Most liked posts in thread: Away vs Colchester United, Rescheduled Tuesday 21st January 2020 @ 7.45p.m.

The approach I take is, prior to the start of each season, I print off a copy of the fixture list. Then I,

• note all the fixtures that clash with international weeks;
• note league matches that clash with rounds of the cups;
• note the deadlines for the selection of televised match picks (not much of an issue in League Two);
• have regard to the main months that the weather could affect matches (I tend to work on January to March, but will have regard to longer trips outside these months); and
• note other matches that may get moved (e.g. Easter Saturday / Good Friday or that clash with major cultural events like the Shrewsbury Flower Show).

That allows me to build up a picture of the risk of each match going ahead on its scheduled date or not.

Then I will take into account the savings to be made by booking early for a match as opposed to 'paying on the day'. If the match has a higher risk of being moved then I would need a large saving to tempt me to book early.

For rail travel, you can categorise tickets into three broad options:

• advance tickets (purchase up to 12 weeks, sometimes more, ahead - fixed trains and 'non-refundable');
• split tickets (can be a combination of walk up and/or advance tickets); and
• walk up flexible tickets (refundable tickets that can be purchased right up to departure).

I rarely stay over for matches nowadays but, on the odd occasions I do, I always look for those that can be cancelled, without charge, as late as possible. Booking.com is good for highlighting those with free cancellation options; sometimes they will offer free cancellation, when booking direct with the hotel won't.

After all that I still occasionally get the occasional match that is postponed, where I have purchased non-refundable tickets; sometimes the saving on advance tickets is just so good that it is worth taking the risk. The way I look at it, you lose the odd one, but you win on most. For such matches I always try and have a plan B available, an alternative day out. For anyone travelling down to London, on the original Colchester date, I believe tickets are still available to see the Tutankhamun exhibition; I went there on Monday and it is truly amazing.

With 16 November now being a blank Saturday, let's hope we can beat Shrewsbury on Saturday and ensure we don't have another one later this month.

 

If anyone has non-refundable advance train tickets, then there are a couple of possibilities:

• you may be able to change them for a different date (some companies charge a £10 fee). For tickets to London, the away matches at Leyton Orient and Crawley Town may be possibilities; or
• keep an eye on your booked outward train. If it gets cancelled, or is delayed, then, under the National Rail Conditions of Travel (condition 30.1 you can claim a full refund:

 

I must admit that it seems appalling that the game has been called off less than 10 days before it was scheduled.

If Colchester had an idea that this was a possibility, then they should have delayed the release of tickets until they were clear one way or the other about call ups

Some these players are not even regular starters for Colchester, which makes it even worse!

Brandon Comley, (Montserrat), 15 (2)

Luke Gambin, (Malta), 5 (12)

Callum Harriott, (Guyana), 2 (3)

Really the EFL has a responsibility in these matters and perhaps needs to look at the schedule of games, if they clash with international matches.

 

I still think there is no excuse, from Colchester’s perspective, in selling tickets for the match, when they must have had some knowledge that they could seek to postpone the game. They have in effect sold something, which they must have known they would have difficulty in fulfilling. You could argue that is miss selling. I am not sure what ‘terms and conditions’ are included on the actual tickets and perhaps someone who is affected could inquire with the Trading Standards Officer. The clubs/EFL/FA/FIFA are treating supporters with a degree of contempt, given my experiences of the FA, then it is fairly predictable.

 

You do realise that you have created a task for yourself, as I guess people would benefit if you shared this complicated algorithm! Perhaps it could be included in the https://bantamtalk.com/index.php?threads/2019-20-city-fixtures.2656/

 

It really is the fact that Colchester have sold tickets when they must have known there was a ‘probability” that they would seek to postpone. It is also the EFL/FA/FIFA rules which allows them to do so, collude and condone if you will.

Clearly if Colchester have players called up, then it is their prerogative to cancel the match.

The situation where a club has taken money from people, when they know it is highly likely to be cancelled, is unacceptable and an abuse of power!

To make arrangements for a 8 hour 30 minute (if there are no traffic problems) car journey or an 9 hour 20 minute train journey is exceptionally difficult, especially if it is likely to occur during the week. Do the football authorities, suggest that adults take time off work and children miss school, just so that they can ‘tick a box’. Personally l think it is appalling.