A point well made - most people have plenty of other things going on their lives, without planning it around a shit football team. If I didn't have a season ticket, I'm not sure I would be going to any extra hassle to spend additional time and money, to generally come away feeling pissed off and poorer. In fact, it is only because I buy a season ticket that I go to every game. There is very little to persuade anyone to go to Plainmoor at the moment without placing additional barriers in the way - whether that be having to make additional trips to the ground, wait on unanswered phones or do it online.brucie wrote:The last post sums it up. Bixie is talking rubbish. The assumption that all but the regular couple of thousand supporters are going to plan their life (or indeed Christmas) around Torquay United is just plain daft.
There will be alot of people looking for something to do tomorrow, fed up with sitting around the house. This has got nothing to do with supporting Man Utd or Arsenal.
How many people who rang up for tickets on Friday would have waited when noone answered the phone.
Not being able to purchase a ticket on the day of the game when there are umpteen tickets available will always be nonsensical.
Exeter tickets
Through my own stupidity I managed to turn up to Plainmoor on Boxing Day without my season ticket, whilst I was in reception explaining my situation (brilliantly sorted out by the way) at least 5 separate supporters came in asking about purchasing Bristol, Exeter and Argyle tickets. When they were told to join the queue outside they all tutted, swore, protested, wrote to OFCOM etc.
This goes to support the theory that the very casual fan has little or no idea about the procedures and mechanisms set up by the club even though they are readily signposted and advertised, are strikingly obvious, and blindingly simple.
Quite simply Torquay United will never be able to do anything right in the eyes of those with little more than a passing interest in the club. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't. For those who attend more frequently all this rigmarole and trying our hardest to be,( and sometimes the falling just short of striving to be) a professionally run club is all part of the charm and attraction of being a fan.
For the record I do not think Thursday's pathetic attendance should be attributed to the club making it all ticket- it has been well documented all season. A 1pm Boxing Day kick off between two desperately poor teams; that sadly, is all the motivation the less committed fan needs when deciding not to attend.
This goes to support the theory that the very casual fan has little or no idea about the procedures and mechanisms set up by the club even though they are readily signposted and advertised, are strikingly obvious, and blindingly simple.
Quite simply Torquay United will never be able to do anything right in the eyes of those with little more than a passing interest in the club. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't. For those who attend more frequently all this rigmarole and trying our hardest to be,( and sometimes the falling just short of striving to be) a professionally run club is all part of the charm and attraction of being a fan.
For the record I do not think Thursday's pathetic attendance should be attributed to the club making it all ticket- it has been well documented all season. A 1pm Boxing Day kick off between two desperately poor teams; that sadly, is all the motivation the less committed fan needs when deciding not to attend.
Ben - you are missing the point completely. It isn't anything to do with peoples intelligence - its more the hassle and making the effort of purchasing a ticket when obstacles are being put in the way.
Come on - if the club advertise that the office is open for tickets and then don't answer the phone for 35 minutes - do you see this as the club being proactive in making an effort to sell tickets?
It took me the best part of an hour and fifteen minutes to get hold of the tickets for the Exeter game.
That was after the wait on the phone, then registering for the online ticketing thing, and then trying to get my printer to work to print the confirmation.
After also being charged £2 extra for the privelege you have to wonder what the hell is going on.
I do appreciate that it might not necessarily be the clubs fault that they cannot sell tickets on the day of the match.
I guess its probably to do with a chief inspector who has come out of university,probably never been to a football match in his life, but will put on his next years career appraisal how excellent he is at risk assessments by making a match between Torquay and Newport all ticket.
Persumably though the overwhelming reasons for making a game such as the Exeter match all ticket are to control numbers entering the ground and to prevent crowd trouble.
Fundamentally though you can still control the numbers entering the ground by selling tickets on the day.
Come on - if the club advertise that the office is open for tickets and then don't answer the phone for 35 minutes - do you see this as the club being proactive in making an effort to sell tickets?
It took me the best part of an hour and fifteen minutes to get hold of the tickets for the Exeter game.
That was after the wait on the phone, then registering for the online ticketing thing, and then trying to get my printer to work to print the confirmation.
After also being charged £2 extra for the privelege you have to wonder what the hell is going on.
I do appreciate that it might not necessarily be the clubs fault that they cannot sell tickets on the day of the match.
I guess its probably to do with a chief inspector who has come out of university,probably never been to a football match in his life, but will put on his next years career appraisal how excellent he is at risk assessments by making a match between Torquay and Newport all ticket.
Persumably though the overwhelming reasons for making a game such as the Exeter match all ticket are to control numbers entering the ground and to prevent crowd trouble.
Fundamentally though you can still control the numbers entering the ground by selling tickets on the day.
-
Gullscorer
- Legend
- Posts: 6575
- Joined: 21 Jul 2011, 23:30
- Contact:
Brucie and Hector are right. Clubs may be restricted by an overload of Elf & Safety rules and politically correct requirements but that should not have denied the general public from access to buy tickets for the Bristol Rovers and Exeter City games during the Christmas week. Unfortunately the ease with which tickets were purchased in Northern Ireland some years ago was not available to people in South Devon in this holiday period.
The question of away fans getting into home areas is a side issue. If that was such a concern for clubs then every game in every league would be all-ticket year after year, since every pay-on-the-day game would pose a risk. There will always be an odd trouble-maker or two who will get into the wrong area, but making tickets available on the day of the match should pose a minimum risk of crowd trouble, and modern technology is sufficiently well-advanced to be able to sort one postal address from another when tickets are ordered on-line.
But, as I said earlier, the real purpose of making a game all-ticket has always been where capacity crowds are expected to prevent people turning up who have to be turned away. Three and a half thousand turned up on Boxing Day, a day when there was no public transport. Yet the game was all-ticket, and ticket availability during the week was severely restricted. If this prevented just a few hundred from getting to the game who might otherwise have been there, this is money the club can ill-afford to lose.
The question of away fans getting into home areas is a side issue. If that was such a concern for clubs then every game in every league would be all-ticket year after year, since every pay-on-the-day game would pose a risk. There will always be an odd trouble-maker or two who will get into the wrong area, but making tickets available on the day of the match should pose a minimum risk of crowd trouble, and modern technology is sufficiently well-advanced to be able to sort one postal address from another when tickets are ordered on-line.
But, as I said earlier, the real purpose of making a game all-ticket has always been where capacity crowds are expected to prevent people turning up who have to be turned away. Three and a half thousand turned up on Boxing Day, a day when there was no public transport. Yet the game was all-ticket, and ticket availability during the week was severely restricted. If this prevented just a few hundred from getting to the game who might otherwise have been there, this is money the club can ill-afford to lose.
Last edited by Gullscorer on 28 Dec 2013, 12:27, edited 1 time in total.
Brucie, I do understand your plight, you are the perfect example of the type of fan for whom the online ticketing system has been set up for, being that you live a fair distance away from Plainmoor, and clearly it is still a hassle for you. I just don't know what the right answer is in terms of making the process any easier?
As has been stated the decision to make it all ticket was most likely out of the club's hands and left to the predilection of some health and safety officer with little or no inclination as to the effect it will have on the club.
That said, every opportunity has been made to be able to purchase a ticket as early as possible. The club can not legislate for fans leaving it until the last minute to decide whether to attend especially when it has advertised 'BIG 5, BIG 4, BIG 3' ticket since pretty much the start of the season. Those who do leave it until the last minute have to appreciate there will be queuing and hassle involved. That's why tickets for gigs and festivals go on sale months in advance.
Its different for you because you can't just stroll up to Plainmoor during the week to pick up your tickets, I accept that, but how do you seriously think the club can improve on these procedures if the decision to make it all ticket is out of their hands?
I accept I am probably blinkered to the realities of the non-diehard, being that as a ST holder I can rock up at 2.55pm without a care in the world. However, I would side with those who prefer to plan ahead, and we are only talking a week or two in advance, those who leave it late, whether voluntarily or enforced, have to face the consequences.
As it happens I queued for an Exeter ticket for my brother, and 2 Argyle tickets also, straight after the Bristol match, and was served within 5 minutes, you can't say fairer than that for availability and speed of service.
As has been stated the decision to make it all ticket was most likely out of the club's hands and left to the predilection of some health and safety officer with little or no inclination as to the effect it will have on the club.
That said, every opportunity has been made to be able to purchase a ticket as early as possible. The club can not legislate for fans leaving it until the last minute to decide whether to attend especially when it has advertised 'BIG 5, BIG 4, BIG 3' ticket since pretty much the start of the season. Those who do leave it until the last minute have to appreciate there will be queuing and hassle involved. That's why tickets for gigs and festivals go on sale months in advance.
Its different for you because you can't just stroll up to Plainmoor during the week to pick up your tickets, I accept that, but how do you seriously think the club can improve on these procedures if the decision to make it all ticket is out of their hands?
I accept I am probably blinkered to the realities of the non-diehard, being that as a ST holder I can rock up at 2.55pm without a care in the world. However, I would side with those who prefer to plan ahead, and we are only talking a week or two in advance, those who leave it late, whether voluntarily or enforced, have to face the consequences.
As it happens I queued for an Exeter ticket for my brother, and 2 Argyle tickets also, straight after the Bristol match, and was served within 5 minutes, you can't say fairer than that for availability and speed of service.
You make some good points, Ben, and you are right - the big 5 (although quite why Newport is one, I am not really sure - they have played here twice in the last 30 years and only Boxing Day 1979, with no segregation, was there trouble) has been advertised all season. Perhaps supporters should be able to print tickets at home.bengull wrote:Brucie, I do understand your plight, you are the perfect example of the type of fan for whom the online ticketing system has been set up for, being that you live a fair distance away from Plainmoor, and clearly it is still a hassle for you. I just don't know what the right answer is in terms of making the process any easier?
As has been stated the decision to make it all ticket was most likely out of the club's hands and left to the predilection of some health and safety officer with little or no inclination as to the effect it will have on the club.
That said, every opportunity has been made to be able to purchase a ticket as early as possible. The club can not legislate for fans leaving it until the last minute to decide whether to attend especially when it has advertised 'BIG 5, BIG 4, BIG 3' ticket since pretty much the start of the season. Those who do leave it until the last minute have to appreciate there will be queuing and hassle involved. That's why tickets for gigs and festivals go on sale months in advance.
Its different for you because you can't just stroll up to Plainmoor during the week to pick up your tickets, I accept that, but how do you seriously think the club can improve on these procedures if the decision to make it all ticket is out of their hands?
I accept I am probably blinkered to the realities of the non-diehard, being that as a ST holder I can rock up at 2.55pm without a care in the world. However, I would side with those who prefer to plan ahead, and we are only talking a week or two in advance, those who leave it late, whether voluntarily or enforced, have to face the consequences.
As it happens I queued for an Exeter ticket for my brother, and 2 Argyle tickets also, straight after the Bristol match, and was served within 5 minutes, you can't say fairer than that for availability and speed of service.
I accept your point about the online ticket service having a few bugs in the system etc. If you advertise the system then it should really be run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, and you probably shouldn't have to wait half an hour to have your call answered either. Given the staff cuts in recent weeks I can see both sides of the argument however, and a bit of patience is required, but not to the point where gaining a ticket becomes a complete pain in the arse.
-
Kernowgull
- Hat Trick Hero
- Posts: 912
- Joined: 06 Sep 2010, 16:52
- Favourite player: Kevin Hill
Ben, its not the individual who doesn't plan ahead who loses out though, he (I) just do something else. Its the club who loses out. This has affected peoples decision not to go to games, so the club need to find a solution, they cannot afford to turn down money. If I'd ordered my Rovers ticket online, I'd probably not have got one, as my postcode is BS4.
i'm done on this subject now anyway. I work in a business where we have to fight for every customer and think Torquay should do the same, scale of economies being even, of course.
Im looking forward to the game tomorrow and hope to get to a few more before the season is out.
i'm done on this subject now anyway. I work in a business where we have to fight for every customer and think Torquay should do the same, scale of economies being even, of course.
Im looking forward to the game tomorrow and hope to get to a few more before the season is out.
-
Gullscorer
- Legend
- Posts: 6575
- Joined: 21 Jul 2011, 23:30
- Contact:
I agree with Kernowgull. The issue is not about tickets for regular supporters. There should have been no problem for regular supporters who intend to see one of these games. But these holiday games are showcase games where clubs might be expected to attract members of the general public who may be potential future regular supporters. If such casual spectators find themselves with only a small window of opportunity, which they may well have missed, to buy tickets during the holiday period, then future attendances are hardly going to improve. Even if the Gulls were top of the league, surely they need all the spectators they can get.
I don't suppose the club are any happier about the sanctions imposed on them by the relevant authorities than the fans are. Apart from one foolish oversight against Crawley, I can't remember any problems with ticketing for any fixture in the last 15 years, so I don't suppose the club really feel the need to make them all-ticket, but acting against advice from the Police would be foolish.
The club, sadly, has to go with the decisions that will benefit the majority and just can't justify judging each individual fan's circumstances on their own separate merits. I am sure the club hate the notion of fans missing out on matches they desperately wish to attend but if Police have told them to make it all ticket then all they can do is put the tickets on sale as early as they possibly can, and have faith that those who want them will by hook or by crook get hold of one. Unsold ones are unfortunate consequences of a decision the club either a) hasn't made itself, or b) wasn't made lightly.
The club, sadly, has to go with the decisions that will benefit the majority and just can't justify judging each individual fan's circumstances on their own separate merits. I am sure the club hate the notion of fans missing out on matches they desperately wish to attend but if Police have told them to make it all ticket then all they can do is put the tickets on sale as early as they possibly can, and have faith that those who want them will by hook or by crook get hold of one. Unsold ones are unfortunate consequences of a decision the club either a) hasn't made itself, or b) wasn't made lightly.
In the case of the Bristol game, and with it obvious that we had so many unsold both home and away, it perhaps in hindsight would have been best to then make it pay on the gate. Even then that would have drawn ridicule from those who went through the initial rigmarole of gaining a ticket, and with it being a 1pm kick off I doubt it would have attracted many on a spur of the moment type basis. Its once again a case of the club being in a no win situation. I just don't think the desire to watch a match is there at the moment regardless of whether you have to purchase a ticket in advance or not.
-
Southampton Gull
- TorquayFans Admin
- Posts: 7894
- Joined: 05 Sep 2010, 00:35
- Location: Southampton
brucie wrote: That was after the wait on the phone, then registering for the online ticketing thing, and then trying to get my printer to work to print the confirmation.
How hard can it be to set a printer up?
- Attachments
-
- Printer.jpg (28.72 KiB) Viewed 861 times
Dave
Friend of TorquayFans.com
Friend of TorquayFans.com
-
Gullscorer
- Legend
- Posts: 6575
- Joined: 21 Jul 2011, 23:30
- Contact:
Still trying to get mine set up after four years.. =DSouthampton Gull wrote:How hard can it be to set a printer up?
Southampton Gull wrote:
How hard can it be to set a printer up?
Friend of TorquayFans.com
Member of the Month November 2020
Southampton Gull: "Well deserved"
Member of the Month November 2020
Southampton Gull: "Well deserved"
-
frenchgull
- First Regular
- Posts: 310
- Joined: 09 May 2013, 21:36
- Favourite player: Tommy northcott
It,s interesting that the Torquay attendance was only beaten by ,Portsmouth,Oxford and Cheterfield,so perhaps not only ticketing was the problem,perhaps weather,other attractions plus two poor sides stopped people ufrom Turing up.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: DerekDawkinsJnr, PL21gull, Taelee73 and 99 guests
