Barber and the club have lost me as a customer today

Iggle Piggle · Jul 10, 2017

Simster said:
As it is, I've resigned myself to not being able to go very often. In truth, it has meant my Albion mojo is currently ridiculously low given the status of the club. My six year old son - who nags me to take him quite often these days - is not going to get to many games. His interest will probably wane as he finds interest in other things. I'll probably end up taking him to rugby games instead, sadly. The bottom line is that you can get to big 80,000 capacity double headers at Twickenham for a tenner a kid, whereas £30+ for a six year old to go to the football is completely absurd.

Very similar to me.

My local boozer does a bus to the Ricoh for Wasps games for £6. They more or less give kids tickets away and Adult tickets are no more then 20 quid (and I can often borrow season tickets from a mate without the Wasps gestapo threatening me with an ID check). Give me a game of football any day but the temptation to do the local, beer in seat, tinpot drum solution is obvious. All I have to do is walk 10 minutes and everything else is on a plate. For the Albion, The distance and cost is exponentially more and you run the risk of being told to feck off if you use somebody else's ticket. I'm sure I'll be at the AMEX but the U10 pricing option removal leaves a sour taste in the mouth especially as it's still available for ST holders who get to watch the same game for 1/2 the price.

A personal view is that the recent crowds have got used (especially last 2 seasons) to seeing a comfortable win. This won't be sustained next year. I'd be surprised if you can't get tickets 48 hrs before Burnley at Home around Xmas. I'd even be surprised if Leicester away sells out.

Thunder Bolt · Jul 10, 2017

rippleman said:
My emphasis...and this is what it all boils down to....being wealthy enough to pay the prices.

The fact that some of us have followed the club for decades. Stuck through it during all the dark days. Went on marches, protests, put our hands in our pockets at times too. The club of today just doesn't care. They (by which I mean Barber as unlike others I am sure TB doesn't micro-manage the club on a daily basis with his other business interests) want the new generation of PL fans to have heavy pockets so they are prepared to buy each new kit when it comes out, pay high prices for food and drink and just about every novelty you can think of. Those who have the funds to splash the cash without having to think about it.

There is a question posed on the back cover of "And The Sun Shines Now": What happens when you take the people's game away from the people?

This is what you get.

If you think Tony Bloom doesn't know, then go to the Fans Forum and ask him directly. That's what they're there for, for fans to be heard. Not the praise the club at any cost type fans, but those who feel they have a genuine grievance.
The general Fans Forum isn't the only fans that Tony meets, as he's done Q &A with NWSussexSeagulls, MidSussex Seagulls, Seagulls Over London etc etc, so I'd be surprised if he doesn't know what's going on.
He always said he wanted the club to be self sufficient.

Kalimantan Gull · Jul 10, 2017

I've just spent £78 on bronze memberships for myself, my wife, my Dad and my daughter. That's just for the right to get in the queue to buy a ticket. If I'm lucky enough to get on to the site tomorrow and find four together it will cost us another £160, for seats that are likely to be low down in the corner next to the away fans.

That's £238 for a family of four to go to a game of football. Add in program, food, drinks, plus travel costs - I think I'll just stick my fingers in my ears and shout 'la la la' to myself!

Tom Hark Preston Park · Jul 10, 2017

Thunder Bolt said:
If you think Tony Bloom doesn't know, then go to the Fans Forum and ask him directly. That's what they're there for, for fans to be heard. Not the praise the club at any cost type fans, but those who feel they have a genuine grievance.
The general Fans Forum isn't the only fans that Tony meets, as he's done Q &A with NWSussexSeagulls, MidSussex Seagulls, Seagulls Over London etc etc, so I'd be surprised if he doesn't know what's going on.
He always said he wanted the club to be self sufficient.

Seems to me that the chairman must have a hugely difficult job trying to continually balance trying to be fair and continually subbing the club's pre-Amex fans while at the same time trying to capitalise on the Premier League riches up for grabs. Earlydoors to be sure, but seems to me he's making a pretty decent job of it this far. It's a learning process for everyone. Club in its present form hasn't been here before. It'll all take time to bed in and strike a happy balance. A bit like the early days of the Amex itself.

Pretty pink fairy · Jul 10, 2017

Thunder Bolt said:
If you think Tony Bloom doesn't know, then go to the Fans Forum and ask him directly. That's what they're there for, for fans to be heard. Not the praise the club at any cost type fans, but those who feel they have a genuine grievance.
The general Fans Forum isn't the only fans that Tony meets, as he's done Q &A with NWSussexSeagulls, MidSussex Seagulls, Seagulls Over London etc etc, so I'd be surprised if he doesn't know what's going on.
He always said he wanted the club to be self sufficient.

a bit like QUESTION TIME ON THE BBC WITH A CHOSEN AUDIENCE

regards
DR

Stat Brother · Jul 10, 2017

Tom Hark said:
Seems to me that the chairman must have a hugely difficult job trying to continually balance trying to be fair and continually subbing the club's pre-Amex fans while at the same time trying to capitalise on the Premier League riches up for grabs. Earlydoors to be sure, but seems to me he's making a pretty decent job of it this far. It's a learning process for everyone.

Whereas everything Barber touches goes to shite.

el punal · Jul 10, 2017

dejavuatbtn said:
Nothing to do with what century we are in. I just don't want my life run by Sky TV who seem to have the whole of the football adoring public having to keep rearranging their lives just to watch a game of football. You might be happy and accepting of it - but that's your prerogative.

That's exactly the point I'm making. Back in the old days you always knew, from when the fixtures came out, exactly when a match was going to be played and at what time. The only change to this would be if we had an FA Cup game or if a fixture was postponed due to weather conditions.

By the way, my original comment was not a dig at you but to the way that football is run now compared with pre-Sky and live TV coverage generally.

Tom Hark Preston Park · Jul 10, 2017

Stat Brother said:
Whereas everything Barber touches goes to shite.

Barber is Bloom's attack dog. Nothing more, nothing less. Says the things that the chairman couldn't be seen to be saying.

Brovion · Jul 10, 2017

Buzzer said:
My first thought was "what an attention-seeking whinge" but having read the post and the thread I can see it's not. There's now no room at the Amex for occasional visitors like the OP and very sadly new fans. I've got a mate who is a Spurs fan but his son (aged 6) started getting into football last year so I gave them mine and my eldest's STs to see a match and the little lad was hooked and is now a Brighton fan complete with kit, scarf and duvet set. He's now begging his dad to take him again this season but his dad has no chance, none at all at those prices. That little lad could lose interest very quickly if he doesn't get to see us play so I'll try to ensure they get to at least one match because those prices are just out of my mate's affordability. I expect there's lots of others in the same situation.

Thank goodness I've got a ST. Modern football really is rubbish at times.

Herr Tubthumper said:
I have every sympathy for the OP. And given the utterly eye watering amounts of money sloshing around in the PL there shouldn't be any reason at all to charge the prices clubs do. Maybe if significant funds were going into grass roots etc there might be a case but sadly the only winners in this are hundreds of, at times very average, footballers and their agents.

Agree with these. For the club there is only a tiny, tiny marginal benefit in charging those prices, and the only rationale seems to be "well everybody else does it". Is that tiny tiny financial gain worth the potential 'fan loss'? We shall see - but not yet.

Stat Brother · Jul 10, 2017

Tom Hark said:
Barber is Bloom's attack dog. Nothing more, nothing less. Says the things that the chairman couldn't be seen to be saying.

Bloom could say he supports palace and on here it would be Barber's fault.

Publius Ovidius · Jul 10, 2017

sorry me again...is this just away games or do you have to pay this bronze charge for home tickets if you are not a STH? I am old and my memory is.........something

Tom Hark Preston Park · Jul 10, 2017

Stat Brother said:
Bloom could say he supports palace and on here it would be Barber's fault.

Barber gets paid big bucks to be the front man and fall guy for the club while the owner and the rest of the board remain largely invisible and anonymous and seemingly blameless.

Fair play to to the Barber bloke. Earns every penny IMHO.

Taybha · Jul 10, 2017

Kalimantan Gull said:
I've just spent £78 on bronze memberships for myself, my wife, my Dad and my daughter. That's just for the right to get in the queue to buy a ticket. If I'm lucky enough to get on to the site tomorrow and find four together it will cost us another £160, for seats that are likely to be low down in the corner next to the away fans.

That's £238 for a family of four to go to a game of football. Add in program, food, drinks, plus travel costs - I think I'll just stick my fingers in my ears and shout 'la la la' to myself!

I've also purchased the Bronze in hope of the odd ticket here and there throughout the season but i'm not holding my breath tbh , i guess i shall be ok for the Stoke Swansea Burnley perhaps WBA and Watford and will hope the new ticket exchange system for season ticket holders returning their matchday seat if not attending is better than the previous efforts , i wonder if the club will wait for a stadium sell out before starting the ticket exchange or will hopefully do it section by section .

Deleted member 2719 · Jul 10, 2017

Pretty pink fairy said:
a bit like QUESTION TIME ON THE BBC WITH A CHOSEN AUDIENCE
regards
DR

Surely not!

Are you prepared to name the chosen ones?

Thunder Bolt · Jul 10, 2017

Pretty pink fairy said:
a bit like QUESTION TIME ON THE BBC WITH A CHOSEN AUDIENCE
regards
DR

How do you know? Have you ever been or just guessing because it suits your agenda?

McTavish · Jul 10, 2017

Taybha said:
I've also purchased the Bronze in hope of the odd ticket here and there throughout the season but i'm not holding my breath tbh , i guess i shall be ok for the Stoke Swansea Burnley perhaps WBA and Watford and will hope the new ticket exchange system for season ticket holders returning their matchday seat if not attending is better than the previous efforts , i wonder if the club will wait for a stadium sell out before starting the ticket exchange or will hopefully do it section by section .

I had a Bronze membership last season and went to every game that I wanted to including Villa, Newcastle, Wigan and Bristol - for Wigan I had five together in East Upper which I bought after the tickets went on general sale. If I decided to go late then I had to sit in the South but otherwise I had a fairly good choice of seats. In fact I bought most of my seats after the seats went on general sale and did not need the Bronze membership - I am not sure if any matches sold out before they went on general sale - maybe Bristol.

This season, even though there will be more pressure on seats due to the larger away followings and the greater number of people wanting to see the "big" teams I am confident, that if I get organised and make a note of the date that sales open up to Bronze members then there will be very little problem in getting tickets.

Even for Bristol, tickets were regularly coming up on the ticket exchange until very close to the match - if the new system is slicker than the old one then I expect there will be more availability this way.

In short, I expect to be able to get tickets to most games but will be less able to decide a couple of days before a match whether to go or not.

brightn'ove · Jul 10, 2017

Taybha said:
I've also purchased the Bronze in hope of the odd ticket here and there throughout the season but i'm not holding my breath tbh , i guess i shall be ok for the Stoke Swansea Burnley perhaps WBA and Watford and will hope the new ticket exchange system for season ticket holders returning their matchday seat if not attending is better than the previous efforts , i wonder if the club will wait for a stadium sell out before starting the ticket exchange or will hopefully do it section by section .

Worth noting that the club are actually prioritising Bronze members that went to at least a few games last season as they go on sale to members with at least 20 points tomorrow, and then bronze members with 0 points on Wednesday. That should reduce the number of eligible bronze members by some margin as a large number of people signed up without buying a single ticket last season. edit: This is for the city game, all bronze members are eligible for West Brom & Newcastle tickets tomorrow morning.

For me, yes it's expensive, I wouldn't expect anything else from Mr Barber. I am able to afford roughly one game a month including trains there & back, booze etc. I'm happy with that at the moment but should the prices go up even more I will have to reduce that further.

drew · Jul 10, 2017

brightn'ove said:
Worth noting that the club are actually prioritising Bronze members that went to at least a few games last season as they go on sale to members with at least 20 points tomorrow, and then bronze members with 0 points on Wednesday. That should reduce the number of eligible bronze members by some margin as a large number of people signed up without buying a single ticket last season. edit: This is for the city game, all bronze members are eligible for West Brom & Newcastle tickets tomorrow morning.

For me, yes it's expensive, I wouldn't expect anything else from Mr Barber/BLOOM. I am able to afford roughly one game a month including trains there & back, booze etc. I'm happy with that at the moment but should the prices go up even more I will have to reduce that further.

Amended slightly.

Guinness Boy · Jul 10, 2017

Thunder Bolt said:
How do you know? Have you ever been or just guessing because it suits your agenda?

I think they just keep out the riff-raff

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

El Presidente · Jul 15, 2017

It would appear that many are overreacting in relation to the difficulty in obtaining tickets against high profile opposition.

Tickets have been available to ALL bronze members for a few days now and over 1,000 are still available.

The next tranche will be to those with a ticket buying history, and whilst I agree that the prices are too high, especially for kids (and I think the club has lost a trick here, max out kids prices at £15 and you can bet their parent accompanying them will be dragged into the club shop for merchandise) it looks as if you should easily get a ticket and the match will eventually be a sellout in a few weeks.

The club will make an extra £15 x 3,000 x 100/120 (VAT)= £37,500 compared to a Cat C match.

Looking back at Albion history, there was also unhappiness about ticket prices the last time the Albion were promoted to the top flight in 1979, when the club took advantage of the prospect of seeing glamorous opponents by increasing ticket prices from £1.30 to £1.50. #BamberOut

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Barber and the club have lost me as a customer today

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