Pay On The Gate

[YES Blade]

i shall ask him when i see him / i am not sure if he has internet to be honest

I think with a lot of these things it comes down to how motivated someone is to go to matches.

I’m not saying this is the case with your mate, but some might use ticket purchase problems as an excuse to not go. If they really wanted to go they’d find a way.

 

[GymClassHero]

I think the bigger issue is how ridiculously difficult the club has mad getting tickets in general, more so for 'big games'.

Correct me if this is already the case, but why can't tickets go on open sale for any of our fans - regardless of points - after a certain cut off point, providing they aren't sold out?

I.e. the final 7 days

 

[Greasy Chap Butty]

I think the bigger issue is how ridiculously difficult the club has mad getting tickets in general, more so for 'big games'.

Correct me if this is already the case, but why can't tickets go on open sale for any of our fans - regardless of points - after a certain cut off point, providing they aren't sold out?

I.e. the final 7 days

I think the issue is what does 'our fans' mean, and how that is determined. If it just means 'home areas' then it could cause issues. In the Championship though. It would only really be an issue for a minority of games eg ones where the away end is sold out.
Maybe general sale could be to Sheffield based postcodes, or having a club login from before the general sale.
In any instance Pay on the Gate isn't going to work. Registering, or buying at ticket office maybe.
Also, the ticket office do apply common sense. I've had a ticket for the Mrs, who didn't have enough points, and young 'un got a ticket for a mate visiting from abroad, they were very good.

 

[N20 Blade]

There were a few where that happened Geordies in league cup in 88 was one

Official attendance 17,900. In fairness, that was just the United fans, we forgot to include the 5k from the north-east.

 

[Geordie Blade]

Allowing pay on the gate tends to lead to lower attendances, because a lot of people don't bother committing, and then decide not to attend when the weather is crap, they feel tired/hungover, team form is poor, etc.

 

[N20 Blade]

When was pay on the day with cash stopped at the Lane?

 

[Keen Blade]

I’d imagine a lot of old people know someone that could help with using the internet.

Why doesn’t he just go to the ticket office and buy a ticket?

Out of curiosity , if you go to the ticket office to buy a ticket , what do you get ?
Something on your smartphone ?
And if you've no phone ?
A paper ticket ?

 

[petcharlie]

I think with a lot of these things it comes down to how motivated someone is to go to matches.

I’m not saying this is the case with your mate, but some might use ticket purchase problems as an excuse to not go. If they really wanted to go they’d find a way.

I am not to sure thats the case with this old guy .We often talk about football and he has been going to the lane from the late fifties ,hardly miss a match and he is blades mad . I also think he has no mobile phone and the tech world seems to have bypassed him . I think it is a generation thing ,feel sorry for him really . Might ask him if he wants me to get him a ticket sometime .

 

[alcoblade]

Bring back queueing overnight to get in demand tickets too

All your issues can be solved by a last minute trip to the ticket office. Or buying on your phone late.

A last minutes dash to the ticket office = a half an hour wait
Buying on your phone / the internet really isn't that easy for lots of people.

I'm not simplifying the solution to paying on the gate as it will have its' own complications, but lets not pretend that it's a piece of piss to just turn up and get in the ground - it really isn't.

 

[GymClassHero]

I think the issue is what does 'our fans' mean, and how that is determined. If it just means 'home areas' then it could cause issues. In the Championship though. It would only really be an issue for a minority of games eg ones where the away end is sold out.
Maybe general sale could be to Sheffield based postcodes, or having a club login from before the general sale.
In any instance Pay on the Gate isn't going to work. Registering, or buying at ticket office maybe.
Also, the ticket office do apply common sense. I've had a ticket for the Mrs, who didn't have enough points, and young 'un got a ticket for a mate visiting from abroad, they were very good.

Yeah I guess an easy way round it would be to have a simple ID verified account which you use to pay for tickets, but just removing the requirement for X number of loyalty points in the final days before a game.

 

[Berkshire Blade]

A last minutes dash to the ticket office = a half an hour wait
Buying on your phone / the internet really isn't that easy for lots of people.

I'm not simplifying the solution to paying on the gate as it will have its' own complications, but lets not pretend that it's a piece of piss to just turn up and get in the ground - it really isn't.

The amount of last minute buying a ticket, not having a smart phone, or time to queue would be pretty small though. At the Burnley game I was stuck behind a old guy who got in via a paper ticket.

I doubt many of the non smart phone, no pre planning types willing to spend near or over 40 quid on a random last minute ticket are out there

 

[Flippity Gibbert]

Yeah I guess an easy way round it would be to have a simple ID verified account which you use to pay for tickets, but just removing the requirement for X number of loyalty points in the final days before a game.

I think that as long as you’re a member you can do this when tickets go on general sale.
I’ve not tried as I sit in the south stand with my blanket and a packet of werthers. Only originals mind, non of that modern chewy, sugar free stuff.

 

[Racing Blade]

Some of this links to possibly why non-league attendances have increased in recent years. You can still turn up, on spec, much as the OP describes.

Me and the lad occasionally do this, if we feel like it, and have been to Alfreton, Ilkeston, Matlock in the last couple of years. Saw another group of Blades at the latter.....we were playing Bournemouth away....plus a group of Derby fans. It was a good day out, with 800+ in attendance and a decent game. Paid on the gate.

 

[Jermyn]

I believe the powers that be view football supporters differently to cricket supporters.
Remarkable!!! I personally seem to be the same person whether at a football or cricket game and I'm sure every one else is the same.

Trouble is, kidney puncher's don't go to the cricket

 

[Lord Eddard Muir]

I think back to going down the Lane in the late 90s / early 00s when it never really sold out and I would often find myself sat near people who hadn't been in years bringing their kids along for the first time, random students and, yes, even tourists, all of whom had paid on the gate on a whim. Probably didn't make many lifelong Blades out of the latter but I bet some of the kids and their lapsed-fan dads ended up getting STs

 

[Hartley Hare]

I would also like them to bring back dogs. Dogs should be allowed to go to matches as well.

Anyone going with a Whippet and smoking a pipe should be given a concession.

HH

 

[Sean Thornton]

I’m pretty sure if you went and offered a steward £20 they’d open the gates up for you. Finding a seat might be a lottery but beggars can’t be choosers.

Not being able to sit next to and hold hands with your mate is why we don’t need a 45k capacity stadium.

I’ve read it on here…….

 

[TopBoy]

Did I just wake up in 1925?

I'd take that. Won the cup that year, didn't we.

 

[TopBoy]

Time to bring back the sky blue robin reliants parked around the pitch too.

 

[GymClassHero]

I think that as long as you’re a member you can do this when tickets go on general sale.
I’ve not tried as I sit in the south stand with my blanket and a packet of werthers. Only originals mind, non of that modern chewy, sugar free stuff.

Fucking living the high life mate!

 

[HighfieldBlade]

Out of curiosity , if you go to the ticket office to buy a ticket , what do you get ?
Something on your smartphone ?
And if you've no phone ?
A paper ticket ?

I normally get a paper ticket, as that's my preference for a last minute purchase.
You could get it loaded on to your phone if you want.

 

[HighfieldBlade]

I’ve not tried as I sit in the south stand with my blanket and a packet of werthers. Only originals mind, non of that modern chewy, sugar free stuff.

I'm sure it used to be Nutall's Mintoes before Werthers came along.
Can you even get Mintoes these days?!

 

[alcoblade]

The amount of last minute buying a ticket, not having a smart phone, or time to queue would be pretty small though. At the Burnley game I was stuck behind a old guy who got in via a paper ticket.

I doubt many of the non smart phone, no pre planning types willing to spend near or over 40 quid on a random last minute ticket are out there

I don't think the market's big, but I know it exists. All a bit irrelevant, because other factors dictate it can't be solved.

 

[robbiez666]

Paying the turnstile operators who were always pocketing a lot of the cash

but think about how much tax we used to save from our fake attendances!

 

[robbiez666]

I was considering going to see the Women (I watched Wednesday instead) on Sunday but I don't think you can even pay on the gate for that. I don't really see the point in not having the option to at least pay by contactless for games where it won't be busy. I'm sure there is one steward not doing much before a game who could sit there on an automated turnstile.

 

[joe casey]

I was considering going to see the Women (I watched Wednesday instead) on Sunday but I don't think you can even pay on the gate for that. I don't really see the point in not having the option to at least pay by contactless for games where it won't be busy. I'm sure there is one steward not doing much before a game who could sit there on an automated turnstile.

Just buy on your phone or at the ticket office minutes before kick off!?! I really don't think its a problem

 

[Nesh Blade]

I was considering going to see the Women (I watched Wednesday instead) on Sunday but I don't think you can even pay on the gate for that. I don't really see the point in not having the option to at least pay by contactless for games where it won't be busy. I'm sure there is one steward not doing much before a game who could sit there on an automated turnstile.

They used to have a ticket booth in the car park open for pay on the gate but that stopped when we moved from South to John St and was never reinstated. As someone else has replied though, you can buy up to close to kick off online through the same tickets portal as you do for the men

 

[Sportbilly /Detroit Blade]

I'm sure it used to be Nutall's Mintoes before Werthers came along.
Can you even get Mintoes these days?!

Fill your boots!

 

[BladeByChoice]

These are the examples I was thinking about.

I think the bigger issue is how ridiculously difficult the club has mad getting tickets in general, more so for 'big games'.

Correct me if this is already the case, but why can't tickets go on open sale for any of our fans - regardless of points - after a certain cut off point, providing they aren't sold out?

I.e. the final 7 days

A last minutes dash to the ticket office = a half an hour wait
Buying on your phone / the internet really isn't that easy for lots of people.

I'm not simplifying the solution to paying on the gate as it will have its' own complications, but lets not pretend that it's a piece of piss to just turn up and get in the ground - it really isn't.

This is the story that got me thinking about the subject in the first place.

One of our group couldn’t make the Pigs U21s earlier this season so I passed the ticket on to a neighbour who hasen’t been to a match in 30 years, he really enjoyed it. He phoned Saturday morning and asked if I could get him a ticket for Norwich.

My reply.

Go on the club ticketing site and register, give me your supporter number and I’ll add you to my friends and family, if home supporters don’t need a purchase history, then I’ll get you a ticket with a good view with an empty seat next to it, because its sold out around me, then I’ll contact the ticket office and move my seat for this game so we can sit together, then I’ll email you the ticket.

His answer, don’t fucking bother mate.

The point is, supporters want to go, seats are empty, their has to be an easier way.

 

[BladeByChoice]

...........Pay on the Gate isn't going to work. Registering, or buying at ticket office maybe.
Also, the ticket office do apply common sense. I've had a ticket for the Mrs, who didn't have enough points, and young 'un got a ticket for a mate visiting from abroad, they were very good.

Point taken, but that’s the ticket office taking matters into their own hands and applying common sense, its not the clubs official approach.

Buying a ticket on your phone should be as simple as buying a cinema ticket with just a card and an email address, no account required.

Always the problems with away fans I suppose