Loyalty Scheme / Pay on the Gate

[yorkshire seagull]

Hi

As some of you know, I go to almost all away games, yet not many home ones. I think the loyalty scheme proposed by the club is a good idea, but am not sure how exactly it will work.

Take the Rochdale away game for example. According to the club's website, tickets are only available on the day - how would this work for a loyalty scheme? How would Brighton ever know that I had attended the game, unless I have to go through the trouble of sending the ticket in?

Any ideas?

 

[Bozza]

They won't.

In the Championship, where we all hope to be, almost every game will involve tickets being sold by the Albion at least in the first instance, as has been the case for most games this season also. The advice will be: always buy from the Albion when you can in order for your 'loyalty' to be recorded.

Those who pay on the day will not have their loyalty recorded, and I really can't see a "send us your stubs" thing ever happening - too much cost and effort.

Games that are solely pay on the day will be very few and far between so their impact on the scheme will be minimal.

 

[chimneys]

Games that are solely pay on the day will be very few and far between so their impact on the scheme will be minimal.

But its those few games like Rochdale which demonstrate the loyalty the club is supposedly looking to reward.

 

[Easy 10]

But its those few games like Rochdale which demonstrate the loyalty the club is supposedly looking to reward.

Realistically, what else are they supposed to do ?

The club has set up a database which will record all away tickets purchased via them. Outside of that, if you choose to pay on the gate then thats your call but you'll just have to accept that it won't be recorded.

 

[Bozza]

But its those few games like Rochdale which demonstrate the loyalty the club is supposedly looking to reward.

I might be wrong, but the above is my guess as to how it will work.

I really don't think this will be an issue - how many games in the Championship won't see the Albion selling tickets first?

 

[chimneys]

Realistically, what else are they supposed to do ?

The club has set up a database which will record all away tickets purchased via them. Outside of that, if you choose to pay on the gate then thats your call but you'll just have to accept that it won't be recorded.

I appreciate it wont be many games, but it is precisely those games that are going to be undersubscribed where fans should be most rewarded under the loyalty scheme when it comes to getting tickets for future oversubscribed games (particularly if 1901 do get first dibs on big away games). England does it by sending stubs in.

 

[Bozza]

I really can't see there being any games in the Championship where tickets are not available first from the club.

And if there are, I would rather the club do NOT offer a "send your stubs" in scheme as I think the club can deploy resources on something more constructive.

 

[Superphil]

If Rochdale is only POTG, then it will not benefit nor effect anyones loyalty points, it makes no difference to anyone, whatsoever.

 

[Pantani]

This Rochdale game being pay on the gate only is the first one we have had for two seasons. The reason Rochdale can do this is because they give away fans all of one side, 3,650 capacity, so there is no way we will sell out. There is no chance that Championship clubs will make any games POTG and I am surprised, despite what I have said above, that Rochdale are allowed to by their local police.

 

[Spider]

If Rochdale is only POTG, then it will not benefit nor effect anyones loyalty points, it makes no difference to anyone, whatsoever.

I'm not sure your logic is quite right there! Obviously it won't make any difference between POTG and Advance, but it still means people that go will get no reward compared to those that sat at home.

 

[Easy 10]

Thats life innit.

 

[Superphil]

You might get some Championship sides doing POTG , but there will also be the option to buy tickets from the Albion in most cases, just like there is now. If you go for POTG, then you don't register for any loyalty points, simples.

 

[Bozza]

If Rochdale is only POTG, then it will not benefit nor effect anyones loyalty points, it makes no difference to anyone, whatsoever.

You've missed the point somewhat - we're not discussing this season. The point is...

i) Next season we will have a new loyalty scheme in place.
ii) The scheme will record loyalty for all tickets bought via the Albion (exact details to be announced)
iii) Everyone accepts that if a game becomes POTG and you buy a ticket this way then your loyalty will not be recorded - you should have bought from the Albion.
iv) However, if a game from next season onwards is POTG only then how will loyalty be recorded as there is an argument that if a game is POTG only, it won't be a glamour game and those who go may be displaying more loyalty than those who go to the high profile games and as such should be recognised.

(But as above, I think occasions will be very few and far between and so should be ignored.)

 

[Bozza]

You might get some Championship sides doing POTG , but there will also be the option to buy tickets from the Albion in most cases, just like there is now. If you go for POTG, then you don't register for any loyalty points, simples.

Again, you're missing it. Everyone accepts that if you go POTG when the option to buy from the Albion exists then you miss out. No complaints there.

The point was on POTG only games.

 

[chimneys]

I'm not sure your logic is quite right there! Obviously it won't make any difference between POTG and Advance, but it still means people that go will get no reward compared to those that sat at home.

Agreed. In fact Superphil's point was illogical!!

 

[Superphil]

I'm not sure your logic is quite right there! Obviously it won't make any difference between POTG and Advance, but it still means people that go will get no reward compared to those that sat at home.

But that's the point, it makes no difference, to anyone. If by going to just one Rochdale game you think that the loyalty points you get are enough to make a difference when we draw West Ham or Spurs in the cup, then I think that is wildly optimistic. Surely loyalty in this context is about regular attendance, not just one away game.

Thats life innit.

Yes, yes it is.

 

[chimneys]

You've missed the point somewhat - we're not discussing this season. The point is...

i) Next season we will have a new loyalty scheme in place.
ii) The scheme will record loyalty for all tickets bought via the Albion (exact details to be announced)
iii) Everyone accepts that if a game becomes POTG and you buy a ticket this way then your loyalty will not be recorded - you should have bought from the Albion.
iv) However, if a game from next season onwards is POTG only then how will loyalty be recorded as there is an argument that if a game is POTG only, it won't be a glamour game and those who go may be displaying more loyalty than those who go to the high profile games and as such should be recognised.

(But as above, I think occasions will be very few and far between and so should be ignored.)

Perfectly described (but a waste of 2 mins of your life Bozza!).

 

[Superphil]

Seems logical to me

I thought this thread was specifically about the Rochdale game, this season

 

[chimneys]

But that's the point, it makes no difference, to anyone. If by going to just one Rochdale game you think that the loyalty points you get are enough to make a difference when we draw West Ham or Spurs in the cup, then I think that is wildly optimistic. Surely loyalty in this context is about regular attendance, not just one away game.

Ah-you've given us a bit more info on your thought process now!

But it still stands that its the undersubscribed away games (might just be one or two) where your loyalty stands you apart from the majority who will go to all the obvious aways. And particularlky relevant if the 1901 does get priority angry:).

 

[Spider]

But that's the point, it makes no difference, to anyone. If by going to just one Rochdale game you think that the loyalty points you get are enough to make a difference when we draw West Ham or Spurs in the cup, then I think that is wildly optimistic. Surely loyalty in this context is about regular attendance, not just one away game.

That's fair enough, we're probably talking about a couple of points compared to loads more for season tickets (although obviously to have the scheme in place it needs to be applicable to as many games as possible), but that wasn't your original point.

Anyway, this is a somewhat banal discussion. If there's one game a season which is POTG it doesn't matter, the loyalty scheme just doesn't run for that game. People who go regularly to away games (or even semi-regularly) are not going to be the ones that miss out, it's the people who intend to go to Palace away, Southampton away and any Premiership club away we get in the cup that might find themselves struggling to find tickets.