Chris Heck - President of Business Operations

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

Can only think that the 30,000 on the waiting list is more like 300 otherwise why wouldn’t people bust a gut to go to a match that has so many tickets available?

Because, as has been explained hundreds of times, just because you'd really like a season ticket in August, it doesn't mean you're automatically going to want a last minute expensive ticket for a mid week game in December, 3 weeks before Christmas, in shit weather, at 8.15 when the game's on the telly anyway.

Exactly this, tickets might have ‘only’ been £50 but when you take the above into consideration, plus opposition, form and the window for getting a Celtic ticket on the horizon a lot of people decided to give tonight a swerve.

[tomd2103]

Just over 30000 in the ground according to a steward.

Was there tonight and think that would be a low estimate to be honest.  There were pockets of empty seats here and there around the ground (guessing they were the GA+ areas) and they didn't bring many, so there were a smattering of Villa fans in the top tier of the away end, but 30,000 seems on the low side. 

[Percy McCarthy]

Can only think that the 30,000 on the waiting list is more like 300 otherwise why wouldn’t people bust a gut to go to a match that has so many tickets available?

Because, as has been explained hundreds of times, just because you'd really like a season ticket in August, it doesn't mean you're automatically going to want a last minute expensive ticket for a mid week game in December, 3 weeks before Christmas, in shit weather, at 8.15 when the game's on the telly anyway.

Jesus Christ. Should one of us have this copied and pasted in our notes? It’s the new ‘why didn’t Barry’ etc.

[Rory]

With all the (visible) empty seats, I still can't find three together for me, my Dad and Brother.

We're not looking for Bayern, Juve or Liverpool tickets. We prefer to see games we're more likely to win.

I'm a claret member and I still find it difficult to get anything, then see rows of empty seats on the highlights.

I have no idea what's going on.

[edgysatsuma89]

My brother is a claret member and has managed to get 3's together for Bologna (Trinity), Juventus (North), Palace (North) and upcoming Man City (North). Maybe you've been unlucky? He's usually bang on ready for when they become available.

[Percy McCarthy]

My brother is a claret member and has managed to get 3's together for Bologna (Trinity), Juventus (North), Palace (North) and upcoming Man City (North). Maybe you've been unlucky? He's usually bang on ready for when they become available.

Me too. Three together for all the CL games so far. But you do have to be lucky, maybe apart from Bologna. The three together I bagged for Bayern & Juve were the only ‘three together’ I saw.

Fingers crossed for Celtic on Monday.

[Meanwood Villa]

With all the (visible) empty seats, I still can't find three together for me, my Dad and Brother.

We're not looking for Bayern, Juve or Liverpool tickets. We prefer to see games we're more likely to win.

I'm a claret member and I still find it difficult to get anything, then see rows of empty seats on the highlights.

I have no idea what's going on.

Try Trinity Upper

[claret+blue ed]

Can only think that the 30,000 on the waiting list is more like 300 otherwise why wouldn’t people bust a gut to go to a match that has so many tickets available?

Because, as has been explained hundreds of times, just because you'd really like a season ticket in August, it doesn't mean you're automatically going to want a last minute expensive ticket for a mid week game in December, 3 weeks before Christmas, in shit weather, at 8.15 when the game's on the telly anyway.

Exactly this, tickets might have ‘only’ been £50 but when you take the above into consideration, plus opposition, form and the window for getting a Celtic ticket on the horizon a lot of people decided to give tonight a swerve.

This is why the 30k waiting list comment bores me everytime I see it, if I had an ST, I would probably have swerved this one and other midweek games as I live 130 mile away, I have been making the CL matches, but having to take 2 days off work for the privilege, also, if we add up the prices for the league games so far for a member, it probably isn't far off being the price of an ST already

[algy]

The problem is, we are adopting the rapacious pricing policy of Champions League level clubs, having only just qualified for the first time ever for the competition, and in the belief that means we can be as big on the prices as what we see as our peers - Man United, Liverpool, Chelsea etc - without stopping to think that those clubs have won serious silverware for decades now, whilst we haven't won anything for 28 years, and even then, that win plus the one before were both the least important cup competition.

You will sell the tickets at prices you choose once you convince a lot of unconvinced people that we're fucking good at this, the sort of people who will only back a reasonably successful horse. I'm not saying it should be like that, but the fact is, it is.

I used to work with a guy who was an Albion fan but whose kids were both Chelsea fans. They're 14, born and brought up in Sutton Coldfield. He gets roped in to driving down there a few times a year to take them to see matches - largely their equivalents of tonight, the less appealing games - he's basically, with his kids, the sort of person who would have filled those empty seats tonight, and there would be plenty more like him.

We don't have that type of support right now, which is why we're going to suffer when there's a combination of mega CL prices, a game every 3 days, and a product where, when it's against Brentford, makes you double think whether it's money well spent.

We've got the 'top club' prices and attitude, without the accompanying success.

Yeah, this is spot on. It’s going to come back to bite the club long term if it’s not accompanied by enough success to fill the empty seats. Once someone gets out of the habit of going every week, it’s really hard to get them back in to that habit (at least that’s what I found when we gave up our season tickets - you very quickly fill that hole with other activities and then there’s less time and thought put in to the Villa)

I think we’re suffering from Heck being very focused on his short term goals and not enough focussed on what will be in clubs interests longer term.

Though to be fair you could easily make the argument that he’s anticipated this and that’s why the north stand has been cancelled - the problem last night would be exacerbated by having a larger stadium.

[Clampy]

I don't think it was just the prices last night, a few season ticket holders might have give it a miss as well. A dad and his lad who usually sit next to us weren't there and a couple behind us were missing as well.

[Lsvilla]

I don't think it was just the prices last night, a few season ticket holders might have give it a miss as well. A dad and his lad who usually sit next to us weren't there and a couple behind us were missing as well.

The fella that sits next to me (STH) was absent last night as well. Went to see The Nutcracker at The Hippodrome. Yes obviously I sit in Trinity Upper.

[Towser]

I didnt go last night either, went to see Book of Mormon.

[Max Villan]

We actually put three in a row up for resale, but they didn't list them as it wasn't sold out so....

[brontebilly]

Just over 30000 in the ground according to a steward.

Was the last time we had those numbers back in the championship?

[London Villan]

7 of our little group of 11 gave last night a miss.

There were easily 4000-5000 visible empty seats in the Witton and North. Then looking at the highlight there were loads empty in the Trinity.