New membership scheme

[Decemberists 42]

I am pleased with it. Based in London so no season ticket. I only did 3 away games last year, but I can hopefully secure tickets to a few more this year with membership.

OTBC

[Well b back 3,190]

Should have graded the first year on number of points you have already. My son and a couple of friends ( all 14 and 15 ) started going away games and hardly missed the last few away games including a long trip to Middlesbrough away. They accumulated 1300 points and spent lots of pocket money as well as our money travelling. They were very excited that they could go to the likes of Spurs and old Trafford. 

By changing the rules so drastically the club have taken a risk in the ‘ one club scenario ‘ that they had built so brilliantly. 

[Jim Smith 2,314]

Basically what the club has effectively done is take the benefit to our away fans of the new premier league rule capping away tickets at £30 and captured that benefit for themselves with these new charges. Very cynical. 

 

[Graham Paddons Beard 2,424]

The Football Club has to deal with huge swings of demand. The core away support will get their tickets , and the saving from what they would have paid should help. I do agree that these folks are the ones who maybe should have been given a free or subsidized priority based on their travel . (Except the Cabbagers that think they have reserved seats and moaned at my son - they can shove it) 

As for the rest of us, we all want to go to White Hart Lane and West Ham. These will sell out the away allocation easily. If the 750 can get theirs, which they will, how else can the Club monitor this for a whole season? 

Those of us that went to the last few away games (I'm not sure how anyone failed to get a ticket for Wigan that REALLY tried to get one) are the classic glory hunters that all Clubs have. I ended up with 1250 points somehow but only went to a few away games each year. I'm not expecting any favours.  

As a season ticket holder that renewed early I have a nice comfy seat for all 19 games for around £26 quid. Great value. 

 

[ged in the onion bag 854]

Personally, I couldn't in all consciousness be glad with this at the expense of our season ticket holders and especially those that follow away regularly.   They all deserve priority, so if you think this is good, SHAME ON YOU!

[Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man 3,777]

Apologies if this has been raised before, but there are 90+ replies and I don't have the time to read through all of them.

The issue for an exile like me who lives abroad is that if I can only get to one game (it might be two) it will end up costing £70- £40 for premier membership and £30 for the ticket. But when you consider there may be only 1500 casual tickets available per match, you aren't even guaranteed a ticket even if you're a premier member, unless they cap it.

As a result, there's a risk that someone like me could pay £40 for membership and then not even get a ticket anyway.

For these reasons, is it even worth buying a membership, just on the off chance you can get a ticket for the only game you're in the country for?

[Mello Yello 2,279]

I wonder who is actually responsible at the club for the instigation, of this what it seems and is deemed by the majority on this forum, an unpopular and unfair away ticket 'revamp'?.....

 

....just wonderin'...... 😉

 

 

[ricardo 7,343]

Oh for the days when I used to wander down at ten to three and get in the boys entrance for ninepence.

Mind you it was all a bit primitive compared to today.😀

[Jim Smith 2,314]

The issue for me is that the fans have consistently put their hands in their pockets and turned out to support the club in their hour of need and yet when we get promoted and see our revenues go up hugely, what do the club do. Do they "give something back" to those fans now that ticket revenues are not so crucial to them any more. No they take more from the fans. However you dress it up that's what they are doing.

A few less frequent away fans may benefit from this by virtue of having more chance of getting away tickets, I can see that,  but they are about the only ones. Everyone else has the same or less chance of getting tickets and is £50 a head worse off for the privilege.

As someone who would have had 1450 away points I am probably hit hardest by the away change rule (system simply ditched overnight with no notice) and so am probably a bit more miffed by it than most and my posts should be read in that context but as far as I can see across the board our fans who want to travel away are going to be £50 worse off and that's even before you factor in the fact this all makes it so much harder to take kids etc. 

That is what annoys me, especially when we get all this "all in it together" self funding nonsense. The only ones constantly putting their hands in their pockets these days are the fans who for once might actually benefit from the premier league £30 rule but now have a surcharge from our own club for doing so.

[hogesar 9,618]

Jim, I know it's been difficult to criticise the board over the past year but it feels like you're clutching. 

It may not be the best decision but it's with the right intentions - in practice it might not work and they've already said they'll have to see how it transpires but if it was all about more money they wouldn't have capped all home games at £30. 

[Jim Smith 2,314]

1 minute ago, hogesar said:

Jim, I know it's been difficult to criticise the board over the past year but it feels like you're clutching. 

It may not be the best decision but it's with the right intentions - in practice it might not work and they've already said they'll have to see how it transpires but if it was all about more money they wouldn't have capped all home games at £30. 

If its been taken with the right intentions then its one of the most staggeringly inept decisions they've ever taken. 

[Jobsworth Canary 168]

2 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Jim, I know it's been difficult to criticise the board over the past year but it feels like you're clutching. 

It may not be the best decision but it's with the right intentions - in practice it might not work and they've already said they'll have to see how it transpires but if it was all about more money they wouldn't have capped all home games at £30. 

Spot on!

[hogesar 9,618]

Just now, Jim Smith said:

If its been taken with the right intentions then its one of the most staggeringly inept decisions they've ever taken. 

You've said that a multitude of times over the years and often it's not come out in your favour so reckon we should hold fire for now.

[Well b back 3,190]

2 minutes ago, hogesar said:

Jim, I know it's been difficult to criticise the board over the past year but it feels like you're clutching. 

It may not be the best decision but it's with the right intentions - in practice it might not work and they've already said they'll have to see how it transpires but if it was all about more money they wouldn't have capped all home games at £30. 

To be fair they had a choice as to wether it was as cheap for my season ticket as for a casual supporter.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

1 minute ago, hogesar said:

You've said that a multitude of times over the years and often it's not come out in your favour so reckon we should hold fire for now.

why should we hold fire. I'm not talking about the changes to the home casual tickets anyway. I'm talking about the changes to the away system and the junior canaries. The £30 a ticket for home casual tickets is a bit of a red herring in my book designed for an easy PR win. No major benefit to the majority of our most loyal fans who already have season tickets or who won't be able to get those tickets anyway due to the limited numbers. If they charged more than the away fans they know they would have got a load of grief anyway. 

[......and Smith must score. 1,334]

1 hour ago, Felixfan said:

I managed earlier today to get Premier membership  on line even though I did less than 10 away games last year. It seems as though the system did not check my eligibility but I am not complaining. I may be missing something here but I do not think Premier membership is open to all otherwise what’s the point.

Premier membership gets you first dibs on away tickets after the first 750 even if you did no away matches at all last year. Everyone, including those who did 10 or more games, ie 750 supporters, has to pay £50 Premiership but they get a chance to buy before anyone else

[......and Smith must score. 1,334]

3 hours ago, Yellow Peril said:

So home games are capped at £30, does that mean some may be cheaper or are they all going to be £30 ? . . . 

I pay £560 for my season ticket, so if they are all £30 I am getting a slightly discounted rate & a guaranteed seat, but if some are going to be cheaper there might not be too much of a discount

Yes, you’ll certainly be getting a slightly discounted rate......53p per game !

Don’t spend it all at once 🙂

[king canary 7,578]

5 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

why should we hold fire. I'm not talking about the changes to the home casual tickets anyway. I'm talking about the changes to the away system and the junior canaries. The £30 a ticket for home casual tickets is a bit of a red herring in my book designed for an easy PR win. No major benefit to the majority of our most loyal fans who already have season tickets or who won't be able to get those tickets anyway due to the limited numbers. If they charged more than the away fans they know they would have got a load of grief anyway. 

I think there is a difference between not thinking the decision is correct and claiming it is a cynical money grab. I'm not sure I see it like that.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

Just now, king canary said:

I think there is a difference between not thinking the decision is correct and claiming it is a cynical money grab. I'm not sure I see it like that.

what else is the purpose of the charge then. Or the policy of making people (including kids) have to take out £50 away membership on top of home membership or their season ticket?

They could very easily have revised the away points system to make it more fair without bringing in all these charges were they minded to do so.

[Jim Smith 2,314]

2 minutes ago, king canary said:

I think there is a difference between not thinking the decision is correct and claiming it is a cynical money grab. I'm not sure I see it like that.

Or indeed announcing this at 6am on the day before the fixtures get released and then starting sales at 9am the same day so that people immediately rush online to buy to ensure they won't miss out?

[king canary 7,578]

1 minute ago, Jim Smith said:

what else is the purpose of the charge then. Or the policy of making people (including kids) have to take out £50 away membership on top of home membership or their season ticket?

They could very easily have revised the away points system to make it more fair without bringing in all these charges were they minded to do so.

The thought process on the FAQ seemed to be that with reduced ticket prices membership needed to be more exclusive so as not to render it totally pointless. Again, not sure I agree but it makes some sense.

[Alex Moss 2,165]

6 hours ago, Hoola Han Solo said:

Good to see home tickets capped at 30 quid. 

However, a casual fan can 'jump the queue' with regards to away tickets. I've been a season ticket holder for nearly ten years, with probably 40 or 50 away games in this time. But now I will have to pay to get higher up the ladder, just like any other b ugger who's not been in donkeys years 😬

I’ve only got as far as your post, H, but I’m sorry, I’m already annoyed to read ‘casual fan’.

Do you know that there are many supporters that are just as every bit passionate about their club as you season ticket holders, yet are in the unfortunate position of living many many miles away from Norwich, and therefore logistically do not have the benefit of getting to see their beloved club every other week minimum?

So if there is a scheme that helps loyal NCFC fans see their team play even just ONCE next season, then I’m all for it.

Be thankful you already get to see your team regularly folks, and don’t be so bloody greedy, think of others.

[spencer 1970 207]

Now, as being one of those plastic, Cockerney types, I think this is great news!  

It makes up for all those years I had an away season ticket and spent lord knows how much on travel + tickets yet played far far 2nd fiddle in priority stakes to folk that popped to the ground every other Saturday and had a sponsored *silence for 2 hours (*tutting not included). 

🎣

 

[Jobsworth Canary 168]

I am hearing that the canary Trust are now trying to distance themselves from this decision even though they are our self appointed voice into the board

[Hoola Han Solo 448]

15 minutes ago, Alex Moss said:

I’ve only got as far as your post, H, but I’m sorry, I’m already annoyed to read ‘casual fan’.

Do you know that there are many supporters that are just as every bit passionate about their club as you season ticket holders, yet are in the unfortunate position of living many many miles away from Norwich, and therefore logistically do not have the benefit of getting to see their beloved club every other week minimum?

So if there is a scheme that helps loyal NCFC fans see their team play even just ONCE next season, then I’m all for it.

Be thankful you already get to see your team regularly folks, and don’t be so bloody greedy, think of others.

I understand your reasoning there.

I'm not someone who travels to every away game. However, there are some that are, and most away games are 2 hours away minimum. For those die hard fans, that's a lot of mileage and expense. To ensure they are priority, they will need to pay £50 for the privilege - do you think that's fair?

I didn't word it very well, but by 'casual', I mean someone who has had no interest before the Premier League, but can now move higher up the queue (for a fee), above those that have done 9 or 10, or whatever.

I hope you get to see a game next season.

Edited June 12, 2019 by Hoola Han Solo

[Jim Smith 2,314]

All they needed to do to tweak the system was to give season ticket holders and members the same basic starting tally of points (i.e. both start with 1000 or both start with 500). This would take away the previous bias that there was in favour of season ticket holders which meant that a season ticket holder who had been to no away games had priority over a member who had been to 9 and would have meant that all fans (apart from non-members) start equal and priority thus would genuinely come down to how regularly you travel away. The previous discrepancy was unfair. It probably didn't affect very many fans but it was unfair. They could very easily have made this very simple change and the system would have been perfectly fair and fit for purpose without introducing all these new extra charges to loyal fans who already put their hand in their pockets enough. 

[hogesar 9,618]

52 minutes ago, Jim Smith said:

Or indeed announcing this at 6am on the day before the fixtures get released and then starting sales at 9am the same day so that people immediately rush online to buy to ensure they won't miss out?

I think you're going to have to accept two things.

1) The football club is very community driven and focused on a self-funding model

2) It is still a business. It still has to make business decisions - such as the best time to release opportunities for customers to make purchases.

[......and Smith must score. 1,334]

1 hour ago, Decemberists said:

I am pleased with it. Based in London so no season ticket. I only did 3 away games last year, but I can hopefully secure tickets to a few more this year with membership.

OTBC

You don’t have to live in Norwich to have a season ticket. I know plenty from London who do.

 

[Jim Smith 2,314]

On a different note I see the club is saying they expect 1500 casual tickets to be available for home games. Added to 22,000 season ticket holders that makes 23,500 which is 4,000 under capacity. Even allowing for the full away allocation there is a bit of a gap. Is an extra block being given over to corporate sales which will presumably be much more expensive than the £30 tickets?

[Jim Smith 2,314]

8 minutes ago, hogesar said:

I think you're going to have to accept two things.

1) The football club is very community driven and focused on a self-funding model

2) It is still a business. It still has to make business decisions - such as the best time to release opportunities for customers to make purchases.

Community driven (club admittedly does a lot of good in the community) and self-funding as long as its all funded by the fans so we can keep the club debt free for little Tommy boy.

The timing was all geared towards not giving fans an opportunity to complain before tickets went on sale and engineering a rush on membership sales as fans panicked due to worrying about missing out. Not exactly the acts of a community driven club is it.