a NO away scheme system, there would still be a few people who would buy to keep their history up even for games they knew they wouldn’t be at, but it wouldn’t be as many as it was when they just arrived at your house & the money had already gone out. Tickets would go back to being allocated to those who GO to the most games - which is how it should be. Those of us who like to go to aways but not all of them, keep track of sales criteria, & try to keep up with the bottom line if we can. That’s what I always used to do.

The money Villa make from running an away scheme of any sort is a drop in the ocean in football terms. Although I know we need to be money conscious as a club, the amounts involved in either scheme are not worth pissing fans off for.

I have just moved to Lancashire this weekend so I have really valued the opportunity to be able to go to away games when I have wanted to this year. I will hopefully still get to some, but for away trips the travel with fellow fans is a big part of the experience - so I have been able to do that this year & have loved it.

....& I do feel bad that I have a ticket for this game ahead of people that have been to more aways than me, but not bad enough to give it up I’m afraid. There will be people there who deserve to be there less than me, so any thought of giving it up is quickly dismissed from my mind! This is both in terms of those who have been in the scheme and only been to one or two (who have abused it for just the big games), & in terms of the fact that I have been a more active supporter of the club in other ways. I am taking up my place at The Hawthorns and I promise I will give them hell!

About sums it up to a tee.

Now can we get on with my begging anyone with a spare for Tuesday

[VinnieChase84]

Still on the absolute beg for Tuesday.......

[wittonwarrior]

Everything else sorted just need ticket