Loyalty Points & Priority for Away Matches

What this discussion demonstrates to me is that some of our fans have a very narrow view of what a 'loyalty scheme' is for. Some seem to believe that it only exists to ensure that 'uber fans', who spend most of their waking thoughts planning their attendance at away games all over the country, get priority for games where tickets are in scarce supply. But this scheme has never been advertised as an 'away priority scheme' - that's just how certain people want to define it, as though travelling all over the country every other weekend is the only measure of loyalty to the club. Well, guess what? It isn't.

Spending money in the club shop; buying tickets for different types of games; buying memberships that contribute to club finances; supporting the club as a season ticket holder for decades, even though you may no longer have the desire, the finances, the family circumstances or the physical capability to traipse around the country regularly - these are all perfectly valid measures of club loyalty.
Why should those whose personal circumstances allow them to attend most away games always be the ones who get priority for high profile games, even though they may have only actively supported the club for a short time? Why shouldn't an 80 year old ST holder who's been watching City for 65 years get (eg) an away playoff ticket as their only away game of the season, ahead of a 16 year old who's been attending away games for 3 years? Loyalty means more than just going to lots of away games this season.

 

No system is ever fair but for me personally the scheme is there first and foremost to give fans priority over others for away tickets and nothing else. And the fairest way to deal with that is to give first dibs on tickets to fans who have spent their time following the team away. I shouldn't have a better chance of getting an away ticket than a fan who has been to more away games than me just because i bought more shirts than him or her. Some might argue that fans down south going to away games shouldn't get priority because of this but to be fair every game for fans living miles from Bradford is an away game.

 

Spot on, if they want it to be a system where you can get loyalty for almost anything then it’s time they changed just what the points are used for. Have them like a Tesco club card or similar where you can cash them in for discounts on merchandise etc. if the only benefit is away tickets, then simply only give points for attending away games. I haven’t been to many this season and have no problem that I missed out on Northampton tickets to people who went to places like Gillingham and Swindon on a Tuesday night.

 

What about if fans can't this or that or have been supporting for years shouldn't really come into it. I went to loads of away games in the 80s and 90s, doesn't mean i should be getting priority for tickets this season because of it. You rack up the away games, you earn the right to a ticket.

 

Unless you went to Hereford in 1982 m8 with the other 10000 I mean 1000 sorry then you should get top priority…

 

The club can't win sometimes. People complained about buying a priority ticket 'cos its not fair' so the club go to a loyalty scheme and folk still whinge. I think the club need to do away with the loyalty title and call away ticket priority scheme and concentrate on giving points to those who go away but generally the scheme works.

 

What a load of old tripe

The loyalty system was borne on the back of the fiasco of the Chelsea and other cup games a few years ago. Away matches with limited capacity, and high profile home games. I have spent a shit load of money attending most away games this season, and although the term “entitled” shouldn’t be banded about, why the feck should someone buying a set of coasters in the city shop and attending a women’s game at home be awarded more points to someone (like myself) who have trekked to the likes of Sutton, Orient, Crawley, Carlisle etc.

It is bollocks of the highest order. Most clubs loyalty schemes award those fans who do the most away games by giving them the best chance of getting first dibs on games that are in demand, nothing more nothing less

 

What do you suggest? You make some very valid points. However, trying to identify a fair scheme is beyond me. The first come first served ST holders was about as fair as it comes, but lots of ppl complained.

 

Exactly my thoughts on the situation, fans who go to away games accumulating more loyalty points than someone who attends home games should get first dibs.

Staffords reply from Ryan,
1) The loyalty scheme was never intended for just away matches, it may also be used for high profile home matches as well.
Not sure what is meant with regards the above statement, if we had a good Cup run then surely season ticket holders would get first chance of their seats before non-season ticket holder, although I know from experience that is not the case if you sit in EXJ hospitality area, you're treated like a bleb unless your willing to fork out £75 for a pre-match meal and a seat in hospitality which I believe was the cheapest package to watch the Arsenal game at home, Dave Baldwin and myself had a heated discussion about the situation with regards the seat I purchased for every home league game, but some jack the lad would take because he was more than happy to cash in on that Cup run, but obviously not interested in attending the next home game against league two opposition.

 

I don't know. I agree that it's very difficult, if not impossible, to please everyone. I just don't see why a sixteen year old who happens to go to a lot of away games this season, is seen as more 'loyal' than an 80 year old with 65 years support under their belt. In circumstances where the likes of playoffs, plum cup ties etc only come along once in a blue moon, I don't see why the priority for those rare games should be skewed in favour of those people who have the youth/time/money/energy/ family circumstances to travel all over the country. It's called a 'loyalty scheme', not an away priority scheme'.
I hasten to add that I have plenty of loyalty points and a ticket for Northampton, so I'm not complaining about how the scheme has worked for me.

 

I agree that if it is purely an away priority scheme' then the club should call it that. It isn't called that, but some people have just assumed (it seems incorrectly) that that's all it is.

 

You ask fans, I guarantee they would all unequivocally say that the scheme is for away tickets. Shouldn't be getting points for stuff like women's games and merchandise to go toward away tickets. Should be down to the games you've been to away from home.

 

I’m not sure what else the scheme is for if it’s not priority access to tickets!

 

https://bantamtalk.com/index.php?threads/loyalty-points-priority-for-away-matches.6250/page-20#post-668053
Seems like a good time to resurrect this

 

If it is a general loyalty scheme then why isn’t everything that you invest into City worth points? We paid for a car park but no points! Plus we are in a car park that changed the day before the season started. It is a very unsatisfactory arrangement which we were told we would have to put up with. Plus the media and away vip fans get the nearest slots.
Anyway back to this scheme. We also invested in the suites no extra points for that either. The club need to look at this scheme again as it is not fair in the collection of points and the definition of loyalty.

 

Yes, I agree. It should be upfront and clear. If it's just an away priority scheme' then that's what it should be called. If it's a more general loyalty scheme then it should be clear in advance which things accrue points and what kinds of benefits they bring.

 

So just to keep this updated….

today there was a steward at out MR turnstile who looked at everyone’s tickets from a distance, then said “yeah he’s ok” to the turnstile operator who then let us through. No scanning. No loyalty points added to our accounts - yet…..

 

The internet was down. Nobody had their card scanned.
That's why the card machines were down too.