A New Ticket System for Blackpool FC Fans

Posted on May 4, 2010

Today there’s been a load of chatter on the avftt message board and the Seasiders mailing list about ticketing for the home and away games. This season it’s only been an issue for a few games, Preston away, Newcastle away and the two play off games. If (and it’s a big if) we managed to gain promotion these ticketing problems would only get worse with many fans wishing to visit the likes of Old Trafford, Anfield etc.

blackpool fan

At the moment the club employ a system that looks at your season ticket history, years of continuous season ticket ownership gets you rewards. So over 3 years and over 5 years will be given priority. Technically a fan with a season ticket for 5 years has more privileges than a fan who has had a season ticket for 4 years and been to every away game for the same period. Some would say that you should have more chance of getting away tickets if your a regular away supporter. This is also a problem for anyone who works at the club, so they don’t buy a season ticket but still go to all home matches and many away matches.

There will always be a problem with any ticket system, for some people it will be unfair, but at the moment it seems that our ticket system is unfair due to a lack of technology. This post is a example of what I think is a fairer ticketing system, it would require some neat technology but nothing that couldn’t be created as similar systems are in place at other clubs including Manchester City

Overview

The ticket system works on points allocation, attending matches earns points. The more points you have the earlier you are able to buy tickets for matches. Dates for ticket sales are set on thresholds e.g.  Day 1 over 10,000 points, Day 2 over 7,500 points, etc. The more desirable the match the bigger the points required e.g. More points are needs for Manchester United away than Barnsley away on a Tuesday night.

Each game is set base points, so if you buy a ticket you earn the points. The more points are awarded for the less desirable games e.g. Plymouth away would be 100, where as Preston away would be 10.

This is nothing new but I’ve thought of a few features I think would make the system fairer. Adding variables to the matches attended.

The variable would be the time of the match and the distance you travel. To calculate distance points you would count the distance from the payment address rather than from Bloomfield Road. (Tickets would be sent to that address so no cheating). For example.

Newcastle Away – 50 Base Points
 Fan A live in Exeter – 368 miles = 36.80 Points
Fan B lives in Blackpool – 154 miles = 15.40 points

So this way the fan that travelled from Exeter earns a total of 86.80 points, where as the fan from Blackpool ears 65.40 points.

This then works out evenly for a match down south.

Torquay Away – 100 Base Points
Fan A live in Exeter – 38 miles = 3.80 Points
Fan B lives in Blackpool – 298 miles = 29.8 points

This method rewards the fans who travel further for matches. As mentioned the time should also effect the points, so the base points should be doubled for an evening kick off or a morning kick-off. Generally it’s going to be more effort to go to a game midweek compared to a Saturday. E.G. afternoon off work.

All this would be in places for home matches, but there would be no base points, just points for travel.

To help get everyone started you would receive an initial allocation of points for the number of seasons you have been a season ticket holder. E.g. 1,000 per season. There would also be a bonus for each consecutive season of having a season ticket, this is purely to add an extra incentive to keep buying season tickets each year.

To take into account away game attendance for the past few years you would need to submit your ticket subs for the past 5 seasons. As some away games no tickets are issues it does mean a little gap, but that affects everyone. There would also be a slight problem with people selling ticket stubs. Each ticket sub would only be able to be submitted once. If you pay on the gate for an away game you would need to submit your stub at some point to earn the points.

So an overview.

This should then reward fans who:

Most importantly there needs to be a way for the tickets to be sold online simultaneously with the ticket office. This avoids the problems of the large queues and any fans who live out of town. To resolve this two options.

Any views on this method of ticket allocation? No system will be perfect but this seams better than what we have now.

Please add your comments below!

Comments

4 Comments so far
  1. bfc1974 May 4, 2010 9:35 pm

    Sorry don’t agree with the BFc non-season ticket holder away supporters getting the same benefits as season ticket holders who only attend home games or the odd away game.

    after all it is the people who buy the seaosn tickets who stump up the money and financially support the club. Fans attending away games does not bolster our club finances – so what benefit other than support do they offer?? Why should they get any benefits if they only attend the odd home game or aren’t prepared – for whatever reaosn – to purchase Sticket.

  2. admin May 4, 2010 9:43 pm

    I agree, the season ticket holders generate a great amount of money for the club, hence they would need to gain a great amount of points for having a season ticket. e.g. more than an away fan could achieve.

  3. x9 bfc June 14, 2010 7:46 pm

    i dont have a seson ticket as i cant afford to buy one up front or monthly i have been to 17 away games last year and 16 the year before etc i would find it very unfair if i can not go to away games next year as we will all see the mickey mouse guys who all want to go to the away games now but have not been for years will they still want to go if the pooooooooool come back down

  4. bfc 1969 June 15, 2010 1:28 pm

    i agree with above i do not have a season ticket due to work commitments but do go to home games and alot of away games to i feel the fans that travel to away games are the true fans eg. swansea there was only 126 of us where have all these people suddenly come from i think the way to deal with away tickets is to reward the fans who have been to the most away games over the last few seasons.why should a season ticket holder of vast amount of years who has never attended an away game for years but suddenly wants to go to the away games now have priority

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