[Albion] ST revoked for touting Arsenal game? Now with PB response (post #306)

Bozza said:

I'm aware of two ticketing transactions that took place on Saturday, both where one fan helped out another they did not previously know. (Dear Albion Supporter Services - just to be clear - this was not me - I sat in my own purchased season ticket seat).

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Triggaaar said:

Duly reported.

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drew said:

Why is it mind boggling? The whole point is that the club don't want people they don't know entering the ground. They turn a blind eye to season ticket holders who let friends and family use their ticket but the have said that responsibility rests with the STH, in other words, they are making the STH vicariously responsible for the behaviour of the person using the ticket. Therefore as a STH you would be foolish to let your mate who gets drunk and loutish use your ticket!!! Part of the reason the act, rightly or wrongly, was brought in was because of all the crap that went on before.



Puzzled how the club get to know someone is selling below face value unless the ticket has been advertised somewhere. If you're advertising and getting money back then you're breaking the law. You say below face value but is that below the pro rata value of the season ticket or below the face value of the match day price. Proper fans would not be advertising their ticket, they would have enough friends and family to let them use it, at least that is what I and what I believe the majority of 'proper' fans would do.

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Bozza said:

The whole approach is a classic "baby out with the bath water" scenario.

The club's string and sellotape ticket exchange was deactivated by Saturday morning ahead of the Arsenal game. Any STHs who discovered they were no longer able to attend the game had no means of passing on the tickets to those still wishing to go.

I'm aware of two ticketing transactions that took place on Saturday, both where one fan helped out another they did not previously know. (Dear Albion Supporter Services - just to be clear - this was not me - I sat in my own purchased season ticket seat). Otherwise empty seats were filled by fans who wanted to go to the game. No one will ever be able to convince me this is a bad thing.

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sydney said:

totally agreed ......i think the person handing the ticket over needs to give it to Albion fans though.....sth's who sell their tickets for profit to opposing fans in home areas deserve althea get imho.

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dazzer6666 said:

Blokes (usual STHs) that sit behind us challenged the group that were sat next to them in WSL - not aggressively but just asked how they (including obvious, but fairly quiet TBF, Arsenal supporters) got tickets - they said their group was a mix of Albion and Arsenal, but all had purchase history so wasn't difficult to get them - they weren't in STH seats though. Nothing much we can do about this apart from telling them to STFU during the game I guess but have seen this happen elsewhere including at friendly old Fulham once in the home end where a couple of scousers were very swiftly ejected when Gerrard scored and they couldn't contain themselves. No-one should give their ST to away fans.....and any STH that has actually sold their ticket to any Arsenal (directly or on the open market) deserve a ban and STH cancellation IMO.

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Bozza said:

Agreed. Selling on a ticket for a profit and/or selling on a home ticket to an opposing fan is completely wrong.

The banning of loyal and long-standing Albion fans for a transgression that is neither of the above, is also very wrong.

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crabface said:

I dont understand why if you have a season ticket you would want to sell it on for a game like Arsenal. If you have a season ticket, you must have a fair bit of interest in the club and want to see us give a game to these top sides.

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TheJasperCo said:

Good on the club. I don't have the luxury of owning a season ticket, and I would give so much for the opportunity to have watched the Arsenal game - even if it meant travelling hundreds of miles there and back. Having a ST should be a privilege, not a right, and if you seek to make a quick buck out of it then my sympathy vanishes.

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crabface said:

I dont understand why if you have a season ticket you would want to sell it on for a game like Arsenal. If you have a season ticket, you must have a fair bit of interest in the club and want to see us give a game to these top sides.

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Bozza said:

No it's not. The club have previously tried to pretend this is important - security blah blah blah - but seem to have dropped this frankly nonsensical line now. Maybe someone realised:

- They permit child to adult ticket upgrade on a match by match basis (subject to a limit of 6 times per season). No details of the adult that is using the ticket are provided to the club.
- They also permit season ticket holders to bring unallocated guests to certain games such as low-demand league fixtures and Cup games, such as the Coventry FA Cup tie.

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Thunder Bolt said:

Money must not change hands or it is committing a criminal offence. The clubs hands are tied in this. As I posted previously, I've seen tickets for sale on Facebook, and the club are monitoring social media.

There is a waiting list of nearly 4,000 people, so although you did your bit to get the stadium, and keep the club going, the club also has to be fair to those who are wanting tickets through the proper channels.

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TheJasperCo said:

Good on the club. I don't have the luxury of owning a season ticket, and I would give so much for the opportunity to have watched the Arsenal game - even if it meant travelling hundreds of miles there and back. Having a ST should be a privilege, not a right, and if you seek to make a quick buck out of it then my sympathy vanishes.

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Peter Grummit said:

If these are purchased as Home Matchday Tickets by Arsenal fans then this is against the T&Cs which state that they are for Home fans only. Stewards should be enforcing this by removing said fans. Otherwise the Club is being selective in enforcing its own rules.

We have had this in previous threads. I support the Club in stamping out true touting but they need to enforce this rule too or it will become common knowledge that it is easy to sit in the home areas. Prevent the problem at source as well as in retrospect.

PG

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

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sully said:

My point is that until a month ago, this wasn't an issue. The club have made it one and are punishing people too harshly for a first offence when they had no reason to know that the club was changing tactics.

I will reiterate that is is someone I know, not me. I was aware of the way the club had started acting, as I do spend my life on football forums and the club website. I warned him as soon as I saw the post on Facebook, but it was too late. He had no idea he was doing anything wrong, as up until then, it was common practice and (I feel I have to keep repeating myself) if was still possible on this very forum at the time (the Chelsea game).

Also, the particular instance I'm aware of was not a season ticket, but individual match tickets bought with a bronze membership. A last minute change of circumstances meant he couldn't go.

You seem to just be taking the club line, rather than considering how it has been brought in, just because it hasn't affected you. This didn't directly affect me, but it has left a nasty taste and meant that I've lost interest in rushing to get away tickets as soon as I can. I find this very sad. As I have also said several times, they may need us oldies if the upward momentum reverses. They may regret pissing us off when the stadium is empty in the Championship.

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sully said:

So if this happened to be the only game of the season I couldn't attend, you'd support the club in denying you the opportunity of going if I was able to offer the ticket to you at the pro-rata season ticket price or below?

There is a HUGE difference between a season ticket holder not being able to go to a few games and a tout attempting to make a profit. The club could easily make it possible for the genuine fans to offer their tickets for a fair return, but they choose not to.

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Bozza said:

Why didn't you buy a ticket?

You must be fuming that the club closed the ticket exchange so far ahead of the game, as if it had been opened then you may have been able to go.

If I give you a shout ahead of, say, the Man Utd game with a spare ticket for nothing but a pint, presumably you'd say "no" and would rather leave the seat empty.

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el punal said:

Yes, you're quite correct. CJPOA 1994 - section 166. Absolutely mind boggling.

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el punal said:

You completely misunderstood my mind boggling comment. I was referring to the legal jargon of CJPOA - section 166. Read it and you'll see what I mean.

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el punal said:

Yes, you're quite correct. CJPOA 1994 - section 166. Absolutely mind boggling.

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Thunder Bolt said:

It was certainly happening before a month ago. There have been warnings. You may not have heard of them but it did happen.

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