Meeting with Paul Barber/Martrin Perry/Paul Camillin last night re safe standing

[Man of Harveys]

It's the commercial ticket exchange he objects to.

And there we have it. "Commercial" indeed. Pathetic.

A lot of people have, in recent years, been sneeringly derisive of the more homespun and threadbare nature of the club during the Withdean years. Well, now I guess we're finding out how the other side of the coin looks.

For many reasons but not least by jeopardising an awful lot of good will, the club's made a massive mistake on this issue. Possibly its worst decision since the Dark Days.

 

[attila]

It's not a commercial ticket exchange though. NSC does not make a penny out of it, tickets can only be exchanged at face value.

The NSC ticket exchange is by the fans and for the fans. Many STH are unable to make 23 matches a year, especially those of us who live 250 miles from Brighton, and have had their plans messed about by the club (Millwall being moved from Boxing Day to next Tuesday comes to mind),

Sorry, inaccurate use of the word, of course what I meant was money changing hands rather than the ticket simply being used by someone else. Fortunately I have a mate who is a BREWER to offload mine on when the club decides to move games to nights I'm gigging so I get BEER in exchange, which slightly dulls the pain of missing the Albion

 

[GreersElbow]

Just a matter of inputting a fan number, but can you see the club doing that for free?

No, I can't.

OVERTHROW THE BOARD, AND TAKE CONTROL.

FANS OF BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BUT YOUR FINANCIAL CHAINS.

 

[attila]

And there we have it. "Commercial" indeed. Pathetic.

A lot of people have, in recent years, been sneeringly derisive of the more homespun and threadbare nature of the club during the Withdean years. Well, now I guess we're finding out how the other side of the coin looks.

For many reasons but not least by jeopardising an awful lot of good will, the club's made a massive mistake on this issue. Possibly its worst decision since the Dark Days.

That was MY word MOH and probably slightly inaccurate - see above. Withdean was fun, I enjoyed it and my part in it, what is happening now is fun in a completely different way, it's going to be different, and it's early days.
I am still confident that we will have a huge influence on the future of this Club. We got Dick's Bar and the real ale (for instance) in the face of considerable initial opposition. We are still very much being listened to.

 

[Return of the Rev]

That was MY word MOH and probably slightly inaccurate - see above. Withdean was fun, I enjoyed it and my part in it, what is happening now is fun in a completely different way, it's going to be different, and it's early days.
I am still confident that we will have a huge influence on the future of this Club. We got Dick's Bar and the real ale (for instance) in the face of considerable initial opposition. We are still very much being listened to.

You got dicks bar? throw the dog a bone while you loot the house comes to mind,i think the Albion hierarchy have totally misjudged the type of fans we have and why they come,once my season ticket is not renewed there is no way i will pay the walk up prices and tbh the season ticket price is on the edge of just about ok,i will not be going to the Newcastle game and will resent that this has been forced on me,the goodwill is seeping away pretty quick!

 

[Was not Was]

Just a matter of inputting a fan number, but can you see the club doing that for free?

Normally I change my view as events move on - but, on this, I think the same as I did before we moved in to Falmer: that enabling fans to do this would be in everyone's interests, including the club's: they get the security boost of having a better idea of who is in which seat (if that *really* matters to them) and also an extended database of fans to sell stuff to and be part of the Albion community.

Basically, my relatives I sometimes give my tkts to don't need to have a membership, so the club's not in contact with them. If they'd had a system like you suggest up and running from the first match at Falmer, then the club would have been in a position to email them this time last year, saying something like: "We hope you enjoyed your two trips to the Amex, using your friend's seat. How about getting a five-game package / hat & scarf combo for yourself / Withdean Years DVD for your mate for xmas to say thank you" etc.

 

[Zamo123]

maybe someone should have brought the lack of sataday afternoon kickoff s as it means we cant take our kids to evening games cos of school the next day ?

 

[Ernest]

We got Dicks Bar which is exactly what ? A souless canteen type room that excludes a good percentage of the supporters.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Playing 12 years at the Withdean has created an informal network of tickets exchange. There wouldn't be the possibility of filling a 30,000 stadium were it not for the fans swapping tickets around in the Withdean years that helped preserve, sustain and even nurture the fanbase. The reality was back then was that it wasn't the same 6,000-8,000 fans turning up every two weeks, it was probably nearer double that attending over the course of the season, and I bet a high percentage of those that got hold of tickets 'unofficially' are now STHs at The Amex.

I understand the club want a database of customers and complete control when it comes to identifying who is in what seat, but the fact is fan ticket exchange has benefitted the club and the removal of the exchange seems heavy-handy and insensitive.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

once my season ticket is not renewed there is no way i will pay the walk up prices and tbh the season ticket price is on the edge of just about ok,i will not be going to the Newcastle game and will resent that this has been forced on me,the goodwill is seeping away pretty quick!

You should have said.

 

[Return of the Rev]

You should have said.

sorry

 

[Man of Harveys]

That was MY word MOH and probably slightly inaccurate - see above. Withdean was fun, I enjoyed it and my part in it, what is happening now is fun in a completely different way, it's going to be different, and it's early days.
I am still confident that we will have a huge influence on the future of this Club. We got Dick's Bar and the real ale (for instance) in the face of considerable initial opposition. We are still very much being listened to.

Fair enough: point taken and hats off for a great effort on the other stuff, not least the fantastic and probably unique provision of terrific real ales. I still think this ticket exchange issue stinks through and through though, tbh.

 

[attila]

We got Dicks Bar which is exactly what ? A souless canteen type room that excludes a good percentage of the supporters.

I campaigned hard for a designated supporters' bar when some at the club were saying 'you've got the concourses, you don't need one'. I think most fans would agree that having a designated supporters' bar is a good idea. I think many fans would agree that it could be improved in some ways, but it's better to have something that can be improved upon than nothing at all

 

[keaton]

maybe someone should have brought the lack of sataday afternoon kickoff s as it means we cant take our kids to evening games cos of school the next day ?

That's really an issue for the Football League there's not a lot Albion can do about that

 

[Questions]

We got Dicks Bar which is exactly what ? A souless canteen type room that excludes a good percentage of the supporters.

I'd like to go in there occasionally to meet up with a few faces but the two Cokes my 14 year old son would drink is not deemed enough in the monetary sense to allow him entry.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I can assure you that I argued most forcefully - but yes, I can see that. I do feel that the safe standing issue is in its infancy and there is a long way to go with that one, nationally and at the Albion. I think that on the pricing issue at the moment they are very happy with how things are going and in terms of sales feel there is no need to make any further concessions. Literally. Time will tell whether they are right or not on that one. Personally, I am torn between utter happiness at having a wonderful stadium with wonderful beer that we all fought for and a LITTLE BIT of sadness that some things aren't right - but i have to say that happiness is winning out big time at the moment

did you ask them about their attitude to standing in the north stand presently in light of the implied statement about standing in the back rows?

 

[somerset]

purely because the club aren't interested in safe standing (because they don't see how important it is).

They wont take notice until the atmosphere really gets killed over the next few seasons. We had a great atmosphere last year, with less numbers, next year will be even quieter than this unless something is done, but he has to be told again, sitting kills the enthusiasm of those willing to sing, does he want a morgue? I suspect also that if the atmosphere drops off, so will the teams energy levels, and so may the crowd figures, casual fans wont be enthused to return after a dull lifeless match.

 

[HawkTheSeagull]

Exactly, they are really making a mountain out of a mole hill and most of it is there own doing by moving far to many games this season, commercial lol.

maybe someone should have brought the lack of sataday afternoon kickoff s as it means we cant take our kids to evening games cos of school the next day ?

The club dont choose to move the games, the Football League do when Sky come calling usually (Millwall next week excluded) - i have a good feeling they would rather all matches were at Saturday 3PM too, as thats the most convenient and theres more chance of selling out, so more money for the club - although the money paid by Sky to show games does cover the lost seats which people will inevitably not use as its on TV.

RE Safe Standing - if a club, preferably a PL one, was to trial it - then i think the club will watch closely. If say a trial at Villa went well and there was significant interest in the majority of fans in the North Stand (not just those on an online forum) - then perhaps we can trial it here. What we really need though is a club to start the ball rolling. Atmosphere wont be killed off in the meantime, it would just be the same as usual, unless we are ALL made to sit.

 

[attila]

did you ask them about their attitude to standing in the north stand presently in light of the implied statement about standing in the back rows?

I did precisely that. MP denied that he had ever said 'if you get a ticket for the back four rows we'll let you stand'. He said that it was more along the lines of 'if you are someone who tends to stand more frequently than most, you might like to choose the back four rows because there will be a greater degree of tolerance'......

I'm in the WSL with my wife but have seen some of what has been happening and it does look an over the top reaction to people simply trying to support the Albion without getting in the way of anyone who wants to stay seated.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I did precisely that. MP denied that he had ever said 'if you get a ticket for the back four rows we'll let you stand'. He said that it was more along the lines of 'if you are someone who tends to stand more frequently than most, you might like to choose the back four rows because there will be a greater degree of tolerance'......

.

Greater degree of tolerance.

Well then I would respectfully suggest that by making such a statement and knowing the attitude of the majority of fans who "stand" around us in the NS that they have made a rod for their own backs and it will make it impossible for this to be reversed. The problem is that as soon as people see other people standing behind them, people will stand up...it is endemic in teh north stand and no amount of cajoling and persuasion ( and dare I say it ejections) is going to change that.

Yes we all know it is the law before the usual self rightious fell they need to remind us all, but it is a law that will cause issues until they all give up and make it all standing.

It was the main cause of friction at withers and now, especially with people returning to the fold after giving up on Brighton after the Goldstane, it will be a cause of friction again - witness the last home game!