Many people do not like the Big Brother society that we seem to be edging towards. You do seem awfully keen to tow the club line on this one, most unlike you.......
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Paul Barber - ID checks of fans at away games?
- Thread starter Springal
- Start date
Many people do not like the Big Brother society that we seem to be edging towards. You do seem awfully keen to tow the club line on this one, most unlike you.......
The club have my name, address, email address, telephone number and bank account. Probably more stuff beyond that too. And various details of my children too. They'll have details of every ticket I've bought from them.
By getting me to flash a debit card at them at some point in the future at some away ground or other - they're not finding out anything they didn't know anyway. I don't see how there can be a Big Brother aspect to this.
I'm struggling to understand why I (or most people) should really care about this. I'm happy to be proved wrong at some point in the future. I'm not afraid of being wrong - it happens often. I'm also critical of the club pretty often where I feel it's merited, both in the words I type on these pages and in communication I have with the club. I just call each thing as I see it at the time
T soprano
New member
Well it's started already
How odd on the day I posted a few things slagging club off on this thread I get an email saying I've booked the wrong age bracket for QPR away and if I don't sort it out my sons ticket who's 20 and costs the same as OAP TICKET will be confiscated without refund
Sorry - are you trying to make some sort of suggestion that NSC user details are being passed to the club?
Don't you think it is far more likely that, as you seem to be indicating yourself, there is a disparity in the age groupings of the ticket bought and the person you have assigned to that ticket? The cost of the person isn't the issue - it will be the fact that from the data provided by you, it looks as though someone is using the ticket who shouldn't be. Obviously, that's easily resolved if you selected OAP instead of youngster or whatever you've done.
EastUpperSeagull
New member
- Jul 3, 2013
- 110
Out of interest do you have no issue with the tone of the messaging? I know we can be a sensitive lot but it does feel OTT. As I have said previously it will affect me a couple of times a year but overall not really so I get your point of why kick up a fuss when the vast majority won't be affected - but there is something sticking in the throat about the manor of the announcement and some of the defensive responses they've had (granted I haven't seen the exact tone of the communications which have garnered those responses).
I think the tone is similar to a lot of what we have received and I think I've probably become a bit desensitised to it now. It could certainly be cuddlier, yes.
T soprano
New member
Not suggesting nsc but maybe BIG BROTHER B&HA
I'm trotting down to club tomorrow anyway to sort it out, it's their error at the box office when we swapped seats recently from area of the ground to another area they put in OAP ticket instead of U21 we went to box office to say this but they said as it's the same price bracket it's not worth changing it again till the end of the season
That's why on QPR away I've put in under 22 ticket
Think the mix up was when my dad passed away and we had to cancel one of our 3 season tickets down to 2
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,309
It looks to me that the club has suddenly "grown up" and in terms of it's communication is struggling to manage,
I understand the problem of course, but again rather than a softly softly approach with a message to the majority it's BANG - WE WILL PUNISH THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY.
Random ID checks at away games ? My word.
Public Relations ? It's all about the perception and it's something that the club are getting a bit wrong. It's fine to clarify the situation later but that should have been the message in the first place.
What gets discussed in the board room verbatim should not end up on the website. I didn't think we were the sort of club where the website becomes the blog of one or more frustrated individuals.
If anything is inflammatory it's the threat of random ID checks not the reaction to it,
I understand the problem of course, but again rather than a softly softly approach with a message to the majority it's BANG - WE WILL PUNISH THOSE WHO DO NOT OBEY.
Random ID checks at away games ? My word.
Public Relations ? It's all about the perception and it's something that the club are getting a bit wrong. It's fine to clarify the situation later but that should have been the message in the first place.
What gets discussed in the board room verbatim should not end up on the website. I didn't think we were the sort of club where the website becomes the blog of one or more frustrated individuals.
If anything is inflammatory it's the threat of random ID checks not the reaction to it,
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,309
Exactly.
I think we should also respect Bozza. His enhanced line of communication (which is different from being too cozy) is actually a benefit to us on here and importantly the club.
But you can't expect an over the top announcement to be trashed out on here. Why bother ?
bn1&bn3 Albion
Well-known member
Check your emails ffs..
Yorkshire-Seagull
New member
- Feb 11, 2008
- 445
Once again, it seems like the people most opposed to this move are the ones more likely to attempt to cheat the system. I'm all for anything to make sure the rules we all signed up to are enforced properly.
For the vast majority of people, they wouldn't dream of buying tickets with no intention of going to the game, nor would they try and use tickets that didn't match the age of the purchaser. For the rest, hopefully it will drive them away.
For the vast majority of people, they wouldn't dream of buying tickets with no intention of going to the game, nor would they try and use tickets that didn't match the age of the purchaser. For the rest, hopefully it will drive them away.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,309
Nah,
They don't like the tone of the message. Anyone screwing other fans (and the club) wouldn't bother to comment.
Not suggesting nsc but maybe BIG BROTHER B&HA
I'm trotting down to club tomorrow anyway to sort it out, it's their error at the box office when we swapped seats recently from area of the ground to another area they put in OAP ticket instead of U21 we went to box office to say this but they said as it's the same price bracket it's not worth changing it again till the end of the season
That's why on QPR away I've put in under 22 ticket
Think the mix up was when my dad passed away and we had to cancel one of our 3 season tickets down to 2
Sounds like some simple queries being run against the ticketing system which will then churn out these emails to all cases where age groups don't match.
(Which reminds me I bought an U-18 ticket for my U-10 son for a recent home game because the online ticketing system does not allow a single U-10 ticket to be sold and I lost the will to live with trying to do the transaction on the phone, so I just paid double online to get the ticket I needed!)
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,309
My observation, but one of the interesting thing about football clubs is their "customers" or fans are utterly connected to the business in a way unlike others.
They completely require them, will generally always come back but will sometimes "misbehave".
Must makes it very difficult to communicate with them, but the mistake the Albion have made with these somewhat threatening communications is they treat their fans like "staff". On the other end of scale it's "we are all in together" and "believe".
There has to be something in-between a yearly appraisal and the marketing seduction of a new Beckham hairspray. When it gets "real" the fluffy nonsense even reads more fluffy, All marketing communication from the club goes straight in the junk bin.
My message to the club on this one is yes - I will still turn up, buy the season ticket, drink the Harveys and behave. But the threat of a random ID check at away games (even if I'm not the "target") has pissed me off.
The tone is football supporters generally can't be trusted and guess what ... over the years we are tired of it. Tired of meeting Police dogs at London stations after some random Northern away game.
Try harder - the majority have grown up. It's the time football authorities did in their attitude to fans,
They completely require them, will generally always come back but will sometimes "misbehave".
Must makes it very difficult to communicate with them, but the mistake the Albion have made with these somewhat threatening communications is they treat their fans like "staff". On the other end of scale it's "we are all in together" and "believe".
There has to be something in-between a yearly appraisal and the marketing seduction of a new Beckham hairspray. When it gets "real" the fluffy nonsense even reads more fluffy, All marketing communication from the club goes straight in the junk bin.
My message to the club on this one is yes - I will still turn up, buy the season ticket, drink the Harveys and behave. But the threat of a random ID check at away games (even if I'm not the "target") has pissed me off.
The tone is football supporters generally can't be trusted and guess what ... over the years we are tired of it. Tired of meeting Police dogs at London stations after some random Northern away game.
Try harder - the majority have grown up. It's the time football authorities did in their attitude to fans,
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GT49er
Well-known member
If they sell a ticket - that should be it. They have SOLD it; it is sold - not lent, not borrowed, not leased - it is sold.
The club no longer own it - it is owned by the person who has bought it. Touting is illegal - fine - arrest the touts and prosecute them - but if someone's bought a ticket, it belongs to them, not the club. If they choose to give it to a mate - so long as they're not trying to get an adult in on a concession ticket - it's none of the club's business (although they do have the right - and the duty - to exclude persons who are legitimately banned).
The club no longer own it - it is owned by the person who has bought it. Touting is illegal - fine - arrest the touts and prosecute them - but if someone's bought a ticket, it belongs to them, not the club. If they choose to give it to a mate - so long as they're not trying to get an adult in on a concession ticket - it's none of the club's business (although they do have the right - and the duty - to exclude persons who are legitimately banned).
Leekbrookgull
Well-known member
Rotherham,were happy with my 25 sovs. No issues.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,309
I don't fully agree with that, but if I have past the checks to buy a ticket at an AWAY game - then as far as I'm concerned it's something between me and the away club.
I do understand the problem though. If the solution is for the away end to be fully the responsibility of the away club then we all know where we stand,
Let the home club print the tickets and print the persons face on the ticket. There you go - a solution. Nah, whilst we work that out we end up with this snap decision that some poor souls with little training (and less authority) are walking round with a clipboard checking tickets against a spreadsheet. I'm sure the club have advanced arrangements with the local police and stewards
Just imagine. You've had five through the post and each has "each others" tickets. Two have gone through a different turnstile and.. I won't go on.
Reminds of that Stoke FA cup away.
The police at the station attempted to stop we entering the town and go straight to that student bar which was the designated away drinking place. Sorry guys I had a look round town before hand - this isn't the 1980s and definitely isn't North Korea.
Justice
Dangerous Idiot
GT49er
Well-known member
Apart from Bristol City this season (when my son-in-law who lives in Bristol bought the tickets - for the away end, there were none left for 'home' fans) I have only ever watched the Albion when I have been able to trot up to the ground, on the day, and go and buy a ticket (or pay at at the turnstyle). Make of that what you will.I don't fully agree with that, but if I have past the checks to buy a ticket at an AWAY game - then as far as I'm concerned it's something between me and the away club.
I do understand the problem though. If the solution is for the away end to be fully the responsibility of the away club then we all know where we stand,
Let the home club print the tickets and print the persons face on the ticket. There you go - a solution. Nah, whilst we work that out we end up with this snap decision that some poor souls with little training (and less authority) are walking round with a clipboard checking tickets against a spreadsheet. I'm sure the club have advanced arrangements with the local police and stewards
Just imagine. You've had five through the post and each has "each others" tickets. Two have gone through a different turnstile and.. I won't go on.
Reminds of that Stoke FA cup away.
The police at the station attempted to stop we entering the town and go straight to that student bar which was the designated away drinking place. Sorry guys I had a look round town before hand - this isn't the 1980s and definitely isn't North Korea.
Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
I'm struggling to understand why you're struggling to understand
Almost everyone on here has at some point needed to pass their ticket on to someone else, or has a spare they want to give away, or has wanted to get a ticket last minute, or has wanted to take a friend or girlfriend or boyfriend to a game when they don't have a purchase history...
... and what we've now basically been told is that from now on there will be random ID spotchecks and we'll get in some kind of trouble if we're caught or they're caught with a ticket assigned to the wrong fan number. This potentially affects everyone, you yourself are trying to move a QPR ticket on. I can't read anything different into this issue than that.
I generally like what Barber is doing at the club but this statement strikes me as a heavy-handed threat to those of us who stay deeply involved in BHA news and has probably gone on unawares to those people who it is actually aimed at