Loyalty Point Gripe (again) - your views/poll

[diplomat]

Get ready for the bunfight for tickets when we go mob handed to Devon on a promotion celebration

 

[bricktop]

I should be alright, but failing that i've got a sister who lives in Devon with a local postcode, brother in law's best mate is from Exeter as well, but he is a Royal Marine and as hard as fuck.

 

[shorehamview]

.no time at all for part timers

How part time do they have to be? One of my brothers is a policeman, and before that he was a soldier. When working he tended to miss a lot of games, because he's either been serving his country or, later, his community. What about all those people who work odd hours, in whatever line of work they choose? There's a lot of difference between "can't make every game" and "can't be arsed to make every game".


Also, I certainly think that the current loyalty system is flawed, but it's better than all the other sugestions I've seen. I've got a lot of points, but again, due to family and work commitments I don't get to many away games, so when I do want to go I am not first in line. I take my chances, but if I wanted to be first in line I knew the answer.

Olle's system is, so far, probably the best of the alternatives I've seen. Perhaps a change is needed, perhaps not.

 

[cooperblade]

The downside of the loyalty point scheme is that it gives people an 'excuse' not to purchase tickets (can't sit with my mates, more difficult to organise purchasing in groups etc) at a time when people don't need much of a reason to not attend. Hopefully that will change if our current run continues and it only really affects away games which don't matter financially to SUFC.

I've got plenty of points so the scheme has usually benefitted me. It's a bit different this season with my son now attending away games - there's about 17,000 gap between my points and his - so the scheme has meant he couldn't go to Chesterfield for example.

I wouldn't make any major surgery to the scheme (it would probably be expensive) but would relax it on more occasions.

 

[Highbury_Blade]

I would keep it, but bring it in for certain games only, and not have as big a gap between season tickets and general sale, an also not as many classifications either.

Having a loyalty point system in place for games like Carlisle is just plain daft.

 

[shorehamview]

Having a loyalty point system in place for games like Carlisle is just plain daft.

You get awarded more loyalty points for going away to far-flung shitholes like Carlisle than you do for hopping on the tram to travel to near-flung shitholes like Hillsborough. That's another way it "rewards" those who go most. After all, not many people relish a trip to Cumbria at the best of times, never mind in the middle of winter.

 

[bartman]

I think we should keep the loyalty points system . The benefits are quite simple as far as I can see

1. rewards fans that go home and away....not just season tickets holders who never go away or just try to go to the local ones
2. Stops the ridiculous idea that queing from 4.30am in the morning entitles you to a ticket for a big away game (e.g. what the pigs do when they play us)
3. Staggers the sales so the ticket office isn't overwhelmed and the supporters don't have to queue for hours...the play off final against Burnley being a prime example

Yes there are downsides as with all systems as it cannot cater for all fans' situations but this ones seems to fit the majority.

I'm not a season ticket holder at the moment(was working away at the beginning of the season and didn't think i would get to many games) so I became a member....cost £15 but more than got back with a discount on home games and at the club shop. I still get points for the games I do attend but the season ticket holders are rewarded 1st which is right

 

[Highbury_Blade]

You're 3rd point is a very good one, but when you've only sold 300 tickets for a top of the table clash, then you have to wonder what's the point? I predict we'll see a sharp rise in purchases for the charlton game when it goes on general sale

 

[alcoblade]

The loyalty point system takes fairness to such an extreme that when we have one of the biggest games in years, a play-off semi, we can't shift the tickets. Being above the upper threshold it's no problem to me, but it makes arranging away trips with a few mates a nightmare. I'd bin it for something far simpler.

UTB

 

[Ollessendro]

Turned into an interesting debate this.

The thing is that the club can't make policy for the minority, but minority support or not, it needs to be addressed somehow to enable the loyal fan groups living/ from other parts of the country to stand a chance, whilst not hindering those that travel more frequently.

A few years ago the exiled blades in Amsterdam and the Hague set up the "BEE's" (blades exiles and expats) which focused on blades abroad having a bit of a collective voice. It seemed to work well at the time and the lads that set it up (along with the forum) got some decent communication set up with the club.

My suggestion would be to get together with other London / southern blades and get in contact with the club, perhaps as a supporters club.

Alternatively, you could text me and use my points, although this will only serve to boost my points and you wouldn't benefit

Thanks for suggestion. It is probably worth thinking about.

Your last sentance is interesting. I have done this quite a lot over recent years. I still have quite a few mates in Shef that are season ticket holders. So for big games i have just asked them. Sometimes it is just easier (as they are buying tickets anyway, I am guaranteed, we can sit together etc) and of course they are happy to get the points. This means I get my tickets, but lose out further when it comes to the points system.

if your owt like a blade you would have loads of points .points for home matches add up on a match by match basis.im afraid if you havnt got 2500 points now after the schemes been running for years then ive no sympathy.no time at all for part timers

The numpty from the kop who spouts "were where these buggers, when we got 9k under Heath" when we get 28k vs Wednesday arrives.

I've been living in London for several years now. Before that I was over doing a Masters degree in Ireland. I did some travelling sandwiched between that and my first degree. I had a season ticket for a period in the early to mid 90's, but 6th form college and having to work part time/weekends put an end to that. Ever since then I guess I've been a 'part timer'. I guess the loyalty points system came in whilst I was travelling/living in Ireland. It it quite right that I should be towards the back of the queue and I have no qualm with more loyal supporters getting tickets ahead of me. That said I've been to the best part of 30 games in the last 4 seasons (since being back in the country/London) and that should have amassed me somewhere between 2500 and 4500 points. However, I guess combination of mates buying tickets or using someone's season ticket/membership details has done me out of quite a lot of points.

Keep it as it is, that way everybody knows where they stand, and it doesn't cause anyone any hassle. You've still got your Charlton ticket, so your happy, the loyalty system hasn't hindered you.

To be honest i don't know why you don't try and get a season ticket, if you book early enough there are generally always good deals available on trains up to Sheffield on a saturday morning and back down again. That way you'll build up some loyalty points, enjoy some real ale in the likes of the Sheffield Tap and the Rutland, and if you go to roughly over 15 home games you'll save a bit as well.

I love coming back to Sheffield and goign to watching Sheffield United. I prefer the ale and the people up North. Love to get to the Rutland, Sheffield Tap, up Eccy Road or to Kelham Island. I generally do it 5-10 times a season. However, I just cannot make more than that. As I attend most of the Southern games too, it can be quite time consuming. Basically our lass will just not have it!? We both work quite hard and only get to spend 'quality time' together at the weekend. She breaks by balls enough for disappearning for one weekend every 3 or 4. If I went every other, then there'd be ell on. I like a good session when I go to the matches and hence it involves me going for the whole weekend or a long day. For the sake of our relationship I can only go to one in every 3 or 4 matches (on average).

I think it works absolutely fine as it is.

I understand it can be frustrating for those with less points waiting longer to get a ticket, but the thing people seem to forget is that the club have the stats.

The club know just how many people fit into each category and can therefore make an informed decision on how to divvy up the dates/bands. This means that should everybody in the top bands buy a ticket for "match X", a certain percentage of those with most points would be guarenteed a ticket. I know I'd be pretty miffed personally if it became possible for me to miss out because the bands were changed and someone who only turned up now and again got a ticket before me. If I was on the other side of the situation, I'd completely understand if I didn't get one due to demand, dissapointed, but would understand.

I'm pretty high up in the loyalty points "standings" having been to very nearly all games home and away (missed the odd one) since the points system began and sometimes sit with the person with the highest number of points since the system began - I've never had a problem getting tickets together with mates/groups of people at all different tiers/points totals, including those who have to wait for general sale.

There had to be an unfair point where it started, but now it's been running for so long it would be much worse to change it drastically in my opinion.

Fair enough Foxy. My only come back to this is that it sets up a viscous circle. I get you, Linz, Swiss, Brownie or whoever to buy me tickets for games because I have a low number of points and want to secure a ticket. This means I stay on low points (but am happy to get a ticket .... possibly above more loyal fans!?) and you guys increase your points.

How part time do they have to be? One of my brothers is a policeman, and before that he was a soldier. When working he tended to miss a lot of games, because he's either been serving his country or, later, his community. What about all those people who work odd hours, in whatever line of work they choose? There's a lot of difference between "can't make every game" and "can't be arsed to make every game".

Also, I certainly think that the current loyalty system is flawed, but it's better than all the other sugestions I've seen. I've got a lot of points, but again, due to family and work commitments I don't get to many away games, so when I do want to go I am not first in line. I take my chances, but if I wanted to be first in line I knew the answer.

Olle's system is, so far, probably the best of the alternatives I've seen. Perhaps a change is needed, perhaps not.

An unlikely adversary

Life gets in the way for a lot of people. Often football has to be sacrifices. I respect those that go week in week out and would not dream of taking a ticket for a big game, over a die hard supporter. That is certainly not what I am suggesting. Not time for part timers is (as SV says) just daft. It is isolating people that the club needs. It would be like Labour (or the Tories) saying 'fuck the middle class, I'm sticking with the lefties (hard righters)'.

I wouldn't make any major surgery to the scheme (it would probably be expensive) but would relax it on more occasions.

I would keep it, but bring it in for certain games only, and not have as big a gap between season tickets and general sale, an also not as many classifications either.

Having a loyalty point system in place for games like Carlisle is just plain daft.

Coops/Highbury - this is all that I am suggesting.

 

[Zlatan]

I was told that, despite me having a membership, I did not have enough points (I have 2'200)

It might sound harsh, but if you have 2,200 then I think you deserve to wait until general sale. Don't you even get more points than that for buying a season ticket for one season?

For example Chelsea start their loyalty points afresh at the start of the season. Loyal fans, such as season ticket holders, get preference as they get points for season tickets/memberships and then they build points for that season.

That's all well and good until they go and get one of the big four away on the opening day, and you have 30,000+ season ticket holders scrambling for tickets.

 

[bartman]

The loyalty point system takes fairness to such an extreme that when we have one of the biggest games in years, a play-off semi, we can't shift the tickets. Being above the upper threshold it's no problem to me, but it makes arranging away trips with a few mates a nightmare. I'd bin it for something far simpler.

UTB

Surely we didn't sell the tickets because people couldn't go/didn't want to go(Friday night didn't help) rather than the points system ? The tickets went on general sale .

---------- Post added at 02:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:44 PM ----------

You're 3rd point is a very good one, but when you've only sold 300 tickets for a top of the table clash, then you have to wonder what's the point? I predict we'll see a sharp rise in purchases for the charlton game when it goes on general sale

Don't forget than fans had to buy Bury and Carlisle away tickets as well. Still 3 weeks to Charlton

 

[alcoblade]

Surely we didn't sell the tickets because people couldn't go/didn't want to go(Friday night didn't help) rather than the points system ? The tickets went on general sale

I can only speak as I find. I would have gone with a bunch of mates but not expecting tickets to go on general sale I sorted mine early. By the time it was clear they'd been on general sale, most had made alternative plans (ie watching the match in the boozer). It is / was just way too complicated to make group arrangements.

If our priority is to give ultimate fairness over and above maxmising the support at away games then it works just fine. Personally I'd lose a bit of the fairness priority.

UTB

 

[Foxy]

I can only speak as I find. I would have gone with a bunch of mates but not expecting tickets to go on general sale I sorted mine early. By the time it was clear they'd been on general sale, most had made alternative plans (ie watching the match in the boozer). It is / was just way too complicated to make group arrangements.

If our priority is to give ultimate fairness over and above maxmising the support at away games then it works just fine. Personally I'd lose a bit of the fairness priority.

You could have just got yours early if you were worried, then swapped the ones you'd already got for ones with your mates when they could get them... works fairly easily if you're that bothered about sitting together.

 

[bartman]

I find this whole thing of 'i'm not going unless I sit with my mates' or 'I'm not going on my own' rather strange'

At Cheesie,I couldn't sit with my family as they have more points than me so I got a solo ticket a day after. We travelled together,had a drink together before the match and at half time,but watched the game with other like minded individuals who love the Blades...i didn't know them but we still managed to talk to each other

When my kids were young,I often went to away games on my own as you know you will more than often meet someone you know when you are there,or get talking to someone.

Surely,during the game you focus on the game and not your mates ?

 

[alcoblade]

I find this whole thing of 'i'm not going unless I sit with my mates' or 'I'm not going on my own' rather strange'

At Cheesie,I couldn't sit with my family as they have more points than me so I got a solo ticket a day after. We travelled together,had a drink together before the match and at half time,but watched the game with other like minded individuals who love the Blades...i didn't know them but we still managed to talk to each other

When my kids were young,I often went to away games on my own as you know you will more than often meet someone you know when you are there,or get talking to someone.

Surely,during the game you focus on the game and not your mates ?

Doesn't bother me, but it bothers some. And the lateness ofgetting a ticket, in the case of Preston the day before, makes picking up tickets and traveL arrangements difficult. I've got quite a few mates who will take or leave away games. You have to spoon feed 'em. You can quite rightly point out that a loyalty system is there to weed them out. But as I've said, I think maximising away support has been pushed down the pecking order by obsession with infinite fairness. Personally, I'd tweak the balance.


---------- Post added at 04:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 PM ----------

You could have just got yours early if you were worried, then swapped the ones you'd already got for ones with your mates when they could get them... works fairly easily if you're that bothered about sitting together.

I did get mine early. But the lads who didn't expect tickets to go on general sale had just thought fuck it and made other plans. That didnt bother me one iota. Being in a half empty away end for play off semi certainly did. I'm sure the loyalty system works OK most of the time. It let us down badly for that game.

UTB

 

[Foxy]

I did get mine early. But the lads who didn't expect tickets to go on general sale had just thought fuck it and made other plans. That didnt bother me one iota. Being in a half empty away end for play off semi certainly did. I'm sure the loyalty system works OK most of the time. It let us down badly for that game.

To my mind it worked fine, we just had too many who thought "fuck it" or couldn't be arsed to go

I understand your point about having to make it easy for those who don't want to put any effort into getting a ticket, but if people are actually bothered about going, it's really not that difficult, regardless of loyalty points.

 

[alcoblade]

To my mind it worked fine, we just had too many who thought "fuck it" or couldn't be arsed to go

I understand your point about having to make it easy for those who don't want to put any effort into getting a ticket, but if people are actually bothered about going, it's really not that difficult, regardless of loyalty points.

Do you not think it severely reduced the support for that game? Surely more support was more important than making sure someone who is so loyal to have gained 10,000 points got their tickets before "part timers" with a mere 9,000?

UTB

 

[judge]

The more tickets you by the more loyalty points you get
You wouldn't roll up at tescos and expect a free mountain bike if you hadn't got enough club are points
Speculate to accumulate

 

[alcoblade]

The more tickets you by the more loyalty points you get
You wouldn't roll up at tescos and expect a free mountain bike if you hadn't got enough club are points
Speculate to accumulate

Fair enough. When the lads run out to see a half empty away end, they can be safe in the knowledge that those that have made the trip have earned the most points.



UTB

 

[Micalijo]

The away end at PNE that day disgraced our beloved club but when you think who the manager was it is quite easy to understand why.

 

[raul]

Was it a different one to the manager we had when taking 8000+ to South London 6 days earlier?

 

[Foxy]

Fair enough. When the lads run out to see a half empty away end, they can be safe in the knowledge that those that have made the trip have earned the most points.

Or could be arsed to turn up?

The away end at PNE that day disgraced our beloved club but when you think who the manager was it is quite easy to understand why.

Take it you were there to deny the performance Mic?

 

[alcoblade]

Or could be arsed to turn up?



Take it you were there to deny the performance Mic?

I get a feeling you were sat on some fan group that helped devise it.....

As Raul pointed out, we took 8,000+ to London not many days earlier. Plenty of people can be arsed, given the right situation.

The performance at Preston was superb, wasn't it?

UTB

 

[Bladeloyal]

How part time do they have to be? One of my brothers is a policeman, and before that he was a soldier. When working he tended to miss a lot of games, because he's either been serving his country or, later, his community. What about all those people who work odd hours, in whatever line of work they choose? There's a lot of difference between "can't make every game" and "can't be arsed to make every game".


Also, I certainly think that the current loyalty system is flawed, but it's better than all the other sugestions I've seen. I've got a lot of points, but again, due to family and work commitments I don't get to many away games, so when I do want to go I am not first in line. I take my chances, but if I wanted to be first in line I knew the answer.

Olle's system is, so far, probably the best of the alternatives I've seen. Perhaps a change is needed, perhaps not.

part time means if not out of the country and not working and you can get but dont bother .

 

[Foxy]

I get a feeling you were sat on some fan group that helped devise it.....

Nope , I just think that you could turn up on some people's doorstep to pick them up, with tickets in hand and beer on tap for the journey and they'd whinge it was too difficult. If someone wants to attend a match, they will.

With it starting when it did, I missed out on thousands and thousands of points in previous consistant attendance (home and away).

I do however appreciate no longer attempting to sleep rough in the car park to get a ticket though, as memorable as those occaisions are

As Raul pointed out, we took 8,000+ to London not many days earlier. Plenty of people can be arsed, given the right situation.

As I recall, we used loyalty points for that one too didn't we? Yet people managed to get them quite fine.

I forget which match in recent times, but remember the away fixture the night before an allocation went on sale? Those who attended the fixture were at a disadvantage as people had begun sitting in the car park before those at the match would have realistically got back.

 

[BexleyBlade]

Under the system I propose (e.g. members with 10'000 points get first dibs for 3 days, members with 5'000 get dibs for 3 days, members get dibs for a few days before a general sale) season ticket holders, die hards, away every week etc still get the priority. It is just less frustrating for 'part timers'.

For numerous games this season they have modified the system as you've described. I just imagine they expected a higher demand for what is looking increasingly more like a 6-pointer. Given our run of form and position in the table I reckon the ticket office just imagined a larger demand. They made a mistake, you've got your tickets, problem solved.

---------- Post added at 07:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:04 PM ----------

I think it works absolutely fine as it is.

I understand it can be frustrating for those with less points waiting longer to get a ticket, but the thing people seem to forget is that the club have the stats.

The club know just how many people fit into each category and can therefore make an informed decision on how to divvy up the dates/bands. This means that should everybody in the top bands buy a ticket for "match X", a certain percentage of those with most points would be guarenteed a ticket. I know I'd be pretty miffed personally if it became possible for me to miss out because the bands were changed and someone who only turned up now and again got a ticket before me. If I was on the other side of the situation, I'd completely understand if I didn't get one due to demand, dissapointed, but would understand.

I'm pretty high up in the loyalty points "standings" having been to very nearly all games home and away (missed the odd one) since the points system began and sometimes sit with the person with the highest number of points since the system began - I've never had a problem getting tickets together with mates/groups of people at all different tiers/points totals, including those who have to wait for general sale.

There had to be an unfair point where it started, but now it's been running for so long it would be much worse to change it drastically in my opinion.

Couldn't have put it better myself. Also found the ticket office very reasonable when wanting to sit with friends who have less points. Simply buy the ticket at the earliest point you can, wait til your friends are eligible, then ask to swap your group for a bigger group with them. Simples.

 

[Bladeloyal]

no excuses this time .no we couldnt get a ticket ,1500 on general sale 3 weeks to the match they are there for everyone to get ,they will sell out so get them early.saying that ive had mine from day one thanks to the bloody good loyalty scheme .

 

[Micalijo]

Was it a different one to the manager we had when taking 8000+ to South London 6 days earlier?

Nope, it was the same manager who could barely get his side to muster a meaningful attack in a game we had to win.

People had had enough of him, wanted him out. A day on the piss in London is one thing, a trip to Preston is an entirely different matter. The humiliating sight of empty seats in that away end said it all about Kevin Blackwell.

 

[moDtheGod]

Just tried to get three tickets using the new online system. Am only allowed one. Double checked, and the website says general sale today. Is it SUPPOSED to be like that? Not like Sheffield United to make it as hard as possible for folk to get tickets, is it?

I will try and ring them tomorrow, if I get chance, but I'm visiting family in Edinburgh and it's a bit of a hassle, to be honest.

I'm sure once I get through to a human they'll sort it out in ten seconds, so quite why they can't do it online is beyond me. It's taken years to even get this far, and it still isn't any use.