[Albion] 289 loyalty points

poidy · May 30, 2018

If you’re borderline top tier or only in there by the skin of your teeth, the key to a successful season (having found out to my benefit last year) is to be sure to snap up tickets for the opening 3-4 away fixtures.

This pushed me into the top tier last season and with the subsequent games I attended left me with 370 points.

Had I not made the slightly more unfashionable trips early on (Watford, Leicester, Bournemouth) I’d have almost certainly missed out on a number of games last year.

It is for this reason I think we’ll see an early season clamber for tickets akin to our first in the Premier League, as people jostle to position themselves in the top tier. Once this settles down and everyone knows their place (no pun intended) it will calm down.

The problem with the season just gone (and I was guilty of it) was people were attending games they ordinarily wouldn’t have done simply to maintain the points gap between them and the people behind them. This with one eye on future fixtures of course.

I don’t think we’ll see so much of that next season as the realisation has probably now dawned that the Emirates, Old Trafford and Wembley isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

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Publius Ovidius · May 30, 2018

Ernest said:
When you wore a scarf let alone a replica shirt at your peril, away match experience now is far too sanitised and real fans can't get near them now

Silk scarfs tied in a knot around the wrist! Stuffing them in your denim jacket after a game and if you were up north or in London trying to sound like you were from there!

Nobby · May 30, 2018

BeHereNow said:
Has our away support been this good/passionate over the last few seasons?
https://youtu.be/LgMl54UOboM

I'm starting to wonder if the price of football these days is stopping a lot of hardcore supporters going.

How many on here went to this game?

Me
Great day out

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Domsdad · May 30, 2018

On the way said:
Exactly, my point is these long standing supporters could potentially be usurped by those that can afford to do it week in week out, I think the club has fantastic support home and away support, no fishing

I've been an away supporter most of my life. For years I'd do 10 to 12 away matches a year and 0 to 1 home match. I live up north.
For years, but not now.
I don't count as a loyal supporter.

Frutos · May 30, 2018

The 'smaller' Northern aways will probably still sell well as exiles with lower LP totals will be able to take advantage of a chance to see the team more locally, should the away regulars not fill the allocations.

Domsdad · May 30, 2018

Frutos said:
The 'smaller' Northern aways will probably still sell well as exiles with lower LP totals will be able to take advantage of a chance to see the team more locally, should the away regulars not fill the allocations.

Yes, that's right. I remember Mansfield away, midweek Doncaster, Rochdale etc. Not complaining - those were happy days.
Don't remember many of these away regulars you talk about though - except for us exiles.
That's us who can now look forward to Burnley (again) but not Manchester Utd or Liverpool because we're not loyal enough.

Beach Hut · May 30, 2018

Domsdad said:
That's us who can now look forward to Burnley (again) but not Manchester Utd or Liverpool because we're not loyal enough.

You are loyal but not in the way the club has set up the loyalty scheme

KingKev · May 31, 2018

drew said:
503.

Epic season of 15 league away games (and only two victories!!).

Won't be repeating that this year though.

My “best” away season totalled 13 league games and yielded one solitary draw. Mind, that was at Hereford though

drew · May 31, 2018

Beach Hut said:
You are loyal but not in the way the club has set up the loyalty scheme

Exactly. One of the flaws of the scheme is that corporate 1901 tickets, ie tickets in the name of a company rather than an individual, seem to earn loyalty points so the company can buy away tickets and dish them out to anyone so you could have people who have hardly ever been ending up with tickets for the 'best' away games! I don't have a problem with having such a scheme but tickets should be allocated to individuals and only individuals should be able to accrue loyalty points. However it is unlikely to change as the club will not want to upset their corporate hospitality sector!

Giraffe · May 31, 2018

There was a very clear pattern last season where it became easier to get a ticket for away games.

I tracked sales for every away game last season and every away match after West ham away went to at least the third tier of sales, most went all the way down to fifth tier, many went down to all season ticket holders, some to all members.

So regardless of being slow off the mark at the start of the season had you been quick after that I am pretty sure you could have built your totals last season.

I thought it was a closed shop, but my daughter started the season on 185 points but ended it on 355. It was possible to build them, it really was.

I now think the scheme is spot on and anyone who hasn't got the points has only themselves to blame really.

Next season will undoubtedly be less popular for some games up North, and therefore again you should be able to build your points if you literally go whenever they are available to you.

CorgiRegisteredFriend · May 31, 2018

I’m going to attempt to visit grounds I missed out on last season- only a few. Arsenal was at such a bad time of the day with trains running late that I’d like to try there again.

Goldstone1976 · May 31, 2018

drew said:
Exactly. One of the flaws of the scheme is that corporate 1901 tickets, ie tickets in the name of a company rather than an individual, seem to earn loyalty points so the company can buy away tickets and dish them out to anyone so you could have people who have hardly ever been ending up with tickets for the 'best' away games! I don't have a problem with having such a scheme but tickets should be allocated to individuals and only individuals should be able to accrue loyalty points. However it is unlikely to change as the club will not want to upset their corporate hospitality sector!

I don’t know, but think you’re correct that 1901 tickets held in a company name accrue loyalty points. However, in order to have got tickets for the “best” away games last season, they’d have needed to have been in the top (or second) tier of LP, which would have meant they’d been buying away tickets for a couple of prior seasons. I doubt many would have been doing so, given that anybody who wanted to go would have jut bought a ticket. It’s not much of a freebie if the corporate hospitality is the away stand at Rotherham!

While I agree with the principle of what you’re highlighting, I really doubt it was a problem in practice...

Is it PotG? · May 31, 2018

drew said:
Exactly. One of the flaws of the scheme is that corporate 1901 tickets, ie tickets in the name of a company rather than an individual, seem to earn loyalty points so the company can buy away tickets and dish them out to anyone so you could have people who have hardly ever been ending up with tickets for the 'best' away games! I don't have a problem with having such a scheme but tickets should be allocated to individuals and only individuals should be able to accrue loyalty points. However it is unlikely to change as the club will not want to upset their corporate hospitality sector!

Not one of the many away regulars I speak to are 1901ers. Just been to a load of games over quite a few seasons. :shrug:

Hotchilidog · May 31, 2018

I only missed four last season, but flipping heck it was hard work watching us toil for only 10 goals across 14 games and. three of those were at the London Stadium. I don't think I can do as many next season as I chose football over other commitments and as a result ended up doing far less gigs etc than I normally do.

Of the big new grounds I'd say the Etihad is the best. Manchester is a great city, the round is within walking distance of the centre, the whole campus and City Square is pretty cool so I may return to that one but I'll be giving Old Trafford and the two Liverpool-based games a swerve I reckon.

drew · May 31, 2018

Is it PotG? said:
Not one of the many away regulars I speak to are 1901ers. Just been to a load of games over quite a few seasons.

Good for you.

I'm not saying the majority are 1901ers but it is an anomaly that wasn't addressed, especially after the club's reaction to the Bournemouth cup game. On several occasions have over heard the comment 'when it's my turn for tickets'. Even if it was only 5% of away tickets that would be 150 people not being able to go as someone has jumped the queue.

Is it PotG? · May 31, 2018

drew said:
Good for you.

.

I wasn't referring to myself, more the many fans who have travelled to many matches

Goldstone1976 · May 31, 2018

drew said:
Even if it was only 5% of away tickets that would be 150 people not being able to go as someone has jumped the queue.

5% of normal away tickets last season were sold to 1901 ticket holders where the holder is a company, rather than an individual? Seriously? I doubt it was 0.5%.

Yep, the principle of your point is correct, imo, (company-held 1901 tickets should not be able to just give away tickets to anyone they like as a corporate jolly), but, again, in order to buy away tickets last season for the in-demand games, they'd have to have the LP to be in top tier (or at worst second tier) - meaning they'd have had to be buying away tickets for corporate giveaways for 2 seasons while we were in the Championship. Just not likely that many companies would have been doing that, really.

If they'd wanted to be doing hospitality at Norwich away, they'd be buying 1901-equivalent seats at Norwich on a game by game basis, surely?

dazzer6666 · May 31, 2018

CorgiRegisteredFriend said:
I’m going to attempt to visit grounds I missed out on last season- only a few. Arsenal was at such a bad time of the day with trains running late that I’d like to try there again.

Been there as a neutral a few times, it’s ALWAYS crap.

HalfaSeatOn · May 31, 2018

bhanutz said:
Nail on the head...It appears the JCL away dayers are losing the faith!

Far from it. This thread gives hope that less time will be spent ‘undercover’.

HalfaSeatOn · May 31, 2018

bhanutz said:
Nail on the head...It appears the JCL away dayers are losing the faith!

Far from it. This thread gives hope that less time will be spent ‘undercover’.

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