Whole Stadium to be a Cash free zone. (UPDATED)

[Lord Howe-Howe]

It's amazing how much ambition this club has when it comes to things off the pitch. We definately belong in the Premier League. The amount of schemes to milk the supporters is ridiculous. As usual STAR is too busy in bed with Reading FC over everything that the only things they get up in arms about are the nonsense in the papers... Boo hoo to the extra game... Boo hoo to sitting down, when will STAR actually do something for the exploitative manner in which Reading FC supporters are treated. Answer: never.

I have been to stadiums around the world, much larger than the Madejski, and they seem to perform fine managing food and drink with cash. In America the stadiums are gigantic, 80,000 capacity and what not, but they do not have the tenacity to rip off the working class with more 'admin fees' and rubbish like this. A card will speed up service a bit, but there will be times when there are problems. I am sure only recently the staff have learned how to use maths for cash. The easist way to speed up service is get better service workers, but I suppose that costs more money. No go.

I'm sure right now Howe & Co are dreaming up new ways to introduce shiney plastic cards to supporters, maybe one required for going to the loo? I think in this society and most capitalist societies we are all too aware of how people cannot manage their own spending, but all I am asking that people are still able to use cash inconjuction with cards. Give people the choice of cash or card, and I would imagine most will still use cash, but if not surely that is the better way to judge if the system is more effective than just saying one or the other.

Good work STAR, I hope you got your premier league brick.

[STAR Voice]

It's amazing how much ambition this club has when it comes to things off the pitch. We definately belong in the Premier League. The amount of schemes to milk the supporters is ridiculous. As usual STAR is too busy in bed with Reading FC over everything that the only things they get up in arms about are the nonsense in the papers... Boo hoo to the extra game... Boo hoo to sitting down, when will STAR actually do something for the exploitative manner in which Reading FC supporters are treated. Answer: never.

I have been to stadiums around the world, much larger than the Madejski, and they seem to perform fine managing food and drink with cash. In America the stadiums are gigantic, 80,000 capacity and what not, but they do not have the tenacity to rip off the working class with more 'admin fees' and rubbish like this. A card will speed up service a bit, but there will be times when there are problems. I am sure only recently the staff have learned how to use maths for cash. The easist way to speed up service is get better service workers, but I suppose that costs more money. No go.

I'm sure right now Howe & Co are dreaming up new ways to introduce shiney plastic cards to supporters, maybe one required for going to the loo? I think in this society and most capitalist societies we are all too aware of how people cannot manage their own spending, but all I am asking that people are still able to use cash inconjuction with cards. Give people the choice of cash or card, and I would imagine most will still use cash, but if not surely that is the better way to judge if the system is more effective than just saying one or the other.

Good work STAR, I hope you got your premier league brick.

Troll alert

A fine post number 1! Just how long did you have to wait to get that additional ID authorised?

[The 17 Bus]

The name is a good play on words tho.

If takings drop the cash free zones will be scrapped, RFC and those that introduce it will end up looking kinda daft

[weybridgewanderer]

the cash free zone will make little difference to the service times

what it will mean is

1/ less temporary staff handling cash which may mean tills don't balance, subsequently reducing risk to the caterer

2/ money paid into someones account (the caterer or RFC I am not clear) in advance and earning interest in their account leading to major cash flow advantages. currently they get th emoney after I buy a beer, now they will get th emoney 3 weeks before I buy the beer

this is why it will remain

[Whore Jackie]

the cash free zone will make little difference to the service times

what it will mean is

1/ less temporary staff handling cash which may mean tills don't balance, subsequently reducing risk to the caterer

2/ money paid into someones account (the caterer or RFC I am not clear) in advance and earning interest in their account leading to major cash flow advantages. currently they get th emoney after I buy a beer, now they will get th emoney 3 weeks before I buy the beer

this is why it will remain

Point 1 being particularly prevalent. Actually think the service times will improve. It just needs the staff and fans getting to grips with it.

[silas]

Even more reason to only get to the ground just before kick off, and drink in shooters at half time.

[Whore Jackie]

Even more reason to only get to the ground just before kick off, and drink in shooters at half time.

Well indeed.

Pub, Ale, Taxi, Stadium for 3, Football > > > > > Stadium for 1, Fans moaning about a relatively simple card payment system, Lager, Tosser with the mic, Football.

[John Madejski's Wallet]

These things do work in many places - schools, colleges, workplace canteens, etc

All those are places where people can expect to be for 5 days-a-week, 40-50 weeks of the year, not just 25 times at irregular intervals (give or take a couple depending on cup runs). That puts a whole different complexion on it for a lot of people - a system you use every day is a lot easier to accept than one you only use once a fortnight or more.

True but then surely you just load the card up accordingly. If you know that there are say 3 home games in a month and you like a half time pie/pint then just load the card up with enough to cover that amount for that period, and top up as needed.

Like the member cards........won't this further restrict people coming along to the odd game? Thinking especially of first timers.

I already know a few people that have wanted to go to a game for the first time, only to not bother when i've told them how they go abot getting a ticket. If I were to now tell them they need a pre-loaded card to get any food or drink, there is even less chance of them going.......... and just at a time when attendences are dropping.

Just wondering...

[Sir Rodney Effing]

Even more reason to only get to the ground just before kick off, and

drink in shooters at half time

.

Not really feasible for whole x thousand who want a half time drink though.

Service, space and time is naff as it is, before a rush to Shooters (I realise not everyone would go there but you get the point)

[The 17 Bus]

I understand there may have been a problem in the upper west today, anyone know any more???

[AF1]

It's amazing how much ambition this club has when it comes to things off the pitch. We definately belong in the Premier League. The amount of schemes to milk the supporters is ridiculous. As usual STAR is too busy in bed with Reading FC over everything that the only things they get up in arms about are the nonsense in the papers... Boo hoo to the extra game... Boo hoo to sitting down, when will STAR actually do something for the exploitative manner in which Reading FC supporters are treated. Answer: never.

Could not 'gree more

smh @ STAR official responce being to dismiss this as trolling when we all know its true RFC prolly promised STAR some new badges and pins for the top brass

[North Somerset Royal]

I understand there may have been a problem in the upper west today, anyone know any more???

Things certainly did not go as smoothly yesterday as they did during the trial period. Last season the UW was almost 100% ST but yesterday there seemed to be a lot of families with paper tickets who were trying to pay cash at the kiosks. Having got to the serving point they were told that they had to go and buy a cash card. This meant that queues were longer at the kiosks and at the cash top up point. I think that this season with more casual/occasional supporters than last it might be more problematic. Also I am sure that in the trial period better quality people were employed in the kiosks than is the norm. We have now reverted to those with little English one of whom served me with a Guiness when I asked for bitter!

[Royal Lady]

The queues at the kiosks are NOT, in our experience, due to people fiddling around paying with cash, it's because the servers STILL don't know what a "lager" is, you HAVE to ask for FOSTERS or they're stumped and some don't know the difference between a half and a pint. They faff around and give you a pint with a quarter of a pint of head on it, so people pass them back and ask to have them topped up properly (and quite right too) - the payment part is the easiest of all at the moment. Oh and then at the part of the concourse we went to, the cola wasn't working, so we had to pay for the beer and then queue up and pay further down for the coke.

[North Somerset Royal]

Last night the system let me down. I checked my balance on line before leaving home which was over £11. However when trying to buy beer the system showed that I had no credit. They eventually sorted it out but they had to call a supervisor and all in all it took a long time. Also generally the queues seemed to be getting longer. I think that one of the reasons it worked so well last season was that the whole of UW(North) was filled by ST's. That meant that once they got used to the system everyone turned up at the counter with a loaded card. This year a lot did not renew or moved to cheaper areas with the result that there are lots of people who have paper tickets or member cards with nothing loaded. They have to buy credit but the problem is they do not generally discover this until they have got to the front of the queue at the kiosk.

[kwik-silva]

I didn't really notice anything wrong with the system except the fact you have to say that you want a Meal Deal, not just a tea and a twix

[Norfolk Royal]

Pathetic attempt to rip the supporters off.

[Maguire]

When will the other stands become cash free?

(I havent' heard about this and fooked if I'm reading the thread)

[Maguire]

When will the other stands become cash free?

(I havent' heard about this and fooked if I'm reading the thread)

[Maguire]

When will the other stands become cash free?

(I havent' heard about this and fooked if I'm reading the thread)

[Maguire]

When will the other stands become cash free?

(I havent' heard about this and fooked if I'm reading the thread)