Ticket availability/Unoccupied seats the dilemma

Fair enough, maybe 6 games then?

 

Slop bucket?

 

Hey Colin they have that at MKD , they can have a row each

 

The Ticketmaster site has the seat exchange facility.

We just don't have it turned on. Turn it on. Job done.

And I say that as one of those naughty folk that doesn't turn up every week (for what it's worth I've had a ST since I was 6 in 96) due to now not living locally and having a 1 and 4 year old in tow at home.

I buy a ST still (now along with my 4 yo) because it's something I've done since I was a child, VP is where I feel most at home and it allows me to maintain some sort of a connection to my Dad who got me into City after he passed in early 2020. And I still want to financially support the club.

Turn on that feature online and I'd happily release our ST seats for the games we don't get to. Club can essentially sell them twice. Happy days.

 

Sparks and Rupp would be slaughtered if they came up with a demand like this.

 

Perfect, you get to use your seats when you want them but allow others to purchase them when you can’t attend. What’s not like? It’s a win win

 

I agree.

I don't really understand why it isn't switched on as default.

Unless the cost of it is prohibitive vs. the benefit. But I can't imagine it being a huge additional cost.

 

We don’t need such a scheme because we simply don’t have 20000 people on our ST waiting list.
But I do think we need a feature that allows a season ticket holder to notify the club that they can re sell or swap their seat or seats on a per game basis. That way the fans stuck up in the gods could move down to the lower tiers if they choose to. It just prevents seat blocking and opens up options for people.

 

Obviously that's different and personally if someone buys a seat and doesn't turn up that's up to them the club have got the money but I do understand in a way why fans would feel cheesed off if they couldn't sit with friends or family yet there is many empty seats.

 

Another long distance fan. I'm only gonna get to 2 games (first and last home games) this season. My ST seat has been empty the rest of the time. Would happily sell my seat back on a game by game basis if it's needed.

 

I’m not sure they’d allow you to sell it back but it would be great if they knew they could make your seat available.

 

All anyone has to do is wait 10 minutes into the match then take your pick of the empty seats. Just be sure to double-check that it's genuinely free and not because someone has gone to the toilet, for example.

 

For any ticket exchange to work you need an incentive for people to offer their ticket or lots will just not bother. Most clubs that do it offer % of pro-rata refund as credit to their account.
For it to work we'd have to be getting attendances like the last 2 games, most clubs only offer it once all tickets are sold out so I don't think we'll be doing soon.

 

So what's the incentive to bother?

 

I wouldn't be using Leeds as an example as I have seen a few of their fans online unable to renew their tickets for next season due to failing the attendance criteria even though they claim to have been there. One of them went as far as using data protection legislation to request copies of cctv to show they had attended even though the computer said they hadn't.

 

My mate is a fireman. He works shifts. He has had a season ticket for over 30 years but due to shifts etc misses a good chunk every season not through choice. Sometime he might be free to come to a game on evening to find he ends up on a call which lasts hours at 5pm. He brings his son and when this happens he can't make it.

It's all well and good have a job which allows you to rock up to every game home and away, or have no kids, etc. Let's be honest here, we don't have a waiting list of potential season ticket holders and there are ample seats to chose from for 90% of the season.

This really isn't even an issue.

 

Agree - I don’t get to many games - the cost is mine to bear for the price per game that I pay for an ST - I justify it to myself as a subscription to the club I support with the benefit of going to a game when I can.

 

I dunno. I have a season ticket for myself and three of my children. For next season I've bought my ticket and will buy six STs so that their mates can come along too, all of whom have been to a couple of aways this year. When they hit 12 it's suddenly a jump in price but they're on the hook now, as they're fully paid up fans.

That's how I started out in the Richmond years (£16 a season I think it was?) and I'm now paying £300 a season. It works.

 

Doncaster Rovers run an exchange scheme for season ticket holders..

There will be no missing out for our 2024/25 Season Membership holders with the ticket exchange scheme.

The Season Membership perk allows supporters the opportunity to claim back the value of up to five missed home league matches when informing the club at least 24 hours in advance of kick-off.

For example, an adult sitting in the Polypipe South Stand who pays £229 for their Season Membership pays the equivalent of £9.95 per game. And for any game you are unable to attend, that ticket value will be credited and redeemable against the following items:

• any ticketing product for a home league game
• Car parking
• Hospitality experiences
• 4Life membership
• Club Doncaster Lottery subscriptions (over 18s only)
• Mascot, escort a player or group experiences

Marketing manager Mark Hughesman said: “The ticket exchange scheme was created on the back of feedback from supporters.

“As part of In Rovers We Trust the club is committed to engaging with supporters and by offering this ticket exchange credit we hope we can show our gratitude for fans continued support.”

Please note that all credit received must be redeemed by April 30, 2025