Following the announcement on Monday night that the club will launch a new and revamped membership scheme and our request for supporters to vote on a new name for the scheme, we are pleased to announce that the winning name is Seagulls Priority.
Furthermore in light of the announcement the club has received a number of queries in response to this news. Many of these are understandably on a similar theme, so below is a round-up of these FAQs.
The full scheme and joining details will be fully unveiled in the coming weeks, ahead of the new season, but in the meantime we hope this information will give you some additional insight.
How much will the membership scheme cost me?
If you are season ticket holder, then membership will be free – you will also be able to opt into the auto-cup scheme and a brand new away season ticket (with no upfront costs or fees for those opting for the top tier package which includes an away season ticket). This is something many supporters have asked the club to introduce, and it will give those who opt in a hassle-free option to those fans who want attend every game – be it Accrington or Arsenal.
Season-ticket holders will be registered for the membership scheme automatically, but will have the option to upgrade their package and receive additional benefits – such as the auto-cup scheme and away season ticket.
The new scheme will give even more value to our season tickets, with a range of special offers and exclusive opportunities being lined up throughout the season, and it will further reinforce all the existing benefits of being a season ticket holder.
However, we also appreciate not all supporters can commit to a season ticket for a variety of reasons – perhaps geographic, financial, work or family commitments.
The membership scheme will give those supporters the opportunity to further strengthen their allegiance to the club, aimed at those fans who want to follow the Albion, but can’t commit to 23 home matches.*
There will be a seasonal charge for non-season ticket holders – this will range from £10 to £30 per season, depending on age and the level of membership you require.
What new benefits are there?
There will be varying new benefits and packages available for all supporters.
Season ticket holders will have the option to upgrade their package to incorporate the auto-cup scheme and the option of an away season ticket.
We have looked also looked at the booking fees structure and the new scheme will ensure a much fairer approach to our most loyal supporters.
Depending on your tier of membership, members will have a different priority period to select from best available seats for the home games they wish to attend. Members will also receive their own membership card to which they upload match tickets. Members will also receive priority for the purchase of special match packs, subject to availability.
Membership will also bring further additional benefits to all supporters, and we hope bring supporters even closer to the club they love.
The full details will be unveiled in due course, but the aim of the scheme is to meet our supporters’ needs and reward their loyalty, while also generating an additional revenue stream for the club.
What about my loyalty points, will I lose those?
No. The loyalty point system will NOT be dropped. Existing loyalty points can be transferred into the new membership scheme – at any level and the loyalty point system will operate as part of the membership scheme. All supporters will continue to accrue points, but an active membership will be required to utilise loyalty points when purchasing tickets.
What if I don’t want to pay for membership, will I still be able to purchase match tickets?*
Yes. Supporters do not have to be members to access tickets, but priority will be given to members in the first instance. So that may mean non-members miss out on some of the more popular home matches or have a more limited choice of seats.*
Will there be junior membership packages?
We intend to continue with our hugely popular free Young Seagulls membership scheme, but for those young supporters who are season ticket holders (or those non-season ticket holders who wish to pay a small upgrade fee) we will be introducing a higher tier, including additional benefits. Details to be announced.*
What if I am an exile or already part of a regional supporters’ club?
We will offer existing regional supporters’ clubs the opportunity to link into the new scheme and become part of an official supporters’ club network.
Why is the club doing this?
As the club fan base grows and matches sell out, membership offers supporters who are unable to commit to a season ticket an easy-to-join scheme, that offers the benefit of ticket priority for our home games.*
It also allows us to better understand and reward our supporters for the loyalty that they show the club. *
A survey of the small number of season ticket holders who were unable to renew for the new season showed that there is demand for such a scheme, as supporters still wish to retain a connection to the club and access the best available seats, whilst not necessarily being able to make a 23-game commitment.
With the advent of Financial Fair Play the club also needs to build its revenues.
This way we are not asking our most-loyal fans, our season-ticket holders, to contribute more as we strive to build a newer and bigger fan base. Equally, we are not disadvantaging those that can't afford or don't want membership as they will still be able to access match tickets, subject to availability.
Why now? What's the point?
The club needs to put in place an infrastructure that will be required to play at the highest level. *We have already done this with our stadium, are doing this with our training ground, and need to do this with various areas behind the scenes. This is not something we want to do if we secure promotion. We want our systems prepared, ready and working, particularly as demand to watch the Albion continues to grow and at a higher level would be expected to grow further.
Original article
Furthermore in light of the announcement the club has received a number of queries in response to this news. Many of these are understandably on a similar theme, so below is a round-up of these FAQs.
The full scheme and joining details will be fully unveiled in the coming weeks, ahead of the new season, but in the meantime we hope this information will give you some additional insight.
How much will the membership scheme cost me?
If you are season ticket holder, then membership will be free – you will also be able to opt into the auto-cup scheme and a brand new away season ticket (with no upfront costs or fees for those opting for the top tier package which includes an away season ticket). This is something many supporters have asked the club to introduce, and it will give those who opt in a hassle-free option to those fans who want attend every game – be it Accrington or Arsenal.
Season-ticket holders will be registered for the membership scheme automatically, but will have the option to upgrade their package and receive additional benefits – such as the auto-cup scheme and away season ticket.
The new scheme will give even more value to our season tickets, with a range of special offers and exclusive opportunities being lined up throughout the season, and it will further reinforce all the existing benefits of being a season ticket holder.
However, we also appreciate not all supporters can commit to a season ticket for a variety of reasons – perhaps geographic, financial, work or family commitments.
The membership scheme will give those supporters the opportunity to further strengthen their allegiance to the club, aimed at those fans who want to follow the Albion, but can’t commit to 23 home matches.*
There will be a seasonal charge for non-season ticket holders – this will range from £10 to £30 per season, depending on age and the level of membership you require.
What new benefits are there?
There will be varying new benefits and packages available for all supporters.
Season ticket holders will have the option to upgrade their package to incorporate the auto-cup scheme and the option of an away season ticket.
We have looked also looked at the booking fees structure and the new scheme will ensure a much fairer approach to our most loyal supporters.
Depending on your tier of membership, members will have a different priority period to select from best available seats for the home games they wish to attend. Members will also receive their own membership card to which they upload match tickets. Members will also receive priority for the purchase of special match packs, subject to availability.
Membership will also bring further additional benefits to all supporters, and we hope bring supporters even closer to the club they love.
The full details will be unveiled in due course, but the aim of the scheme is to meet our supporters’ needs and reward their loyalty, while also generating an additional revenue stream for the club.
What about my loyalty points, will I lose those?
No. The loyalty point system will NOT be dropped. Existing loyalty points can be transferred into the new membership scheme – at any level and the loyalty point system will operate as part of the membership scheme. All supporters will continue to accrue points, but an active membership will be required to utilise loyalty points when purchasing tickets.
What if I don’t want to pay for membership, will I still be able to purchase match tickets?*
Yes. Supporters do not have to be members to access tickets, but priority will be given to members in the first instance. So that may mean non-members miss out on some of the more popular home matches or have a more limited choice of seats.*
Will there be junior membership packages?
We intend to continue with our hugely popular free Young Seagulls membership scheme, but for those young supporters who are season ticket holders (or those non-season ticket holders who wish to pay a small upgrade fee) we will be introducing a higher tier, including additional benefits. Details to be announced.*
What if I am an exile or already part of a regional supporters’ club?
We will offer existing regional supporters’ clubs the opportunity to link into the new scheme and become part of an official supporters’ club network.
Why is the club doing this?
As the club fan base grows and matches sell out, membership offers supporters who are unable to commit to a season ticket an easy-to-join scheme, that offers the benefit of ticket priority for our home games.*
It also allows us to better understand and reward our supporters for the loyalty that they show the club. *
A survey of the small number of season ticket holders who were unable to renew for the new season showed that there is demand for such a scheme, as supporters still wish to retain a connection to the club and access the best available seats, whilst not necessarily being able to make a 23-game commitment.
With the advent of Financial Fair Play the club also needs to build its revenues.
This way we are not asking our most-loyal fans, our season-ticket holders, to contribute more as we strive to build a newer and bigger fan base. Equally, we are not disadvantaging those that can't afford or don't want membership as they will still be able to access match tickets, subject to availability.
Why now? What's the point?
The club needs to put in place an infrastructure that will be required to play at the highest level. *We have already done this with our stadium, are doing this with our training ground, and need to do this with various areas behind the scenes. This is not something we want to do if we secure promotion. We want our systems prepared, ready and working, particularly as demand to watch the Albion continues to grow and at a higher level would be expected to grow further.
Original article