Away day club

[Royalshow]

Over the past few weeks there have been many discussions regarding standing/singing and the like,along with people's preferences of location within a stand.This got me thinking about an idea that could ensure away days are far more enjoyable. Although getting hold of away tickets has become far easier with online booking,the unknown seat location means its complete luck where you end up.This can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of the game,as i found out at Villa.Although its general knowledge that the louder fans tend to be at the back of the stand,on many of the away games i have been to this season everyone is dotted around and so songs don't often get going.I seem to recall a nobber saying something along the lines of 'it was great to have about 30 people instantly joining in with most of the chants i started' away at Fulham.Wouldn't it be good to have that at every game.

Many of you will thinking YAWN,singing threads are gay,but then again if you really think about it would make a big difference.I propose that member card holders can opt to join an 'away day club' (wtf stupidest idea ever,what has HNA? come to?)Every away game the football club could reserve(only for a short period and i'm not saying that louder fans are better and therefor should get priority for tickets,not at all) a small section of say 200 seats in a certain block.Those who have joined the club would then be situated within the block until the 200 seats have all gone.If the demand isn't there then everyone else could be seated there as well.If tickets were sold from the back forwards then those seats not sold would not have fans who do not wish to be anything to do with it surrounding them.This would happen simultaneously with other ticket sales.In an allocation of 3,000 two hundred seats being reserved for a couple of days really can't cause to many problems.Fc united fans have proved that around 200 fans singing together can make a hell of a lot of noise and i personally think it would be a great thing to be a part of.

Right then to the criticism! 'The ticket office struggle as it is,this would send them over the edge'

Joining would be a simple tick a box online or a bit of paper.Nothing more.When an allocation of tickets comes through from another club a member of staff could quickly work out the the section of seats for the away day club.This would be tapped into the ticketing system and the seats turn a strange shade of blue on the screen.As requests for tickets come through in person,online and on the phone the ticket sale person/geezer allocate seats as normal.If however you where a member you be be put into the reserved block.

'your can't get an atmosphere like that,anyway singing areas are gay'

All it is doing is putting like minded fans near each other so that the likelihood of songs getting going increase.

'I'd rather things stayed as they are mate!'

If you feel like that then sit(from my example) in the 2,800 seats left

'If you love fc united so much go support them'

i would rather see Reading thanks

I would like to hear your thoughts on this,in particular the people at STAR.If it is 'the worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas' then tell me why and i will shut up about it....even a group of 20 people would be a start.

[Compo's Hat]

I seem to recall a nobber saying something along the lines of 'it was great to have about 30 people instantly joining in with most of the chants i started' away at Fulham.Wouldn't it be good to have that at every game.

Think that was me.

Very good post Royalshow. I was stood at the back at Craven Cottage in an area where the tickets hadn't been sold which meant i could stand with my mates who usually sit round me at the top of the East, as well as those regular away fans who know how it works in regards to standing and singing.

If it could be worked it would be brilliant, not just for me but everyone else regardless of their views on thios topic.

[EASTENDER MARKY]

Agreed, great idea and it would be good.
Perhaps you should email your ideas to the club, I'm sure they'll find some stumbling blocks though!

[DaveM]

How about the club just starts selling tickets from the front. This will leave an amount (depending on away game) of unreserved tickets at the back, that will allow more vocal fans to congregate together.

[Dirk Gently]

How about the club just starts selling tickets from the front. This will leave an amount (depending on away game) of unreserved tickets at the back, that will allow more vocal fans to congregate together.

The PL rules say that the away club dictates which order tickets are to be sold in, and so we have no choice in this.

[West Stand Man]

How about the club just starts selling tickets from the front. This will leave an amount (depending on away game) of unreserved tickets at the back, that will allow more vocal fans to congregate together.

The PL rules say that the away club dictates which order tickets are to be sold in, and so we have no choice in this.

... but if we are the away club (which is what this is all about surely?) then that means we do have a choice in it?

[Dirk Gently]

How about the club just starts selling tickets from the front. This will leave an amount (depending on away game) of unreserved tickets at the back, that will allow more vocal fans to congregate together.

The PL rules say that the away club dictates which order tickets are to be sold in, and so we have no choice in this.

... but if we are the away club (which is what this is all about surely?) then that means we do have a choice in it?

Sorry - brain was elsewhere. The home club tells the away club which order to sell the away allocation in.

[Jerry St Clair]

How about the club just starts selling tickets from the front. This will leave an amount (depending on away game) of unreserved tickets at the back, that will allow more vocal fans to congregate together.

I always ask for tickets at the back when I get away tickets, and the ticket office always oblige. Just ask.

[West Stand Man]

Sorry - brain was elsewhere.

Don't you just love those moments. The sad thing is, for me they get more frequent as I get older!

[Skin]

Good idea. I'd like to part of this club. Its an extension to buying a few tickets for mates, so the club might say you come up with £35 x 200 and we'll give you 200 tickets together.

[bobby1413]

Agree with the sentiments of your thread entirely. I had an AST last season and the biggest disappointment was the random seat placement, I was disappointed nearly every time. Completely correct in your point about the "singers" being scattered around.

I would love your idea to be implemented, but again, it's trying to get this suggestion from here to the club and to be taken seriously. I'm not sure how seriously and how valued support is taken by the club. We've heard players and management say numerous times about how important the atmosphere is to them, but are the management willing to take steps to try and improve it.

[madreadingfan]

love the idea!!

i wuold love to be one of those 200 seats, PLEASEEE send this to reading fc and see what they think!!

[Royalshow]

Is there any chance of star mentioning this to the club? My emails tend to get ignored.

[Toon Toon Blue army]

Good idea.

[Coppelled Streets]

Very good idea and I'd want in too.

I've noticed on the Leeds and Spurs forums that their administrator (our Graham) can arrange block bookings for members of the forum to sit/stand together away from home.

Easy to arrange, it just requires hobnob to go out of his way to speak with the club but would be very easy to set up.

[madreadingfan]

is actually something that we say on here gets taken seriously

But seriously someone should ask the administrator then to organise this, would be really good!!

[Baines]

Very good idea and I'd want in too.

I've noticed on the Leeds and Spurs forums that their administrator (our Graham) can arrange block bookings for members of the forum to sit/stand together away from home.

Easy to arrange, it just requires hobnob to go out of his way to speak with the club but would be very easy to set up.

I was wondering if it be done without the club's approval by the linking of cards? But I guess that the organisation required in terms of movement of money would make that too difficult.

[STAR Liaison]

I would like to hear your thoughts on this,in particular the people at STAR.If it is 'the worst idea in the long sad history of bad ideas' then tell me why and i will shut up about it....even a group of 20 people would be a start.

Happy to raise it at the next management meeting later this month.

[Keeper]

Currently there are very few away season ticket holders, they are all in a batch and get allocated seperately, so in theory it shouldn't be too difficult to organise. However the Club may ask for people to sign up for an AST instead

If you are an AST holder you can specify members of a group of you that can sit together, I don't know if there is a limit but you can have a substantial number of people together in the same block.

I was one of the people at the back at Fulham, it was one of the better atmosphere's we have had in a couple of seasons, the only ones that match that have been games which were undersubscribed so people can move to a section together.

starliaison, is it possible to pitch to the club at the SMM that if they are serious about fans helping the team (especially as things are at the moment) then its not enough to do that at home, its places like Boro and Wigan (which won't be sold out however) that we need our most vociferous support and perhaps they could put something in place for the last few games of the season.

[Compo's Hat]

Worth remembering that sometimes the AST's are put at the front of the stand as they're the first lot of tickets that are distributed.