Ticket Sales

[Deleted]

I feel your pain, Steve. I turned up to get tickets for the Stevenage away game twice. The first was after the start of the game the preceding week (I couldn't get there earlier because the person I brought with me was messing about and made us late). I was told to come back the next day at 9am. I turned up at 9-45am on the Sunday to be told I had to wait until noon. As I have a young family and that was my one day off I wasn't prepared to stand around for over 2 hours nor was I prepared to drive up and down the motorway all day to get a ticket. I had emailed about getting tickets but never received any sort of reply. I'm afraid Maidstone United is big business now. I can't be bothered to get into 70 mile drives in the hope of possibly being allowed to have a ticket to see the team I was following when most people ignored them so I didn't try at all. I might come to the Herne Bay game later in the month when all the big time charlies don't want to venture out on a cold night to get their faces on TV. Other than that I'm not particularly convinced I'll be coming along this side of Christmas.

[binsey]

So 900ish on general means there are loads that are not members , u can't give loyalty to fans that only been to one game eg last week. Simples be a member or season ticket holder guarantee your ticket , the capacity is what it is . Ok you go home and away but the answer is not rewarding who went last week by showing there ticket . There were many season ticket holders and members who didn't go.

[Deleted]

I would like to think the club would be operating a waiting list, as tickets will become available know doubt. Something for future seasons in the way of a loyalty card which could be stamped at the turnstiles would`nt go a miss, possibly with each stamp mark equaling say 10 points, then when the club announce on the website ticket sales they could include this system.

[jt]

The club have a system in place that they have used for each all ticket game.
Everyone seems to know it now and yet people still look for alternatives that suit themselves. There should not be concessions made for anyone regardless of how long you have been going.

Also this is I think the fourth time (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that we have been in this situation.

I'll say what I have said each time I. That the club are damned if they do or damned if they don't.

[Deleted]

Each all ticket game has brought the same and continuing complaints.

1) Some people live a long way away and can't get to the ground between matchdays
2) Not all people work a nice cushty 9-5, Mon-Fri week and can't always get there at certain times.

People are not seeking alternatives simply because they wish to. They simply cannot fulfil the criteria being laid down. Prior to the first Stevenage game there was a comment on the official website saying that every regular fan who wanted a ticket would get one. I'm not sure what else I was supposed to do other than email once and turn up twice with money (the second time being at the time I was told to).

You can sit and say no concessions to regulars (surely by that logic you must then also say no concessions to season ticket holders) but that seems a strange way to do business and anyone thinking on that basis would be better placed in a non-competitive government arena, particularly as one poster on here, can't remember who, said that there were 22 unsold tickets for the away game. I tried twice to get two of them and that is thus lost profit.

[Deleted]

Nov 15, 2014 14:57:27 GMT @sharpy said:

I would like to think the club would be operating a waiting list, as tickets will become available know doubt. Something for future seasons in the way of a loyalty card which could be stamped at the turnstiles would`nt go a miss, possibly with each stamp mark equaling say 10 points, then when the club announce on the website ticket sales they could include this system.

I have mentioned similar ideas, sharpy. I'm not sure how easy that would be to operate without financial outlay. The likelihood is that if capacity is increased then the problem will alleviate itself and is thus a short term problem. Although some on here are convinced that Maidstone United will be getting several thousand coming through the gate if we get a promotion.

[jt]

So perhaps a loyalty scheme of some sort may be an option. This is in effect what a season ticket is, each person has paid for each game prior to the start hence their priority.

With regards to a loyalty scheme how would that work?
You could have a stamp system but would it be on a point system per game or a set number of games?

You would then have the problem of when do you sell tickets to those people and how would you work this?

I do think they have it right with season tickets and fan club members but where after?

[Deleted]

What a joke go all the way to stevenage fc and can't get a ticket for the replay... not good

[Deleted]

If operating a points system you could give one point per home game attended. You then just separate the time slots out more. So on the first day it is season ticket holders and fan club members. On the second day people with over 10 points. The third day people with over 8 points and so on and so on.

The main problem that is being consistenly raised is the fact that people cannot get there on the time slots given because they are at work etc (for instance when I go to work it is 9am to 11pm days) and miss out despite the fact that they have been to many games. If a person can present the relevant points (as per the point system) then surely they could get a ticket even if they are not there at the right time. Surely loyalty should be rewarded otherwise it is soon lost.

[Deleted]

Something along the lines of 10 points for a home game, 15 points for the "lesser" games ie u21, u18 etc, but only at matches where an entrance fee was charged.
When future games are put on sale on the offy site as we have just witnessed, below ST and members the point system would become active.

Not too sure what could be done for away games ?

[toonarmy]

I got my ticket and am looking forward to Thursday, I had no issues buying mine yesterday

[Deleted]

Congrats, Toon. I doubt that will be of little comfort to the likes of Mr Cragg though.

[jt]

But where do the club make a cut off for times they are open?
From what you're saying they should stay open until the last person has been.

Also if you're working those hours I would imagine you get quite a few days off in a row. If jot I would seriously change your job.

[toonarmy]

Not wanting to be difficult but if you attend every home game, then surely it makes sense to buy a season ticket, or if this is not possible spend £15 on fan club membership, guaranteed ticket or maybe I'm over thinking this

[Deleted]

No, I'm not saying that. However, the club was clearly open when I turned up last Sunday or I would not have walked in and asked for a ticket.

I do indeed have other days off. Unfortunately they are taken up in childcare and being with family. I did turn up at the time I was advised to the day before. As I stated, I am not going to keep making 70 mile round trips to maybe be allowed to buy a ticket. Surely the club would want to sell a ticket to someone that has been coming fairly regularly for years and years? While I appreciate your point about can't change the rules for everyone I would say that this is where the points system would come into it's own. I might also point out that the one ticket per person rule was hardly kept to was it?

It doesn't matter that much now because I didn't bother with trying to get a ticket for the replay and won't bother with Wrexham if we get through. I haven't bothered today (must look up the score) and won't bother with Hythe. I might make an effort to come to the Herne Bay game but will possibly not bother again until after Christmas.