Our Away Supporter Schemes

[andyeastleake]

Given that the B&WF and the Patrons association are now in effect Away supporters membership schemes, could some one please advise what would be the cheapest method for an adult and twelve year old child to join?

The fringe benefits are completely irrelevant to me (given I live over 80 miles from the Mac) so I just want to know the cheapest price.

Are either "club" considering a reduced membership fee for exiles who are in effect paying full whack for benefits they realistically cannot enjoy just to join the away ticket bandwagon?

How do you join the Patrons association these days? Anyone have a link?

(PS You can probably tell paying anything will stick in my throat but the thought of missing say Liverpool away (when I need it to add to the 115 grounds I've seen Town on) on hurts more. However to be fair I'm also so disgusted with this scheme I'm also considering asking for my money back on my ST and saying adios to the club after 38 years - & if Sean Jarvis ever bothers to reply to my e-mails on the subject then his comments will probably determine which route I take).

[HuddsTerrier]

I think Patrons is cheaper Andy

And as another fringe benefit you'll get first dibs at joining the supporters bar if that's up your street

www.htafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/CommercialDetail/0,,10312~1341362,00.html

[rage_of_ed]

Jul 10, 2008 13:25:53 GMT 1 andyeastleake said:

However to be fair I'm also so disgusted with this scheme I'm also considering asking for my money back on my ST and saying adios to the club after 38 years - & if Sean Jarvis ever bothers to reply to my e-mails on the subject then his comments will probably determine which route I take).

[HuddsTerrier]

Jul 10, 2008 13:31:54 GMT 1 rage_of_ed said:

Jul 10, 2008 13:25:53 GMT 1 andyeastleake said:

However to be fair I'm also so disgusted with this scheme I'm also considering asking for my money back on my ST and saying adios to the club after 38 years - & if Sean Jarvis ever bothers to reply to my e-mails on the subject then his comments will probably determine which route I take).

Didn't see that Andy - don't can Huddersfield Town FC fella, especially as it's just about to get exciting again!

No doubt SJ will email you back and you can get into some dialogue with him and hopefully air your grievances. At least you'll then have the satisfaction of knowing you made your point to someone who is in position to influence change - not many football clubs are as open as Town 2008 IMO in that regard

[chris164]

at £2 a week the BWF is pretty good value for money as you can have a junior member for free. The only benifit that applies to locals as you put it would be the gym membership, though that is only for weekends. You'd still be entered for the chance to win up to £1,000 a week and I believe they also have a draw for junior members to be a mascott.

[philex]

I don't see why people have this big problem with the blue and white.

When you think about, how many clubs don't have membership schemes that give you some benefit in regard to buying tickets?

I don't mind paying the £2 a week knowing that it benefits the academy and very very rarely use the gym. The only time being a member of B & W benefitting me last season in regard to tickets was Leeds and Chelsea.

How else can you expect the club to decide it's ticketing policy? The number of years you have had a season ticket? A policy that clearly discriminates against younger fans, in this case the original posters son!

So what can the club possibly do?

[aloevera]

You even get a free shirt!

[betsvigi9]

Jul 10, 2008 16:03:21 GMT 1 philex said:

I don't see why people have this big problem with the blue and white.

When you think about, how many clubs don't have membership schemes that give you some benefit in regard to buying tickets?

I don't mind paying the £2 a week knowing that it benefits the academy and very very rarely use the gym. The only time being a member of B & W benefitting me last season in regard to tickets was Leeds and Chelsea.

How else can you expect the club to decide it's ticketing policy? The number of years you have had a season ticket? A policy that clearly discriminates against younger fans, in this case the original posters son!

So what can the club possibly do?

What's up with everyone at the moment. Nobody seems to be doing anything other than complain. How often last season did the away ticket allocation sell out? Not often I would guess. On the occasions when there is a big demand for tickets, for example the Chelsea match, or the Oldham FA cup game, when supply exceeded demand, the club had to find some way of allocating the tickets in a reasonably equitable way. Giving people who put a bit more into the club than just buying a season ticket slightly greater priority, seems a sensible way of doing it.

I'm sure that if someone can come up with an alternative method that is fairer and not overly bureacratic, the club would listen. The away ticket method only works where an away ticket is issued and that isn't always the case. Apart from having a proper travel club with points issued for matches attended, which would involve anyone wanting to go to an away game having to buy their ticket in advance from the club, I really don't see what alternative there is to the current arrangements, other than a bit of tweaking.

Didn't someone suggest that Sue Beaumont is looking into the possibility of giving long standing season ticket holders greater priority when they have the software to do it. Even that method won't suit everyone, because as philex points out, it will discriminate against younger season ticket holders. The club simply can't win.

I can see that andyeastleake isn't happy, but where is his constructive alternative allocation method? If the club is as successful as we all want it to be, this problem is only going to get worse.

[mids]

Jul 10, 2008 13:25:53 GMT 1 andyeastleake said:

However to be fair I'm also so disgusted with this scheme I'm also considering asking for my money back on my ST and saying adios to the club after 38 years - & if Sean Jarvis ever bothers to reply to my e-mails on the subject then his comments will probably determine which route I take).

I've contacted Sean and, as is the norm, he has replied quickly (within 15mins on this occasion).

He's looking into the emails you have sent to Ann previously, and to the email you have sent him. No doubt he'll get back to you asap with some answers and his/the club's comments, further to the reply he sent you this afternoon.

[andyeastleake]

Thank You HuddsTerrier for the link.

Re Some of the other comments, Betsvigi9 re the lack of an alternative allocation method, you've obviously not seen the plethora of posts I have made on this subject.

IMHO the only criteria that should be used to determine the allocation of tickets is (as actually attending football matches is what being a football supporter is all about) how many games you attend.

You state "Apart from having a proper travel club with points issued for matches attended, which would involve anyone wanting to go to an away game having to buy their ticket in advance from the club, I really don't see what alternative there is"

That is EXACTLY the sort of scheme that I think should be adopted. I think having to buy a ticket in advance is a small inconvenience to suffer to know you've got a more equitable chance of obtaining tickets for big games (& I'd be more than happy to pay a small administration fee for membership of the scheme - it's the paying of a larger fee when I'll get less in return than others that I object to). Supporting the club from a distance is hard both in terms of time and cost and whilst, as an “exile” I don’t expect to be placed higher in the pecking order for tickets, I sure as hell don’t expect to be put at a disadvantage compared to local residents. How many posters would still have a season ticket 19 years after they moved over 120 miles round trip away from the Mac. Not many I dare say.

Membership of spurious organisations and lotteries should be irrelevant (particularly when the benefits of membership of these organizations is heavily biased towards local residents).

I cannot see how anyone can claim the current scheme is not biased against exiles and those with smaller wallets than some.

I'm currently in the former category but was in the latter category when I last lived in Huddersfield as a kid of 17. In 79/80 when I attended 42 league games there is no way on God's earth I could've afforded membership of any of these schemes. Can any body REALLY argue it would have been fair if I'd missed out on a ticket to a big game because of someone with a bigger wallet. I'm sure there must be young kids in a similar position now.

The scheme now seems a brazen attempt to extract more money from supporters (by encouraging the joining of the B&WF). I recognise the club are a business BUT that doesn't mean they should forget they are above all a club that wouldn't exist without it's supporters (who are MUCH MUCH more than mere customers). With this scheme the club has (IMHO) taken it's biggest ever step down the "business" road. Personally I've supported a club for 38 years, I'm not sure I want to spend the time I do travellling to support a mere business.

I think those who argue that such a scheme is rarely needed are completely missing the point. IT MAY be needed and the time to argue about the unfairness of the scheme is now, not when it may be needed (that would be too late).

I accept fully the club is now more open than at any time in the past (and Sean Jarvis should be applauded for that). However Mids you're misleading people with the 15 minutes comment. It was over 28 hours after my e-mail that I got a reply (and without your prompting would he have given me what is only a holding reply THAT quickly). My main gripe was that I wrote to the club at legnth on this subject in December and despite assurances that my e-mail had been forwarded to the relevant person (which I'd assume was SMJ) I NEVER received the courtesy of a reply.

SMJ is a breath of fresh air I accept BUT there is no need to make him out to be better than he is.

[smj1]

Andy

The delay is the response was that I was seeking info from our ticket office team. Which I have now received and sent a reply to you.

Can I suggest we meet the next time you are in Huddersfield and we can discuss the issue?

[betsvigi9]

Jul 11, 2008 13:39:05 GMT 1 andyeastleake said:

Thank You HuddsTerrier for the link.

Re Some of the other comments, Betsvigi9 re the lack of an alternative allocation method, you've obviously not seen the plethora of posts I have made on this subject.

IMHO the only criteria that should be used to determine the allocation of tickets is (as actually attending football matches is what being a football supporter is all about) how many games you attend.

You state "Apart from having a proper travel club with points issued for matches attended, which would involve anyone wanting to go to an away game having to buy their ticket in advance from the club, I really don't see what alternative there is"

That is EXACTLY the sort of scheme that I think should be adopted. I think having to buy a ticket in advance is a small inconvenience to suffer to know you've got a more equitable chance of obtaining tickets for big games (& I'd be more than happy to pay a small administration fee for membership of the scheme - it's the paying of a larger fee when I'll get less in return than others that I object to). Supporting the club from a distance is hard both in terms of time and cost and whilst, as an “exile” I don’t expect to be placed higher in the pecking order for tickets, I sure as hell don’t expect to be put at a disadvantage compared to local residents. How many posters would still have a season ticket 19 years after they moved over 120 miles round trip away from the Mac. Not many I dare say.

Membership of spurious organisations and lotteries should be irrelevant (particularly when the benefits of membership of these organizations is heavily biased towards local residents).

I cannot see how anyone can claim the current scheme is not biased against exiles and those with smaller wallets than some.

I'm currently in the former category but was in the latter category when I last lived in Huddersfield as a kid of 17. In 79/80 when I attended 42 league games there is no way on God's earth I could've afforded membership of any of these schemes. Can any body REALLY argue it would have been fair if I'd missed out on a ticket to a big game because of someone with a bigger wallet. I'm sure there must be young kids in a similar position now.

The scheme now seems a brazen attempt to extract more money from supporters (by encouraging the joining of the B&WF). I recognise the club are a business BUT that doesn't mean they should forget they are above all a club that wouldn't exist without it's supporters (who are MUCH MUCH more than mere customers). With this scheme the club has (IMHO) taken it's biggest ever step down the "business" road. Personally I've supported a club for 38 years, I'm not sure I want to spend the time I do travellling to support a mere business.

I think those who argue that such a scheme is rarely needed are completely missing the point. IT MAY be needed and the time to argue about the unfairness of the scheme is now, not when it may be needed (that would be too late).

I accept fully the club is now more open than at any time in the past (and Sean Jarvis should be applauded for that). However Mids you're misleading people with the 15 minutes comment. It was over 28 hours after my e-mail that I got a reply (and without your prompting would he have given me what is only a holding reply THAT quickly). My main gripe was that I wrote to the club at legnth on this subject in December and despite assurances that my e-mail had been forwarded to the relevant person (which I'd assume was SMJ) I NEVER received the courtesy of a reply.

SMJ is a breath of fresh air I accept BUT there is no need to make him out to be better than he is.

You are right, I probably hadn't kept up with your previous posts on the subject and I am sorry if I implied that you hadn't suggested any alternatives.

I can see from your point of view of someone who regularly attends most away games and lives some distance away from Hudderfield, it would be a good scheme. However, I really don't think that it is necessary to have such a formal scheme for a club that hardly ever sells out of it's away allocation and where very often it is possible to pay on the gate.

It would cost money to administer, they would have to buy or develop new software and there would probably be some sort of membership fee to cover those costs. Also, such a scheme would surely put off those people who don't decide until the last minute, for lots of legitimate reasons, that they want to attend a particular game.

I suspect that it would alienate more supporters than it pleased, me for example. I don't attend many away games, because of unvoidable Saturday morning committments and when I do go it's usually a last minute decision. I can see that such a scheme might be necessary where the away allocation is always or nearly always oversubscribed, but not otherwise.

It's just my opinion on the matter. By the way, I am a B&W foundation member, but I joined long before membership gave preferential treatment for away tickets. It was just a bonus when it did.

The club are in an impossible position, because it is just not possible to please everyone. All they can do is try and strike some sort of balance in terms of fairness, which I am sure they are trying to do, unlike a lot of other clubs; ask a Barnsley fan.

[andyeastleake]

Sean

I've read, re-read & re-read again your e-mail & I'm confused. Which part of your e-mail was dependent on input from the ticket office?

PS Are you training to be a politician? In our correspondence I asked three direct questions . You didn't answer any of them directly

(PS I apologise if it seems I'm giving you a hard time. You are undoubtedly doing a very good job (The best we've ever had in that role IMHO) BUT I find the away ticket scheme impossible to justify (and on the basis of the quality of your response - SO DO YOU).

[paulorossi]

Andy, on the basis of your persistence with this subject, it appears to me that you will only be happy when you are in the top priority and the "exclusive" club.

If you go away you will get stubs and be near enough the top not to worry about tickets for any possible big match.

I don't use the gym so the fact that i live local means nothing as far as BWF membership is concerned. I think you are getting worked up about nothing and seem to be on a personal crusade just to benefit yourself, and quite frankly i think Sean Jarvis is a busy fella at the moment who has more important things to be doing than trying to develop an away scheme that will create problems because a lot of people will be complaining again (and withdrawing their BWF membership) which will ultimately mean less revenue for the club .

[hughphamism]

Andy,

I expect there will be plenty of games that will sell out if we are up the top of the table next season so I do think it will be an issue.

With regards to it being biased against exiles is it so biased?

With the Patrons you would only miss 1 meeting a month which is hardly that great a miss is it? The irony of that is that it's free to attend for all anyway & not that many people do (compared to our ticket base anyway).

The Blue & white foundation I couldn't find full details on the Town website(!) but the only 1 can think of is free gym membership at weekends & hardly anyone takes that up anyway. I think I've only used it twice in 5 years. Clearly hardly anyone's using it as the place would be heaving as the gym is only small & there's over 2000 members of the BWF.

I accept that these things are unobtainable to you but the key thing about these schemes is the extra revenue people are giving the academy & most people took these things out long before the ticket system was in force.

There's been plenty of threads about how the club should reward long term fans & this a way they have done it (admittedly it's open to new members as well now).

Having said all that there are always going to be winners & losers in these schemes & it would seem like you will lose out.

Here's the patrons link. I think it's £50 which will be the cheapest way of 'jumping the queue'.

www.htafcpatrons.com/

Someone mentioned about Sheff Utd doing their scheme by miles but that would surely lead to people doing the 2 longest trips just to jump the queue as well. No system is perfect. Having been in englandfans I know - there were people who were expert at faking travel documents etc to keep themself in the automatic ticket band.

[mids]

Jul 11, 2008 13:39:05 GMT 1 andyeastleake said:

However Mids you're misleading people with the 15 minutes comment. It was over 28 hours after my e-mail that I got a reply (and without your prompting would he have given me what is only a holding reply THAT quickly).

SMJ is a breath of fresh air I accept BUT there is no need to make him out to be better than he is.

I was only telling the truth Andy. He replied to me within 15mins, as he usually does.

For what it's worth I have every sympathy for your plight regarding away tickets, as I am a long way down the queue at the moment myself....so I'm in a quandry as to whether to join the B&WF/Patrons.

[shelbourne]

I`d join the B&W then you would have some benefit of a cash win.

[marshian]

Nobody seems to have taken up the 'spurious organisations' quote made by the original poster. What exactly do you mean by that Mr E?

[andyeastleake]

Paulo

You have me so so wrong.

I assure you I have more than enough money in the bank (& no mortgage) that I could buy myself into the top tier without the blink of an eye (just like you did).

If I'm on any sort of "personal crusade" (as you put it) it is because its plain to me the scheme is unfair.

With this scheme the club are (more than ever they have done before) putting the size of your bank balance ahead of your loyalty to the club.

We're putting ourselves on a par with clubs from the "Greedy" league and I really really don't want to see that happen.

I've invested far too much time, money and (most importantly) emotion into this club over the last 38 years to sit by whilst we tarnish ourselves putting pound notes ahead of fairness.

If I'm on a "crusade" then it's much more for the 17 year old version of me than the 45 year old version & because I care about the club and I care about the concept of fairness.

But hey from your posts you seem the sort of person who doesn't really give a sh*t about that concept so I can see why you're struggling to understand.

[paulorossi]

Andy, sorry if you don't understand me but i'm 40 and really don't have time for personal crusades against a scheme that is as fair as it can be.

All i want to do is watch Town whenever i can, which i have done for 29 years, and have a bloody good day out into the bargain. You seem to be in a minority of moaners out there who are worried that you might not get a ticket for a really important match, well i've never failed to get a ticket for any Town match ever, sometimes had to blag a bit by hook or crook (Cheltenham and the 1st Chelsea match), but never been dissapointed (until i've got through the turnstile!). You are going well over the top here, lost the plot?, i think so. If you are so p****ed off then maybe it's time to give it a break.

And no mortgage too, you've got principles, fair enough, but they are not in context with modern times, you're just beating yourself up over all this.

HTFC is a business, £100 season tickets are the bait! Now you are not stupid, but don't you think that is a good offer?

[philex]

Andy would you put your suggestion for a fair away ticket policy that the club could implement without investing in new software or being further complicated than it is?

Obviously we're all here to put our points across so it would be interesting to see how you would do things given the choice.

[hughphamism]

For fear of winding Andy up further here I would expect they could do it pretty easily.

When you buy an away ticket they seem to go onto the screen & attach it to your details. If they don't then they certainly could some how.

Mids (or was it smj1) mentioned moving onto some new system, maybe that can help.

I think the club are right to reward people that put extra money in, it makes perfect business sense but that loyal regular away fans should be rewarded equally. Let's face it that would only have been a couple of hundred people last season!

[philex]

www.htafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/TicketsNewsDetail/0,,10312~1336535,00.html

If you look at the new priorities, how many people will actually be in category 1?! I would be pretty confident in saying not many.

So the vast majority of people who go to away games regularly are not being 'punished' this season for not being a member of B&W/Patrons as they were last season.

If you fall in to category 3 or 4 I don't think you really have much ground to complain as the fans that are consistently supporting the club are being put ahead of you.

[paulorossi]

Jul 13, 2008 13:14:01 GMT 1 philex said:

www.htafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/TicketsNewsDetail/0,,10312~1336535,00.html

If you look at the new priorities, how many people will actually be in category 1?! I would be pretty confident in saying not many.

So the vast majority of people who go to away games regularly are not being 'punished' this season for not being a member of B&W/Patrons as they were last season.

If you fall in to category 3 or 4 I don't think you really have much ground to complain as the fans that are consistently supporting the club are being put ahead of you.

Very well put Philex, and to me this looks as fair as it can be but you just can't please some people

[philex]

Well we shall see what Andy comes up with and if he has a meeting with Sean then he can make his case to him too.

No doubt his solution will create even more debate!

[Spacedeck]

Like Philex said there isn't going to be that many in Category 1 like people are thinking (Altho I sure will be).

I don't think there is much more they can do with the away tickets.

And if you do travel to away games regular then you are coming in just behind so there is a very good chance of getting a ticket. :/

[jacko]

Jul 10, 2008 13:25:53 GMT 1 andyeastleake said:

Given that the B&WF and the Patrons association are now in effect Away supporters membership schemes, could some one please advise what would be the cheapest method for an adult and twelve year old child to join?

The fringe benefits are completely irrelevant to me (given I live over 80 miles from the Mac) so I just want to know the cheapest price.

Are either "club" considering a reduced membership fee for exiles who are in effect paying full whack for benefits they realistically cannot enjoy just to join the away ticket bandwagon?

How do you join the Patrons association these days? Anyone have a link?

(PS You can probably tell paying anything will stick in my throat but the thought of missing say Liverpool away (when I need it to add to the 115 grounds I've seen Town on) on hurts more. However to be fair I'm also so disgusted with this scheme I'm also considering asking for my money back on my ST and saying adios to the club after 38 years - & if Sean Jarvis ever bothers to reply to my e-mails on the subject then his comments will probably determine which route I take).

Please can you explain what is wrong with the scheme?. All I have a problem with is for the big game last season. Season ticket holders could only get 1 ticket for the Chelsea match whilst people getting a ticket on general sale could get upto 10 and some people cueing up since 6am on the day getting none.