The battle now raging

[Brazilian Villain]

Just went on to buy our Bayern tickets. Nothing left in GA or even hospitality. We had extended our flights back for this game and now can't go. Basically, the club will feel vindicated in their pricing and will surely be considering the prices too cheap if anything.

Not even hospitality is available for Bayern. As far as I can see on the website.

All in all Heck has done the job he was brought in to do. The tickets aren't too expensive as if they were, they wouldn't be sold out already. That's precisely how they will look at it.

Apparently GA+ haven't gone on sale yet, so keep an eye out for those.

[Chris Smith]

Just went on to buy our Bayern tickets. Nothing left in GA or even hospitality. We had extended our flights back for this game and now can't go. Basically, the club will feel vindicated in their pricing and will surely be considering the prices too cheap if anything.

Not even hospitality is available for Bayern. As far as I can see on the website.

All in all Heck has done the job he was brought in to do. The tickets aren't too expensive as if they were, they wouldn't be sold out already. That's precisely how they will look at it.

Apparently GA+ haven't gone on sale yet, so keep an eye out for those.

That’s right, I know a bloke who has a Cells season ticket and he hasn’t any notification yet.

[Accent Guy]

Just went on to buy our Bayern tickets. Nothing left in GA or even hospitality. We had extended our flights back for this game and now can't go. Basically, the club will feel vindicated in their pricing and will surely be considering the prices too cheap if anything.

Not even hospitality is available for Bayern. As far as I can see on the website.

All in all Heck has done the job he was brought in to do. The tickets aren't too expensive as if they were, they wouldn't be sold out already. That's precisely how they will look at it.

Apparently GA+ haven't gone on sale yet, so keep an eye out for those.

That’s right, I know a bloke who has a Cells season ticket and he hasn’t any notification yet.

Ah ok that's good. However standard tickets didn't get very far until they sold.out totally. The club must surely see this as one in the eye to all the bad press they've received.

I know it's more nuanced than just tickets sold, but it won't look like that from the outside.

[darren woolley]

Spot on Dave.

[The Edge]

Perfectly put Dave. Like you say the really upsetting thing is that we should be feeling euphoric about the teams performances on the pitch right now instead we're getting more and more wound up by piss poor treatment of the fans off it. Trying to get through to the (virtual) ticket office now is like pulling teeth. Ring the hospitality line however and they answer the phone in seconds. I know because I tried it. I've been blaming Heck because all this has occurred on his watch. Regardless of what his actual remit is I'm pretty sure that pissing off the whole fanbase isn't part of it.

[Risso]

I'm getting bombarded by emails from the club for hospitality sales for Bayern. GA+ tickets go on sale at 12pm today.

Although quite why they're selling them now when the game apparently isn't until May, god only knows.

[dave.woodhall]

Spot on Dave.

Thanks Daz.

[cdward]

It's the emotional attachment we have with our club that makes the difference.
We feel every defeat, we celebrate every win like it is a personal achievement, we feel a sense of community with other Villa fans, we defend the name of the club against other supporters, we have an identity as Villa fans.
Every year there is a new list of HEITS accompanied with heartfelt messages that we can all associate with, it means a lot to a lot of fans being a Villa supporter.

The problem is that having this almost two tier pricing system is driving the fans apart, we are now looking at each other as enemies, those that can and those that cannot afford it.
Supporters are feeling disconnected with the club as each turn of the screw drives some further away.

Unfortunately, emotional connections don't pay the bills, so price gouging is here to stay.

[LeeB]

It's done for me this has. I'm not going and my feeling towards the whole thing has soured to the point I reckon this will be the last year.

[amfy]

I was thinking this morning about how our anthem from The Championship to here has been ‘Every week we follow….’

…and now it feels like they aren’t that arsed about fans who follow them every week, because there’s not going to be many that can follow on a regular basis in the direction the club is travelling.

Still, as long as there’s enough people to follow every now and then and really make a day of it, I’m sure it’s all going to be fine.

[algy]

Excellent post, Pat Mustard.  And an excellent article too.

I have to say, I feel very disillusioned this season.  Any points I could make about it have been already made, more eloquently than I can.  But the whole thing stinks.

I'm sure that the owners aren't blameless - they are the ones who bought in Chris Heck, they are the ones who no doubt demanded that revenues increase.  At the same time, Chris Heck will have made a great many decisions.  It's his choice to treat staff like shit.  It's his choice to not stand up and say that we're not going to increase prices for disabled parking (which TBH I think it's ridiculous they aren't free/a nominal fee).  It's his choice to go about things in a belligerent manner.

[VillaTim]

I'm getting bombarded by emails from the club for hospitality sales for Bayern. GA+ tickets go on sale at 12pm today.

Although quite why they're selling them now when the game apparently isn't until May, god only knows.

Haha what a fiasco

[The Edge]

Excellent post, Pat Mustard.  And an excellent article too.

I have to say, I feel very disillusioned this season.  Any points I could make about it have been already made, more eloquently than I can.  But the whole thing stinks.

I'm sure that the owners aren't blameless - they are the ones who bought in Chris Heck, they are the ones who no doubt demanded that revenues increase.  At the same time, Chris Heck will have made a great many decisions.  It's his choice to treat staff like shit.  It's his choice to not stand up and say that we're not going to increase prices for disabled parking (which TBH I think it's ridiculous they aren't free/a nominal fee).  It's his choice to go about things in a belligerent manner.

Totally agree. Heck's wrecking ball approach towards loyal supporters is making the atmosphere around the place toxic when it should be euphoric. Also agree with everything Pat Mustard posted. A top drawer post the type of which should be winging it's way to our owners who may not quite have grasped the amount of animosity that Heck has created. Surely there's someone out there who could do the job Heck's been appointed to do without pissing off almost the entire fanbase of the club.

[LeeB]

They won't get rid of Heck.

By the time he's gone we'll be conditioned to the new pricing structure.

[Hookeysmith]

Can i ask - what is the Birmingham city European adventure mentioned in original piece?