[SOLD OUT] Spurs away tickets??

[SE9 Blade]

Anybody know if there are likely to be general sale tickets tomorrow? Been to all the previous cup rounds but can't get to league games so am hopeful!

 

[x111Josh]

Anybody know if there are likely to be general sale tickets tomorrow? Been to all the previous cup rounds but can't get to league games so am hopeful!

There's still about 1,000 tickets left apparently.

Just been into the ticket office to purchase some now, but apparently my 15,000 loyalty points accumulated since the start of the points system was introduced mean absolutely f**k all without a current season ticket or membership. So just because I am unable to purchase a season ticket due to work, but still try and get to most matches, my points are useless but Johnny one year and his 2,000 over there can get his no problem. Disgrace!

Sorry, rant over.

 

[Bath Blade]

I'm also interested in the answer to this as I'm after three tickets but have only got loyalty points for two of them. Just tried calling the ticket office to find out whether I'm best buying two today but was number 14 in the queue so gave up.

 

[Foxy]

There's still about 1,000 tickets left apparently.

Just been into the ticket office to purchase some now, but apparently my 15,000 loyalty points accumulated since the start of the points system was introduced mean absolutely f**k all without a current season ticket or membership. So just because I am unable to purchase a season ticket due to work, but still try and get to most matches, my points are useless but Johnny one year and his 2,000 over there can get his no problem. Disgrace!

Sorry, rant over.

Wouldn't they let you buy a membership and therefore activate them? Which would also make it easier/cheaper to buy as and when.

We'd sold 2900 of 4000 by the weekend.

 

[x111Josh]

Wouldn't they let you buy a membership and therefore activate them? Which would also make it easier/cheaper to buy as and when.

We'd sold 2900 of 4000 by the weekend.

Yeah, but it's £10 or whatever for the membership and I need 4 tickets, all for people with 15,000+ points. So an extra £40 on an already very expensive away day didn't sound too appealing to me.

Also the guy behind the desk didn't give me an exact number, but said around 1,000. So would have thought you wouldn't have a problem if you get down fairly early, which is exactly what I'm going to do.

 

[Trigger Blade]

There's still about 1,000 tickets left apparently.

Just been into the ticket office to purchase some now, but apparently my 15,000 loyalty points accumulated since the start of the points system was introduced mean absolutely f**k all without a current season ticket or membership. So just because I am unable to purchase a season ticket due to work, but still try and get to most matches, my points are useless but Johnny one year and his 2,000 over there can get his no problem. Disgrace!

Sorry, rant over.

I have some sympathy with your position, the rules for use of loyalty points changed suddenly last season, when tickets were on sale for the FA Cup semi-final. I was expecting my loyalty points to help me get a ticket, and expected to have to pay the £15 (I think), to activate the card and a number of other people were expecting to do the same. overnight, the club stopped renewals, so that route was blocked.

For this season, the cost of the card went up from £15 (I think), to £20 and the previous discount of £2 on a ticket dropped to £1. Previously, you only needed to buy 8 tickets to get the cost of the card back, this year that rose to 20 tickets. If you order online, you get charged £1 for the service, although there is the cost of postage to be covered.

I renewed my membership this season anyway, but Trig Jnr (TY) only renewed his last week specifically to be sure of getting a Spurs ticket. You could do that and if you're trying to get to most matches, you would get some of the membership cost back.

 

[JJBlade]

The loyalty points system is great but our fans should get in and buy them instead of hanging around because they want to sit with their mates who have only got 15,000.
The semi final was a classic case of the loyalty points slowing the system down when there was already plenty of tickets.
We got an extra 1500 tickets the day before the game and there was no chance of selling them all because people couldn't arrange transport, hotel, babysitter or whatever else they needed.

Clubs like Millwall, Gillingham, Bristol City & Rovers have had 50,000 fans at Wembley in the fairly recent past but by the time our club has finished fucking about we just about get the standard allocation sold.
I know the loyalty points system is fairer, but we have people who have 25,000 loyalty points waiting around because their mates have only got 15,000 and they want to sit with them, this means that additional allocations that could be available for some games never materialise.

The Tottenham tickets are the same, it is pretty obvious and has been for two weeks that the loyalty points system is no longer required for this match. This could be due to any number of reasons, majority of people working or fans being unable to get trains back or whatever other reason.

The club should use the loyalty points system but they should close up the gap, give anyone with over 15,000 a chance to get a ticket for 2 days and 2 days only, then one day for all those with less than 15,000 points. After that put them on general sale. I'm sure that those with sufficient points will get their tickets but they need to hurry up and get them purchased and stop hanging around.

Tottenham also use a loyalty points system, have their fans messed about like ours ? No, they haven't and as a result they have been sent some more.

I'm not saying we'd get more for the Spurs game but there has been numerous occasions over the last few years when more could have been available if the club got the bloody things sold quickly enough and the fans didn't mess about in buying them.

 

[blade too long]

hard to believe when we beat spurs 6-0 there were less than 17000 there
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/sheffield-united_tottenham-hotspur/index/spielbericht/1111570

 

[AnotherSpur]

Our Loyalty Points system has its pros & cons. It works on a 5yr rolling system, so any points you got for matches attended 5 seasons ago are wiped off at the start of each season. Good if you are a regular attendee at current games but bad if you had accumulated points watching shit games in the 1990 & early 2000s. Personally, on balance, i agree with it.

Firstly, ST holders (21.5k) get first crack of the whip - fair enough, then any tickets left over go to members (75k). For away games, everyone applies at the same time & after the ST applicants are filled in it goes to members, For example, for the first 4k you gave us, all ST holders were filled & the rest went down to members with 388 points. After you gave us another 1500, it went down to members with 98 points whose details the club obviously had on record & could send of an email to in quick order.

Simple system really, the club know whow many fans want to attend & all they have to do is work out the cut-off point.

If 5k Blades had applied for the 4k tickets on offer at WHL all your officials had to do was kick out the 1k with the lowest points.

 

[AnotherSpur]

And if STs & members are filled, then it goes on general sale.

 

[RichJay]

I have some sympathy with your position, the rules for use of loyalty points changed suddenly last season, when tickets were on sale for the FA Cup semi-final. I was expecting my loyalty points to help me get a ticket, and expected to have to pay the £15 (I think), to activate the card and a number of other people were expecting to do the same. overnight, the club stopped renewals, so that route was blocked.

For this season, the cost of the card went up from £15 (I think), to £20 and the previous discount of £2 on a ticket dropped to £1. Previously, you only needed to buy 8 tickets to get the cost of the card back, this year that rose to 20 tickets. If you order online, you get charged £1 for the service, although there is the cost of postage to be covered.

I renewed my membership this season anyway, but Trig Jnr (TY) only renewed his last week specifically to be sure of getting a Spurs ticket. You could do that and if you're trying to get to most matches, you would get some of the membership cost back.

If you have a membership then you also get a free ticket for a Cat B home league game after attending 5 games. This makes it fairly easy to get the cost of the card back.

 

[x111Josh]

Good points all round, i was un-aware of the free Cat-B ticket and although i knew the system had altered i wasnt sure how it had changed exactly. I do try to get to as many games as possible and would have probaly earned my £20 back by now. I do like the way other clubs seem to run their show, its just a shame we cant take note and alter our own way of doing things.

 

[Trigger Blade]

For example, for the first 4k you gave us, all ST holders were filled & the rest went down to members with 388 points. After you gave us another 1500, it went down to members with 98 points whose details the club obviously had on record & could send of an email to in quick order.

98 points? That's less than two games based on our scoring system, that's not what I call loyalty. I've got 15,000+, I'd be the king of White Hart Lane with that total

 

[AnotherSpur]

I have less than 400 & i am in the top 0.5% of 75k members. We get anywhere between 1 & 5 points depending on the match, Woolwich at home is 1 point but Burnley away would be 5pts.

 

[Foxy]

98 points? That's less than two games based on our scoring system, that's not what I call loyalty. I've got 15,000+, I'd be the king of White Hart Lane with that total

At last check, I'm 50k+, would I get to play for them or a stand named after me?

The only time the Loyalty Points at Sheffield United become a "problem", is when we have a "big" fixture, when suddenly everyone wants first dibs and every man and their dog catered for

I'm obviously biased always being able to purchase on the first day of sale, but I think it's fine the way it is

Want to go with others with fewer points? simple, do what I do, buy them all as soon as possible and then change them all for tickets together when the person with lowest points is eligible. If they sell out before that (very unlikely), tough luck on the person with the lowest points.

The biggest improvement for me, as I've suggested in the past, would be a check box to select collection in person or to identify the need for a delayed dispatch and combining tickets when ordering online.

 

[AnotherSpur]

I have had to attend something like 100-110 home games in the last 4.5 seasons to accumulate my points!

 

[BusheyBlade]

At last check, I'm 50k+, would I get to play for them or a stand named after me?

The only time the Loyalty Points at Sheffield United become a "problem", is when we have a "big" fixture, when suddenly everyone wants first dibs and every man and their dog catered for

I'm obviously biased always being able to purchase on the first day of sale, but I think it's fine the way it is

Want to go with others with fewer points? simple, do what I do, buy them all as soon as possible and then change them all for tickets together when the person with lowest points is eligible. If they sell out before that (very unlikely), tough luck on the person with the lowest points.

The biggest improvement for me, as I've suggested in the past, would be a check box to select collection in person or to identify the need for a delayed dispatch and combining tickets when ordering online.

Also, in fairness to the club... As we figured during the semi final last season, our selling process was far better than that used by Wigan and Hull.

 

[Wandsworth Blade]

Maybe for games there should be an "expression of interest" posted by the club on the website so they can gauge likely support. From there the club should be able to work out selling strategy. My feeling is that they could have opened the window straight away to all fans with over say 2000 points. London games mid-weeks can get 2,000 pretty easily but will struggle to make 4,000. I think we took around 3,000 to the Fulham replay last year? So based on that the club could easily relax the rules. There is definitely a feeling that current selling strategies curtail away attendances. The big following we got against MK Dons a couple of years ago was clearly a result of pay on the day.

 

[JJBlade]

At last check, I'm 50k+, would I get to play for them or a stand named after me?

The only time the Loyalty Points at Sheffield United become a "problem", is when we have a "big" fixture, when suddenly everyone wants first dibs and every man and their dog catered for

I'm obviously biased always being able to purchase on the first day of sale, but I think it's fine the way it is

Want to go with others with fewer points? simple, do what I do, buy them all as soon as possible and then change them all for tickets together when the person with lowest points is eligible. If they sell out before that (very unlikely), tough luck on the person with the lowest points.

The biggest improvement for me, as I've suggested in the past, would be a check box to select collection in person or to identify the need for a delayed dispatch and combining tickets when ordering online.

I just want to make it clear to foxy and all other fans that I do agree with the loyalty points system. Those with the most points should get first dibs at picking whichever seat they want. But, I am not in favour of fans with high loyalty points waiting around so that they can get tickets next to their mates who have less loyalty points.
3,000 tickets went to our opponents when we were in the Premier League, fans of Man Utd, Citeh, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Newcastle didn't hang around waiting until their mates qualified for tickets, they just snapped them up.

The waiting around slows down sales all the way down the line and makes it appear as though we are struggling to sell tickets, as a result additional allocations that could be available for some games such as a play off final or last seasons FA Cup semi final and even games in the Premier League against Fulham, Reading, Middlesbrough etc either don't arrive at all or don't arrive in time for the more casual supporter to make arrangements.

Fans should get the tickets snapped up, get the allocation sold out and see your mates in the boozer and give everyone at the more casual end of our support a chance to get a ticket via an increased allocation.
I firmly believe that if Spurs stadium was of sufficient size and they allowed us 10,000 for a Semi Final they would have been snapped up a fortnight ago if it wasn't for all this waiting around.

 

[dronny_blade]

The points system has its pro's and con's as does the Spurs one and no doubt countless others up and down the land but I think in general it's a huge improvement on the years of queuing round the car park etc.
Genuine question - has anybody not got a ticket for any game featuring The Blades due to the points system? We had this chat on Saturday and yes in the past it might mean that not everybody sat together or got their tickets on the same day, I've not been a season ticket holder every year but I have always got a ticket for every game that I've wanted to go to.

 

[JJBlade]

The points system has its pro's and con's as does the Spurs one and no doubt countless others up and down the land but I think in general it's a huge improvement on the years of queuing round the car park etc.
Genuine question - has anybody not got a ticket for any game featuring The Blades due to the points system? We had this chat on Saturday and yes in the past it might mean that not everybody sat together or got their tickets on the same day, I've not been a season ticket holder every year but I have always got a ticket for every game that I've wanted to go to.

I think anybody that wants a ticket for most games involving United have been able to get one. But for a lot of games we could have more tickets if people got their act together and bought them instead of mucking about.

I was at Spurs for our first away game back in the Premier League, it was a Tuesday or Wednesday night game and I was sat in with the Spurs fans on a corporate hospitality night, I was just to the left of the United fans in the corner.
It was very sad to see the away end half empty for our first away game back in the big time, if there was no loyalty points system at all it would have been full and everyone that was there that night would still have been there but there would have been another 1000 or so with them.
I do agree with the system but it needs a few tweaks here and there to get some of the people at the top end of the loyalty points system off their asses instead of waiting around with this blasé attitude that they can get one whenever they want.

The thing about selling tickets is to get them sold and get them sold immediately so that there is at least an off chance of an increased allocation. This was never a problem before the loyalty points system but it has been a problem ever since.
Our away support at run of the mill games is down, it is still very good but it is still down nonetheless on what we could take away with a bit more flexibility and speed, we have ample opportunity in League One to take more fans to away games as the clubs in League One would be delighted to give us extra tickets. It's just that it takes our fans so long to juggle things around and make sure that their mates get one before they make their minds up that we end up just having a basic allocation.

 

[Deleted member 875]

I think anybody that wants a ticket for most games involving United have been able to get one. But for a lot of games we could have more tickets if people got their act together and bought them instead of mucking about.

I was at Spurs for our first away game back in the Premier League, it was a Tuesday or Wednesday night game and I was sat in with the Spurs fans on a corporate hospitality night, I was just to the left of the United fans in the corner.
It was very sad to see the away end half empty for our first away game back in the big time, if there was no loyalty points system at all it would have been full and everyone that was there that night would still have been there but there would have been another 1000 or so with them.
I do agree with the system but it needs a few tweaks here and there to get some of the people at the top end of the loyalty points system off their asses instead of waiting around with this blasé attitude that they can get one whenever they want.

.

That is bollocks.

For that game and that was the first game we used the loyalty point system, and it went as follows

First Dibs - Renewing ST holders with a Luton Stub
Second Dibs - Renewing ST holders
Third Dibs - ST holders

I think the loyalty system is a great idea, purely because it protects my own interest, with over 30k points i can get a ticket for any Blades game i want to go to, and i have had to miss out on games before down to the old system

 

[ZoneManWilf]

One thing the need to do with the loyalty points system is update it so it doesn't track points from the dawn of time.

I'm allright jack here on 29k points, but what about younger lads (and lasses) who start following the Blades on a regular basis, but say only for the last few years? They're probably still miles behind me, so will be at a disadvantage for big games, even though they might have been to 35-40 away games over the last 2 seasons for example.

I think the points should be counted for the last 4-5 seasons only, not right back to 2006.

 

[AnotherSpur]

One thing the need to do with the loyalty points system is update it so it doesn't track points from the dawn of time.

I'm allright jack here on 29k points, but what about younger lads (and lasses) who start following the Blades on a regular basis, but say only for the last few years? They're probably still miles behind me, so will be at a disadvantage for big games, even though they might have been to 35-40 away games over the last 2 seasons for example.

I think the points should be counted for the last 4-5 seasons only, not right back to 2006.

The same as us.

We also have a cut-off point as well, if you havent applied by a certain time & date it is irrelevant how many points you have.

 

[JJBlade]

That is bollocks.

For that game and that was the first game we used the loyalty point system, and it went as follows

First Dibs - Renewing ST holders with a Luton Stub
Second Dibs - Renewing ST holders
Third Dibs - ST holders

I think the loyalty system is a great idea, purely because it protects my own interest, with over 30k points i can get a ticket for any Blades game i want to go to, and i have had to miss out on games before down to the old system

Is there any need for the "That is bollocks" comment. I've said all along that I agree that a system has to be in place, but some of our fans need a kick up the arse in getting their tickets because their slowing the whole process down. Never once in the history of Semi Finals has a pitiful 4000 allocation remained unsold after two weeks.
Our support in the Premier League away games was disappointing on the whole and many games weren't sold out, this was at a time when our away support should have been even better.
I'm not banging my own drum here because I have no intention of going to away games anymore and have no plans to travel to Spurs. But FFS if you are entitled to a ticket and you want to go, get one bought and get the allocation sold out is all I'm saying. People hanging around ruin the chances of additional tickets for big games arriving.

 

[JJBlade]

Maybe for games there should be an "expression of interest" posted by the club on the website so they can gauge likely support. From there the club should be able to work out selling strategy. My feeling is that they could have opened the window straight away to all fans with over say 2000 points. London games mid-weeks can get 2,000 pretty easily but will struggle to make 4,000. I think we took around 3,000 to the Fulham replay last year? So based on that the club could easily relax the rules. There is definitely a feeling that current selling strategies curtail away attendances. The big following we got against MK Dons a couple of years ago was clearly a result of pay on the day.

This is a good idea.
The loyalty system is fine for ensuring that our loyalist fans get tickets but it has had an impact on travelling numbers due to certain fans not being given sufficient time to make plans.

 

[boo radley]

Is there any need for the "That is bollocks" comment. I've said all along that I agree that a system has to be in place, but some of our fans need a kick up the arse in getting their tickets because their slowing the whole process down. Never once in the history of Semi Finals has a pitiful 4000 allocation remained unsold after two weeks.
Our support in the Premier League away games was disappointing on the whole and many games weren't sold out, this was at a time when our away support should have been even better.
I'm not banging my own drum here because I have no intention of going to away games anymore and have no plans to travel to Spurs. But FFS if you are entitled to a ticket and you want to go, get one bought and get the allocation sold out is all I'm saying. People hanging around ruin the chances of additional tickets for big games arriving.

What about Away Blades who buy their tickets early for an away game and then decide they cannot make it so return the tickets the day before and prevent others from having a chance to buy those tickets, Is that fair?

 

[Bath Blade]

What a bloody shambles. Can't order two tickets online as my mate's account is not linked to mine. Now on hold in position 21.

 

[AnotherSpur]

I have mates who wont go to a game if they cant be with other friends, Always found that attitude odd. If i can sit with mates, all well & good but i have been to countless games home, away & abroad on my tod. I usually bump into a few faces that i know anyway.
Dont really need someone to hold my hand!

 

[Canterbury Blade]

Another perspective or two...

Separate Home and away points totals
Living over 200 miles away since 1993 has meant I haven't had a season ticket. Some may say that's a bit plastic, but work, life, wife, travel costs and the like mean that no matter what, I will never be up there with the pack. The system rightly or wrongly favours those with season tickets. How about separate points totals for away matches and also for home matches? That way those who go away a bit, rather than home matches, either through geography, life or by preference can still go away.

Friend purchases
How many of the points are actually earnt by the holder nowadays? I get many tickets now from people with season tickets who have higher points who don't go away so much now. I get a ticket they get the points. This works well for long distance games but becomes hard for local fixtures when they want to go. This transferable activity however perpetuates the issue, as I will never build up enough of my own and my mates allocation rises through my attendance.

Away end Loyalty
To see the Blades I've occasionally gone in the away end. Most recently, Chesterfield. I got away with it as I'm not on the Members or ST data base and on the day I dressed as a farmer and practiced me 'Ducks', I kid you not. Saw the Blades in what can only be described as difficult circumstances but again got no loyalty points, expect on Chesterfields data base. I'm also on Brighton's and Brentford's databases and keep getting really annoying emails from them.

Friends
Living down here for over twenty years I've made a few mates who like to come to see United and have a jar or few. It's a day out and ensures wider support for United and company for me. Gaining three or four tickets except for the obscure games is really hard. Again no loyalty points for being a Southern apostle.

Travel costs
Away days take planning for days out and often open sale comes round very close to game time. That means plans have to be pended, plus rail fares go up and this makes away days less attractive. I also have to convince the missus at the last minute. Again no loyalty points for managing domestic harmony.

Manure effect
Some mates are season ticket holders for Man U and travel up on the Kent Reds coach. However, in reality the ticket they are on has been passed on from another person since time began, I believe, in some cases the original person is now dead, but the ST is still paid for in his name and has become owned by the mob rather than reallocated. This virtual ability to go to matches bears no resemblance to who the club thinks goes. I wonder how many sons or daughters are operating in the name of family members at United?

I know I'm not providing many answers here, but the issue over who gets tickets to matches and how they are obtained does need a bit of a clever look. I cut my Blades teeth going away in the early Eighties and I loved it. I wonder as has been expressed here, how many current Junior blades can get a look in and remember, they are the future...

As a simple thought, Maybe allocate 10 per cent of tickets for sale on the first day to whoever calls first on the day, either on web, phone or person regardless of points? That way, loyalty pointers get a look in but so do the new breed...