Duncan Edwards

At least ten

We’ll see...

Brighton v BURNLEY - Away Win for the Norwich bet Man City (-3) is 2/1 on SkyBet. It’s pessimistic but with so many injuries for us I think that looks an absolute steal.

Favourite ref? What is this witchcraft...

Should be interesting. Will Ben need a suit of armour? No Stuart Webber too. Wonder if we can read anything into that? Poached by a bigger club maybe?

👍

So something that would look a bit like that but on wood in gold lettering

THE RAY DUCKER HONOURS BOARD “CARVE THEIR NAMES WITH PRIDE” 6 – 1ST Wazzock, Cosmic Twin 5 – Yankee Canary, InchHigh 4 – LeedsCanary, MandieMoo 3 – Fellas, Fonejacker, NorfolkBroadSlim, Scooby, Trent Canary, Delia’s Devonshire Dirtbox, Til1010, GMF, ParmaHamsGoneMouldy 2 – P’boro, Mr Chops, New York Canary, NorfolkChance1, Kathy, Vindo, Gregt, Lake District Canary, ChelleCity, Diesel Doris, Molly Windley, Feedthewolf, Purple Canary 1 – BlahBlahBlah, NCFC_Shaun, Graham Humphrey, NcfcStar, Herman, Lappinitup, Statto, Mr Bump, Snake-eyes, NWC, Hughesy, SwindonCanary, Twidio, Hector Brockelbank, Bor Bor Bor, Yellowfuture, Lessingham Canary, AJ, JB, Hoola Han Solo, Diane, Hissing Sid, Nutty Nigel, Kiwi Scot £2,038 for the Academy £3,057 for the Community Sports Foundation And counting…

well that didn't work

So I was thinking something like this: But perhaps on a wood effect background with gold-leaf writing? Something that can be opened up with a click and look the part too. THE RAY DUCKER HONOURS BOARD.pdf

You’re probably right that Existing pickers will skip it because they’ve already read it. The information still needs to be there to explain to potential new pickers I think? I’ve got a couple of ideas but I don’t know how to implement them on here..

Or we could hide it in the back of a kitchen cupboard... It needs to be front and centre, firstly to remind existing PuPs and secondly to bring newer posters to the scheme. The opening gambit is as long as it is due to the longevity and success of the idea. It needs tidying up but I’m not sure what the limitations of that are on this forum. 🤷‍♂️

Just one for a full house...😴

It would certainly be interesting to know how many of the 7,000 have so far been successful in obtaining tickets and on how many occasions. How many have been successful every time, twice, once or not at all? Unfortunately, I don’t suppose they’ll be able to tell us about unsuccessful attempts so it’ll be difficult to judge exactly how well the system is working. For instance, some of the 7,000 may be yet to try and obtain any tickets. 🤷‍♂️

No. I did win though. 👍

Hope they’ve seen the commercial possibilities here. I’d definitely open the bar and a popcorn stall would do a fortune.

But, of course, that system isn’t fair and doesn’t reward loyalty either. For instance, somebody might have circumstances where they have a lifestyle that enables them to attend every game but only choose to attend 6. Somebody else might be an exile and only able to attend 5 games and attend them all. The second chap has shown 100% “loyalty” in comparison to the better fan (as defined by the system) only attending at a little more than 25%. If if you are the guy that attended 6 games then this system seems fairest. If you’re the guy that attended 5 you’d probably feel aggrieved that the other guy was ahead of you. The points system didn’t work because people would attend using other people’s customer numbers when x points were required. The fans attending didn’t see their points increasing, the same fans that had the points retained and grew them without attending. That’s before the ST bonus. It really isn’t THAT simple to sort it out. Fairest way would probably be a free for all. 🤷‍♂️

Regarding the commercialisation, I think you could consider it quite a shrewd move (or cynical depending on your viewpoint). By introducing it in a season where demand was always going to be high, they weee guaranteed a strong uptake. As you say, on the face of it a few hundred grand doesn’t seem all that much. I’m sure there are lots of budgetary arguments that could be made about what it facilitates in terms of equipment or wages or whatever but.. by introducing it now when we’re in the top flight and relatively optimistic of survival, if we were to stay up for a while this commercial practice would be normalised. Then, should we be relegated, when a few hundred grand might be seen to make a difference, it’s already there and in practice and almost an “automatic” expense to fans. Try and introduce it when we’ve just been relegated and we NEED the extra money, well, I can imagine the uproar would have been exponential compared to that we’ve witnessed. I mean, I’m not saying that WAS the thinking but it sort of makes sense to me if I think of it in that way.

God, that’s long. Sorry. to summarise: Loyalty isn’t a simple thing to measure. It’s definitely not defined over any 12 month period. The old system didn’t work for some the new system doesn’t work for some I don’t think there is a system that works for all I think the club have made purely business/commercial decisions based on numbers from a report and haven’t factored in the “human” element/response.

This is going to run and run. The old system was unfair as it was too strongly weighted in favour of home season ticket holders. The new new system isn’t fair because they’ve had to introduce an arbitrary line of ten games. A ten gamer is ranked the equal of an away season ticket holder who might have done a dozen more games but superior to somebody who only did one game less. That doesn’t sit right but it was the club’s decision. The old system couldn’t be retained or tweaked because the club made a decision to commercialise it. The new system, because it is commercialised, has priced out some fans, especially those with kids as multiples of £50 soon mount up. A barrier to a new generation of fans. The ability to pay £50 and be on an equal standing with “relative” away day regulars and above home season ticket holders who haven’t paid is an access path for New away day supporters. With the old system they’d have had no chance of obtaining a ticket to a high profile game (Yes, I know, they could have gone to Rotherham etc but realistically, the high profile games are that for a reason - that’s why demand is always higher), now they do. The whole argument surrounding loyalty is divisive but also largely nonsense. Seemingly if you went to some games last season then your loyalty should be measured and rewarded. To a degree, I get that. But a championship winning season wouldn’t be the most stringent scale to measure against, would it? Oooh look, we went to games when we were winning every week. Brilliant. What about the people who were going when we were getting trounced every week? Is that not a more robust display of loyalty? I’d suggest it is. But then what do you do? Loyalty isn’t one season. It’s something displayed over time, in varying ways and through a multitude of circumstances. If if you bring longevity into it; that punishes the younger fans. I started going away in 1986. It wouldn’t be fair to give me priority over someone born in 1994 or for me to be a lower priority than someone who went to Man U in 1967 or whatever. What about exiled fans? I know one poster for instance would often secure tickets for games in the North West as that’s where he is based. He is now, at best, in a lottery for those tickets. That doesn’t seem fair. He’s loyally attended these games year after year and is now in a scrum. His loyalty hasn’t been rewarded. It’s impossible. However you approach it, somebody will be disadvantaged. I’ve urged people from the beginning to try and see it from beyond their own extremely narrow viewpoint, but it is difficult. The club have made a bit of a fist of it. They chose to commercialise it. They (rightly) protected the away season ticket holders. They then drew a line in the sand that automatically divided the fans. Ten games or more and you’re in. Nine games or less and you’re out. Ten games you’re the equal of somebody who did twenty-three, nine games you’re the equal of somebody that did none. Ouch. But, I suspect that decision was made purely on numbers. The fact that ten+ and the ASTH came to about 750 meant that only 25% of tickets were ring-fenced. That left 75% up for grabs and maintained the attractiveness of the £50 package for those willing to pay it. A sensible business decision and sod all to do with loyalty. Unfortunately, that’s how fans have interpreted it and it’s understandable. But talking and arguing about loyalty when you’re only considering a 12 month period is daft. And we do need to facilitate new, younger fans getting access to games. This system is far from perfect and the lack of family provision and inhibitive costs are only two of many criticisms but there really isn’t a system out there that is a good and fair fit for everyone.

Contracted until the summer according to transfermarkt.co.uk

...but surely this would make the former away season ticket holders the loyal and those that are grouped with them despite showing less commitment, the elite? 😁

Was a genuine question. I understand why people are dismissive, it has traditionally always been a lower league competition and a chance for said clubs to get to Wembley. In that respect, the first time Spurs Youth or whatever win it, it will somehow devalue it. But would we, collectively, turn down a Wembley final purely on principles? I was thinking about going to Oxford because I’ve never been before...🤷‍♂️

Wonder how much interest there’d be if the kids made the final?

I think calling him Byron is what is known as poetic licence..