Away Tickets - What's the magic?

[amfy]

I genuinely want to know where all these fans that complain about the closed shop when we were in the championship?  it's a closed shop because the fans that go away now were the ones that went in the championship.  I remember Burton away who have a smaller away end than Luton but I never had a problem getting a ticket despite being in the 2nd criteria but now I'm in the same criteria won't get one for Luton.  Those that are upset about not getting tickets for Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal etc... really should have thought about that when they turned their noses up at Burton, Barnsley, Rotherham etc...

Genuinely sick of this. We had bigger allocations in The Championship. Loads who went then can’t get a ticket now. Yes people who go to more games get the tickets, but please quit the glory hunter bollocks.

I'm genuinely sick of hearing people accusing the fans that have been going away for years of selling on their ticket to stay at the top. I'm also genuinely sick of people that all of a sudden are desperate for tickets want to be given equal opportunity to get tickets as these same people that have been going for years.

I get what you're saying but in all out time in the championship there wasn't a single post on here saying anything like this one does.

Because we were getting allocations if 5 or 6000.

& I’m not accusing any particular individual, I’ve always said that there are some that literally never miss a game, I know some of them, but there’s no denying that some do. It might only be a few games, but I believe it potentially adds up to keeping out the fans who used to go to ‘a few’ aways a season. It just didn’t used to be the case that it was ‘all or nothing’ as it is now.

[dorsetvillian]

I'm lucky to be in the top category for away tickets. However, I'm now in my early sixties and having recently moved to West Wales no longer have the option of travelling with my mates in the Bournemouth Lions. It's very expensive to travel alone, time-consuming, and I must say not so enjoyable. So I'm wondering if this will sadly be my last season of travelling away to watch Villa. If so, I hope it allows a younger Villa fan to experience the highs and lows of watching us away in the future and get the same pleasure that I've had the past 45 years....UTV

[Ads]

Had no idea you were in your 60s! All that sea breeze keeping you youthful.

[Risso]

There's no answer that will please everybody, but I'm very much in the camp of people who went every week when we were shit getting first dibs and keeping those rights. I was still on the IOM for most of our Championship years and never once had an issue getting an away ticket, despite not having any sort of season ticket.

[dorsetvillian]

Cheers Ads. Only 61 but a bit of poetic licence adds drama!!

[PGW]

I'm lucky to be in the top category for away tickets. However, I'm now in my early sixties and having recently moved to West Wales no longer have the option of travelling with my mates in the Bournemouth Lions. It's very expensive to travel alone, time-consuming, and I must say not so enjoyable. So I'm wondering if this will sadly be my last season of travelling away to watch Villa. If so, I hope it allows a younger Villa fan to experience the highs and lows of watching us away in the future and get the same pleasure that I've had the past 45 years....UTV

I'll be 70 in a few weeks and i feel the same, i generally travel alone on coach 2 from VP, but i now have bought a static caravan up by Barmouth and try to spend as much time up there as i can. I will keep my ST but may not bother with away games....i daresay how we finish this season off may have a bearing on my decision.......part of me wants to keep going for as long as i can......but i got knocked flying by a pissed up Villan at Boro....i'm not great on my feet....so thats become issue......fcuk knows what i'll fo

[AV82EC]

I probably did 4 or 5 aways a season in the Championship. I’m quite happy for those with better attendance records from those times to take up the current away tickets. I have a couple of contacts who are in that full away record camp and if they can’t go I’m usually offered the opportunity which I may take up 1 or 2 times a season and sometimes not at all. It’s not ideal but at least most of these recycled tickets are going to genuine Villa fans in all likelihood STHs or members and not ending up with touts etc. it’s not great that younger lads and lasses who are in their late teens and want to start travelling away can’t access things but I can’t see a solution and all you can do is try in the ballots and the online scramble as it drops to lower categories.

[VillaTim]

They need to totally eradicate this selling on tickets whilst keeping a perfect booking history intact routine. I went to a concert recently where the tickets were etickets and fully non transferrable so if you wanted to pass on you had to hand over the phone .

[Ads]

That's what they do at Anfield, touts pass on the phones that have tickets in little bags before the game, so it stops nothing.

[VillaTim]

That's what they do at Anfield, touts pass on the phones that have tickets in little bags before the game, so it stops nothing.

what they walk you in through the turnstyle and then you hand the tout the phone back ? normal fans wont do that , so it does stop something

[Ads]

No, you go to the pub where you used to collect your tickets from the tout and instead of a ticket they give you a phone, which you return after the game. Touting continues, stops nothing.

[john2710]

That's what they do at Anfield, touts pass on the phones that have tickets in little bags before the game, so it stops nothing.

what they walk you in through the turnstyle and then you hand the tout the phone back ? normal fans wont do that , so it does stop something

You bring the phone back, after the game. My cousin from Dublin does it regularly.
There's a way around everything & if there isn't the scousers will find one.

Fingerprint or facial recognition would be an extreme solution but I'm sure this will be how it's done someday.

[Dave P]

I genuinely want to know where all these fans that complain about the closed shop when we were in the championship?  it's a closed shop because the fans that go away now were the ones that went in the championship.  I remember Burton away who have a smaller away end than Luton but I never had a problem getting a ticket despite being in the 2nd criteria but now I'm in the same criteria won't get one for Luton.  Those that are upset about not getting tickets for Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal etc... really should have thought about that when they turned their noses up at Burton, Barnsley, Rotherham etc...

That was five years ago. Circumstances change, kids leave school and have the money to go away. I was sixteen when I started; if I couldn't have gone then I might not have bothered at all and perhaps drifted away altogether.

I'm an example of this as well.  I've had a season ticket since 1995 and went to loads of aways from 1998-2012.  My eldest was born in 2012 so I gave up my season ticket.  She started coming with me regularly in 2018 so we got a season ticket.  By then, the away tickets were a closed shop.  I cant and wont complain but it makes games like Friday at Chelsea, where I did manage to get a ticket, even more memorable.

[VillaTim]

No, you go to the pub where you used to collect your tickets from the tout and instead of a ticket they give you a phone, which you return after the game. Touting continues, stops nothing.

That's touts. We are talking about those Villa fans in the "away club" keeping up a booking history and not going, they aren't going to be doing that. So yes it does make a start in stopping this behaviour.

[claret+blue ed]

I am in the camp of usually doing about 6 - 8 aways per season for most of the 2010's, including the championships years, but haven't had a look in since the return to the Premier League with the exception of Man U away in the LC last season, I have only been a member in this time, but it generally wasn't too much of an issue getting a ticket as long as I wasn't looking at the high profile aways

I don't think there is an easy way of reforming the ticketing system, acknowledging the substantial time, money and effort put in by the majority of people in the top tier, whilst also making sure the tickets are shared around to give more people a chance of experiencing away games, but different ways should be at least trialled

I do think that something should be done to allow people who can't make away games in the top tier, not be penalised to much for handing them back to the club for the next in line, rather than them having to take them and sell on

As a member, I currently appreciate that I am that far down the line for a ticket, nothing will help my situation, but hopefully it will give others a chance of the experience

I'm at the point now, where I actually plan to do things with the family on days we are away as I know I won't be able to go anymore, I just hope that others who are missing out don't  give up on the hope of going to an away game and turn to other things as there will eventually be opportunities

Although, my 6 year old did say that if I wanted an away ticket, just ask Santa as he was able to get us tickets for the Burnley game and England v Brazil!!!