SOS: Follow up statement on Semi-Final ticketing

[SpiritOfShankly]

Following our statement on the Semi-Final 2nd Leg Ticketing on the 8th December and the feedback received by members via our social media channels, e-mail and in person, we have released the following statement:

 

Follow Up Statement Re: League Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg Ticketing - Spirit of Shankly

 

Spirit of Shankly

[xerxes]

For me this is evidence that the Club has no short term intention to expand the capacity we have through redevelopment or new build. It is about maximising return from the existing asset - squeezing the lemon.Pushing club membership and greater participation in the ACS is what this is about. Season Ticket holders have already given the club their money, this is about new money.

 

On the one hand, £45 for the top price Semi Final ticket is not something I would moan about. Making the middle sections of the Annie Lower the same price as the Centenary Upper is bizarre.

[steve7t]

Now reading the SOS statement's calculations you wonder what the fuss will be about. There's no way that ever member will take up the allocation nor every season ticket holder. No way has this been done right but only a tiny minority will actually miss out.

[Pepe Reina 25]

I'm a STH in the ACS so I'm all sorted for my ticket but have to admit I'm absolutely livid at the way they're treating loyal supporters with such disregard.

 

It surely should be STH's with all 2011 away Carling Cup games plus Northampton on their history first, closely followed by non STH's who fit the same criteria. Anything else is just wrong and stinks of greed.

 

My opinion is that attendances at all three cup competitions should be totted up together. So in future supporters who've attended the early rounds of the both domestic cup competitions would have first dibs at potential CL semi final tickets for example.

 

No doubt this is all down to Ian Ayre. Kind of ironic that for years under "Coco" Parry the fans had been crying out for someone to bleed a bit more out of sponsors. But now that that man's here we're still not happy because he bleeds it out of the supporters in equal proportions too. Guess we can't have it both ways hey?

[Paulie Dangerously]

I don't see why someone who has bought 3 home tickets gets priority over me when I technically bought 19 at the start of the season.

 

Edit. I should also say the people who went the away games should be top priority. I didn't fancy exeter on a weeknight

[Guest davelfc]

ST holders have the option to go auto cup at the start of the season and are guaranteed home tickets in that case.

 

As far as I am concerned it shouldn't then go back to ST holders who have had their chance.

[steve7t]

And that's the problem, it's the details not the overall policy that's the problem. Previous League Cup attendance is the only thing that should have been added as the first point of call but after that I dont see much wrong. I would have liked to have seen the qualification for members being higher, maybe 9 games. ST holders have their chance and didn't take it.

[Trucker Paddy]

What is the away game requirements?

[Pepe Reina 25]

@DaveLFC and Steve7T

 

I'm a STH and last season I didn't join the ACS but went all the home cup games anyway. There was a specific reason why I didn't join the ACS last season and that was soley due to the fact I wanted to take my 8yr old son, who'd never been to Anfield before, to the cup games with me. So with him not having his own ST my only option to ensure we got two seats together was to opt myself out of the ACS and buy the tickets manually.

 

Low and behold he's since lost interest in football so I opted back in again this year but are you honestly saying if we would have got to a semi final last season it would have been fair, after me attending every round, to miss out to a non STH who'd been a mere 3 league games just because I chose to opt out the ACS? (but still went the games anyway)

[Guest davelfc]

I can only repeat that as ST holder I have the choice to guarantee myself tickets to home cup games by selecting auto cup. If I choose to not do that then tough, I had my chance.

 

It should after auto cup allocation go on attendance in cup games home and away, which if you've purchased tickets yourself outside the auto cup would mean you still qualify.

[Faustus]

There are many circumstantial reasons why season ticket holders decided not to opt into the auto cup a the start of the season. It's too simplistic to say 'you had your chance so tough', in my opinion.

 

I 100% agree that it should go to attendance in previous games, be that from this season's aways or last season's debacle against Northampton; whichever one the club decides to go with. They should then go on sale to season ticket holders, then members.

[Guest davelfc]

There are many circumstantial reasons why season ticket holders decided not to opt into the auto cup a the start of the season. It's too simplistic to say 'you had your chance so tough', in my opinion.

 

 

I agree, especially if we reach a juicy semi final where they want to go to it but didn't want the risk of paying money for earlier home rounds against smaller teams.

[Randy Marsh]

There are many circumstantial reasons why season ticket holders decided not to opt into the auto cup a the start of the season. It's too simplistic to say 'you had your chance so tough', in my opinion.

 

I 100% agree that it should go to attendance in previous games, be that from this season's aways or last season's debacle against Northampton; whichever one the club decides to go with. They should then go on sale to season ticket holders, then members.

 

Spot on. The fact that they've used league attendance to measure loyalty is a total mockery when those who've paid for 19 games are behind those who've paid for 3. Clueless, brainless decision by the club.

[Randy Marsh]

I agree, especially if we reach a juicy semi final where they want to go to it but didn't want the risk of paying money for earlier home rounds against smaller teams.

 

Or if people cannot guarantee that they'll have the money in their accounts when the club comes to take payment at any unspecified date.

[Guest davelfc]

Or if people cannot guarantee that they'll have the money in their accounts when the club comes to take payment at any unspecified date.

 

I agree it can be a pain but the club usually let people know when they will be taking the money and you'd have to pay it anyway if you wanted a ticket.

 

The club can't go round spoon feeding fans, there are times fans have to take responsibility for themselves.

 

I'm a season ticket holder and I am on the auto cup, last season I wasn't. If I choose to not go auto cup then I don't have a problem with the club giving the tickets based on attendance of the cup games (home and away) to those people first.

[Code]

I don't see why someone who has bought 3 home tickets gets priority over me when I technically bought 19 at the start of the season.

 

Edit. I should also say the people who went the away games should be top priority. I didn't fancy exeter on a weeknight

 

They dont as you had the chance to sign up for the CC tickets in the summer, members did not have that chance so they are now getting their look in.

 

You had the chance to take it but you did not so now someone else will get the chance as you were not interested, pretty simple really.

[Randy Marsh]

I agree it can be a pain but the club usually let people know when they will be taking the money and you'd have to pay it anyway if you wanted a ticket.

 

The club can't go round spoon feeding fans, there are times fans have to take responsibility for themselves.

 

I'm a season ticket holder and I am on the auto cup, last season I wasn't. If I choose to not go auto cup then I don't have a problem with the club giving the tickets based on attendance of the cup games (home and away) to those people first.

 

Thats fine mate, and I agree with that. But as others have mentioned too, their decision to take league attendance in account for this fixture is shambolic. It is a kick in the balls to all those who have forked out to attend the 4 aways up to now, and to STH's finding themselves bottom of the pecking order even though, by the club's own criteria of using league game attendance for loyalty, they should be next on the list behind Auto Cup members.

[Guest davelfc]

Thats fine mate, and I agree with that. But as others have mentioned too, their decision to take league attendance in account for this fixture is shambolic. It is a kick in the balls to all those who have forked out to attend the 4 aways up to now, and to STH's finding themselves bottom of the pecking order even though, by the club's own criteria of using league game attendance for loyalty, they should be next on the list behind Auto Cup members.

 

I'm totally with you on that, I do not attend away games but I have the utmost respect/admiration for the fans that travel the country, spending thousands to support the team.

 

Because a lot of them are probably ST holders or auto cup (according to Liverpool FC) then surely offering them priority wouldn't be such a huge deal anyway.

[Code]

One question.

 

How many others than ST holders have been able to get tickets for the away games?

 

I guess not many if any, so in reality that means those who went the aways with their own tickets all could have got tickets for this game if they wanted to by signing up to the auto ticket scheme.

 

So that means those who dont get tickets who are season ticket holders all do so because they decided to not sign up for the scheme.

[Paulie Dangerously]

I agree, especially if we reach a juicy semi final where they want to go to it but didn't want the risk of paying money for earlier home rounds against smaller teams.

 

Wow it's just that simple isn't it? Most people have a finite amount of cash allocated to football. In my case my season ticket is my number one priority. I manage to get to a couple of aways money permitting and any "juicy" cup games I can budget for. Even when were were in the CL I rarely could afford to go the big group or knock-out rounds, but when I had the money it was relatively easy for me to get a ticket.

 

I feel by buying a season ticket I am already paying to watch smaller teams week in week out. Arsenal, The mancs x 2, Chelsea, arguably spurs and the Shite aside that's pretty much the reality. I think that gives me the right to pick and choose cup games.

 

I shouldn't be placed above someone who went to Exeter, Brighton and Chelsea by all means but being lower in the pecking order someone who bought a ticket to the two Manchester games + one other this season? Pull the other one.

[Code]

A very simplistic and egoistical view obviously, but everyone look after their own interests so I dont have a problem with it, I just think its very narrow minded.

 

One example, what about those members who have bought for all 19 home games or maybe they just got 16 but still have managed to go to the away games on season ticket holders cards because the said season ticket holders could not bother.

 

Where do you put them in the queue as they did not have the opportunity to put themselves down on the auto ticket cup scheme?

[Paulie Dangerously]

We could make up examples until the cows come home Code to argue and counter argue our points but we are dealing with the clubs decision on this game which I don't agree with.

 

I don't think that order that the club has put allocation in is right.

[Guest ShoePiss]

Code72, your opinion as always regarding tickets is formed through your own selfish needs.

[PaulMcC]

It's a joke the way this has been handled.

[Toddler]

As a Member but not a STH I first started building up my loyalty through the cup matches. It was only with PTS before that I could get premiership matches so it was nice to have an even chance of a cup game, whilst the STH all got a chance a day ahead of me, which seemed right enough.

 

I remember being made up to get my ticket for the final at Cardiff for the league cup automatically following Watford on a cold winter mid week night, whilst my mates who couldn't be arsed were scratching round for a cup final ticket.

 

Now I've been to every away leg in this cup campaign and enjoyed seeing some new grounds like Brighton, but if I hadn't been able to get any premiership games this year (which is a distinct possibility with the new system) I would have been stuffed for the semi final. How can that be fair?

 

Fortunately I've got my share of premiership games as well now, but I bet there a lot who are still trying to build up their loyalty in the premiership stakes.

 

I only hope that their system is sophisticated enough that they've been able to calculate that this method captures all the cup goers as well without the need for two waves of selling - or am I being overly generous?