Away tickets

[working class hero]

The current system is fine.

Perhaps a local number to phone would be an improvement though?

[Billy The Fish]

Totally anti the suggestion. There is bugger all wrong with the current system, so if it ain't broke why fix it?

What he said.

[sheshnu]

The current system is fine.

Perhaps a local number to phone would be an improvement though?

There's no 'perhaps' about it - the ticket office phone line is a totally unjustifiable rip-off.

[Avon Royal]

I have just been to a meeting at the ticket office and there are several good ideas around for improving the sale of away tickets.

So why didn't you tell us about them instead of the rubbish ones in your post?

[royalsteve]

Totally anti the suggestion. There is bugger all wrong with the current system, so if it ain't broke why fix it? To reiterate AF1's points, firstly this just seems like another way for the ticket office to bugger up, and also there were NO problems with the seat allocations last year. Given our recent experience of Championship grounds I would hazard a guess that there should be no problems next year either, and it's not as though we'll sell out our allocations every week is it. We only did that last year in the Premiership three times, and once was because the club totally underestimated the demand for tickets at Birmingham! The ticket office staff are used to the system, it works pretty much like clockwork now, so why the hell should we change it?

Added to the suggestion, if we're going to send tickets out closer to the game than when bought you have two factors to take into consideration:

1) The potential extra cost. Personal callers cost nothing to sell tickets to, telephone and internet callers do. Given that the club need to make cutbacks, why change the system to something that is potentially more expensive?

2) The Royal Mail: if we're potentially sending, say, 1500+ tickets a week before a game in one go First Class do we actually trust the Royal Mail to get the tickets there on time? Given their constant cutbacks I certainly wouldn't. The only way you're guaranteed to get them there on time is if you send them Special Delivery at £4.60 a pop (guaranteed next working day delivery), and I can't see the club doing that.

re: point 2 - no, RM are hopeless and WILL lose most of it

[PieEater]

The whole premise of the the argument seems to be that the ASTs are the ones who are complaining. How many people are these? ~100 in 2000?

How about delaying of allocating AST holders seats until sales have started, allocate their tickets in a smarter way (like not off the top of the pile, or scrap the AST and make them buy tickets for games like everyone else.

The other ideas may have a place in premium games, but how many are "priority games" will there be next season? i.e the ideas are trying to find a solution for a problem that won't exist.

[mini _dariusz]

I would probably follow a priority scheme like Liverpool and other clubs use. You have an away member scheme which people sign up to, you then have a ballot for all members for the first away game of the season. If there are enough tickets available versus people that apply then all receive one, if it is over subscribed then you do a lottery for the x amount. You then prioritise the games ongoing

Away game 1 = Ballot or a ticket for everyone depending on numbers
Away game 2 = Proof of purchase for Away game 1 first dibs to apply again, then open to all after date break
Away game 3 = Proof of purchase for Away game 1 & 2, then one away game, then open to all

This works very well in rewarding the most loyal away fans first for any game, including Cup games away from home. It might need a bit of a tweak of the Royalty points scheme to have a separate points scheme but ultimately it works.

You're not quite correct there. They offer away tickets to STH's on the basis of away games the previous season, so those that went to 12, then 10 then 8 example get priority. This goes for all games in the current season.

A much better than Reading's "put your money into shit home games and we'll reward you for games like Leicester away" scheme.

Finch suggested this when RFC entered the Premier league, starliason came back and said "the club aren't going to change their system so why bother trying"

[STAR Liaison]

The whole premise of the the argument seems to be that the ASTs are the ones who are complaining. How many people are these? ~100 in 2000?

Well as far as I am concerned this is one of the few problems people have contacted me about rather than just moaning on HNA? So I take that as a problem that may need sorting. Added to that is the fact that the ticket office manager has also had sufficient complaints that he feels it is a problem to be sorted - hence a suggestion.

The solution was based on LI semi-final awy tickets where they used the 'take the money and send the tickets all together' worked for 10,000 at Twickenham with, despite the complaints on here. Royal Mail doing their part.

[STAR Liaison]

Finch suggested this when RFC entered the Premier league, starliason came back and said "the club aren't going to change their system so why bother trying"

That was then and this is now - a completely different ticket office manager who has worked at other sports venues and who has a better appreciation of what people want and, so far, an ability to put new ideas into action without fanfares but with success.

It is noticeable that the TO complaints have been much less in the 18 months since he came - he knows that in some ways last year was easier with so many STs for home games but still wants to improve both home and away sales. Don't forget the TO get very little for the sale of away tickets, it is much more a service for the club than a money maker. That said he is willing to contemplate sending out all away tickets for the benefit of supporters and maybe his benefit in the allocation of the time in his office.

[STAR Liaison]

The current system is fine.

Perhaps a local number to phone would be an improvement though?

There is little chance of a local number but there are changes from the 0870 number in the pipeline.

Having said that the waiting times are about 2 minutes for the last season and the maximum wait was 10 minutes I was told.

[AF1]

The whole premise of the the argument seems to be that the ASTs are the ones who are complaining. How many people are these? ~100 in 2000?

Well as far as I am concerned this is one of the few problems people have contacted me about rather than just moaning on HNA?

I'd like to know what these complaints are. As already stated I had no problems last season with where I was placed and haven't heard of anyone else complaining before.

[The 17 Bus]

The club do gain from selling away tickets though, as there is basically a reciprocal agreement with teams to sell tickets at the Madstad.

What would be great would be if it was possible for the clubs to use similar sysyems, and for RFC to be able to sell away seats using a seating plan, then the away club dispatch the tickets, I feel sure that RFC's system could make this easy, but many clubs will not have similar systems.

Perhaps in the future this will happen between clubs.

[RG30]

Some consistency with away points would be a start. IIRC, the pre season friendly away at Brighton (Kerry Mayo testomonial) last season had 5 Royalty points, yet no other pre season games were given points status. Either allocate points for all the pre season games or for none.

Have to agree with other comments though, the system in place currently used is fine and personally would rather get tickets sent out when purchased rather than relying days before-end that it will arrive in time.

Can STAR confirm whether the Exiles ticket distribution will be continuing next season for the away games?

[Royalshow]

What about group bookings? Eg hob nob

[The 17 Bus]

What about group bookings? Eg hob nob

Been done, just need to get it organised, we did it at Wolves many years ago,

[ShrewsandRoyals]

There would be less grief for those wanting to stand if they were towards the back, but these may be restricted view seats in some grounds.

I fully appreciate people wish to try and stand, despite the regulations, but equally there are those with kids that can't see even if they then stand, and those that can't stand for any long periods. Any system needs to consider every aspect fully. It's a no win situation to be honest.

As for delaying tickets - not good from my own experiences of delays this year. Especially if you are an exile.

[STAR Liaison]

I'd like to know what these complaints are. As already stated I had no problems last season with where I was placed and haven't heard of anyone else complaining before.

The most frequent complaint was that the ASTs were often in the corner while those who bought late were behind the goal. The Fulham example was several ASTs were right against the river wall and could not see all of the pitch, whether sitting or standing

[STAR Liaison]

[quote="RG30"
Can STAR confirm whether the Exiles ticket distribution will be continuing next season for the away games?[/quote]

Yes the system for STAR Exiles, both home and away tickets, will continue through the Exiles co-ordinator.

[mini _dariusz]

What's the system for Exiles ?

[STAR Liaison]

What's the system for Exiles ?

It allows Exiles who do not have the opportunity to accumulate loyalty points can arrange through STAR to attend some home games, and there is an arrangement for away tickets for Exiles that is similar. For more info please contact STAR exiles through http://www.star-reading.org.