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When I first started going to the game in the Pre Sky, Pre Premier League era for the most part I paid at the turnstile. In the mid 1990's I got promoted and was a STH on the seated Kop which was an equally pain free way to see football matches. For reasons I won't bore you with I had to give up my ST but the new millennia heralded a new aid to ticket purchase - the fancard. A small contribution to the club for admin expenses (£3.00 from memory) and they were able to see what tickets I bought whilst aiding their marketing strategy by generating a database outside STH's. From my perspective I felt that my loyalty was being rewarded as it was the fancard that aided my purchase of tickets for the later rounds in cup competitions and even *inhales sharply* finals. It has been the method I have bought tickets through for nearly a decade. I was able to buy tickets for Gomel and Hearts through it. So far so good. That is until this morning when I tried to purchase for me and my like minded compatriots our tickets for Udinese. The club has decided my fancard no longer entitles me to members' privileges. I will have to wait until these tickets go on general sale and fight it out with everyone else. This of course pre supposes that I am prepared to do so and I'm not. I have found myself getting less and less joy out of going to the game in recent times as I watch a dozen millionaires make no effort for my 'pleasure'. The extra hurdle that the club have put in my way for the privilege of doing so is just - for me at least - a bridge too far. If the club doesn't want my support at games that's fine by me. I'm not sure if anyone has noticed but we are not the cool club that everyone wants to see anymore. The Istanbul bandwagon is now rolling up a much steeper hill. If the club thinks it can fill the stadium at every cup game playing Rotherham, Stoke and shit teams in Europe that no one has ever heard of without people like me then let it fill its boots I'm done. Now - where did I put that armchair?