Away Tickets - What's the magic?

[chrisw1]

The top category has now changed from full card, down to 2 less than whatever game it is.

No category decision on Luton, but if they follow the same pattern, it will make it a lottery, which would be unfair.

I'm not sure how this addresses anything other than making it less likely that those who've always gone, can still always go.

This.

I am struggling to work out how this makes things any better.

Imagine you go to every away game but last season you didn't make the cut for Bournemouth because of the tiny allocation.  This season you then have no chance of Bournemouth or Luton as you don't have 19 aways.  Next season you are two down and will never be able to catch up because of a ballot you had no real control over 2 seasons before.

I think that's what they're trying to address.  It's fiddling around the edges, but I guess important to those who attend most aways.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

The top category has now changed from full card, down to 2 less than whatever game it is.

No category decision on Luton, but if they follow the same pattern, it will make it a lottery, which would be unfair.

I'm not sure how this addresses anything other than making it less likely that those who've always gone, can still always go.

This.

I am struggling to work out how this makes things any better.

Imagine you go to every away game but last season you didn't make the cut for Bournemouth because of the tiny allocation.  This season you then have no chance of Bournemouth or Luton as you don't have 19 aways.  Next season you are two down and will never be able to catch up because of a ballot you had no real control over 2 seasons before.

I think that's what they're trying to address.  It's fiddling around the edges, but I guess important to those who attend most aways.

I know the situation perfectly well as that describes the exact situation my mate and his daughter find themselves in...I have got their away tickets for them for the last 10/12 years...this just seems to make it more of a lottery rather than knowing they can't make the first cut but definitely make the second, which means I know exactly what I am doing, including booking coach travel and they can plan around the games they can't make!

[wittonwarrior]

They clearly know how many qualify for each batch and I think they release that number each time. Inevitably, a few people return tickets for various reasons and they become available again. When I've struggled the TO has told me to phone as often as I can as tickets are returned every day.....unless they decide to sell them via twitter/Facebook etc.....which is exactly what the club is trying to cut down on!
It's still mad.
Never had this problem for a cold, wet Tuesday night in Rotherham!

Yes a small minority do but the majority go each and every away - same faces everywhere. 

[wittonwarrior]

Good start by the club this in cracking the "closed shop club" .

if you had been going when our chips were down in the Championship then it wouldn't be an issue for you.  Harsh yes but 100% as well.

[DeKuip]

Our away support in the three Championship seasons was just as strong as it is now, the only difference being that it’s been cheaper most games since promotion. I wouldn’t call those seasons doing the hard yards - not like days of having a few hundred of us stuck in pens and behind fences etc back in the day.

[exiled on the wirral!]

Good start by the club this in cracking the "closed shop club" .

if you had been going when our chips were down in the Championship then it wouldn't be an issue for you.  Harsh yes but 100% as well.

I wen to 33 away games in the 3 seasons we were in the championship...I can't get near an away ticket now and im fine with that, im happy with my season ticket and done my stint going to every away game for most seasons. I think it's totally fair that the people who go to every away game are rewarded for their loyalty, but this 'where we're you in the championship ' line we see regularly on many platforms is getting a bit boring now.

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

They clearly know how many qualify for each batch and I think they release that number each time. Inevitably, a few people return tickets for various reasons and they become available again. When I've struggled the TO has told me to phone as often as I can as tickets are returned every day.....unless they decide to sell them via twitter/Facebook etc.....which is exactly what the club is trying to cut down on!
It's still mad.
Never had this problem for a cold, wet Tuesday night in Rotherham!

Yes a small minority do but the majority go each and every away - same faces everywhere. 

Exactly.

I'm in the Ads camp and have hardly missed an away game for about 12/14 years.
Almost all of my regular away game mates simply go to every game with no thought of not going.
Why would you?

My favourite banner on our European tour...
8+ YEARS & 19 AWAYS
SAME OLD FACES!

[exiled on the wirral!]

They clearly know how many qualify for each batch and I think they release that number each time. Inevitably, a few people return tickets for various reasons and they become available again. When I've struggled the TO has told me to phone as often as I can as tickets are returned every day.....unless they decide to sell them via twitter/Facebook etc.....which is exactly what the club is trying to cut down on!
It's still mad.
Never had this problem for a cold, wet Tuesday night in Rotherham!

Yes a small minority do but the majority go each and every away - same faces everywhere. 

Exactly.

I'm in the Ads camp and have hardly missed an away game for about 12/14 years.
Almost all of my regular away game mates simply go to every game with no thought of not going.
Why would you?

My favourite banner on our European tour...
8+ YEARS & 19 AWAYS
SAME OLD FACES!

Yeah I've seen that, a bit childish and odd i thought tbh. We must be the only fan base in history that has has flags displaying thinly veiled digs at its own supporters.

Each to their own I suppose..

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

They clearly know how many qualify for each batch and I think they release that number each time. Inevitably, a few people return tickets for various reasons and they become available again. When I've struggled the TO has told me to phone as often as I can as tickets are returned every day.....unless they decide to sell them via twitter/Facebook etc.....which is exactly what the club is trying to cut down on!
It's still mad.
Never had this problem for a cold, wet Tuesday night in Rotherham!

Yes a small minority do but the majority go each and every away - same faces everywhere. 

Exactly.

I'm in the Ads camp and have hardly missed an away game for about 12/14 years.
Almost all of my regular away game mates simply go to every game with no thought of not going.
Why would you?

My favourite banner on our European tour...
8+ YEARS & 19 AWAYS
SAME OLD FACES!

Yeah I've seen that, a bit childish and odd i thought tbh. We must be the only fan base in history that has has flags displaying thinly veiled digs at its own supporters.

Each to their own I suppose..

A bit like knocking loyal fans for wanting to attend every game.

I feel a bit grubby tbh.

[VillaTim]

Are the Away Ticket Consultation group all in the top criteria??

Haha yeah i think so

[VillaTim]

50% of all away tickets should go to an open ballot. In my opinion. Keeps it fresh and prevents the same old faces each time

[exiled on the wirral!]

50% of all away tickets should go to an open ballot. In my opinion. Keeps it fresh and prevents the same old faces each time

That's equally as childish as the banners....there's no way that will ever happen and nor should it.

[claret+blue ed]

Good start by the club this in cracking the "closed shop club" .

if you had been going when our chips were down in the Championship then it wouldn't be an issue for you.  Harsh yes but 100% as well.

unfortunately for me, I usually went to about 8 aways a season in the championship and the last few years before relegation, but have only ever been a member for about the last 10 years or so, no chance now, they don’t even bother showing when they would be due for members on the website

[frankmosswasmyuncle]

50% of all away tickets should go to an open ballot. In my opinion. Keeps it fresh and prevents the same old faces each time

That's equally as childish as the banners....there's no way that will ever happen and nor should it.

I only saw one banner, and it's absolutely fine, put together by a very young Villa fan who I chatted with in Alkmaar, and no, it shouldn't happen.
I have no idea how things can be made "better", whatever that means, but I'd be a bit miffed if the two guys who used to sit next to me and dropped their STs as soon as we were relegated ( and have been back to a few games this season) got tickets for an away game because Strictly had reached its conclusion.

[amfy]

Good start by the club this in cracking the "closed shop club" .

if you had been going when our chips were down in the Championship then it wouldn't be an issue for you.  Harsh yes but 100% as well.

I went to as more aways in the Championship than I ever did, and I pretty much always went to about 6-10 a season and that was enough to get one for the last away game. It’s not about people not wanting to be there when we were shit, it’s about the fact that it didn’t used to be ‘all or nothing’.

The fact that people anecdotally see the ‘same faces everywhere’ is meaningless. I know a lot of people who go to every game, I also know loads who go to all but a handful, and they’d probably count in the people you see ‘everywhere’ as well. Some weeks you might see some of the ‘same faces’ and they’ve turned up with their son this week because their mate is on holiday/at a wedding/got covid. Funnily enough, come to think of it, his son has been at quite a few games with him hasn’t he?

If all those people who can’t make the odd game, for entirely genuine reasons, felt able to just not buy a ticket for that game instead of live in fear of losing the magic number of bookings, then there’d be enough tickets for loads more fans to go, & even for people like that bloke who actually CAN ONLY take his son when his mate can’t go, to maybe just get his son a ticket for half a dozen games a season down the normal channels.