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Ticketing
Written by Blue041273 on Tuesday, 1st Apr 2014 13:22

I wonder how many people wanting to buy a ticket to a game have simply given up in frustration. My wife and I are both season ticket holders, yet getting tickets for the game at Watford has proved to be akin to getting tickets to a top rock concert.

What's going on; this is not even a hugely attractive game. What will happen if ever we get to the Premier League is anybody's guess.

Surely clubs like ours should be interested in getting people through the turnstiles; yet the ticketing policy manifestly deters people from buying tickets. The casual or new customers (and I use that term 'customers' through gritted teeth) have no chance. The hoops you have to go through to get into a position to actually buy a ticket are preposterous.

In the old days you could telephone the ticket office and conclude a transaction relatively quickly and satisfactorily. Now the experience is not in any way so pleasant.

I have supported this club for over 50 years and have been proud to be be accepted into an elite group of people who have a likewise ethical approach to football and the way it is played and managed.

Yet it seems that supporters are now simply seen as a commodity that can be exploited et al.

We are fast heading into a world where gates at home games will dip to the levels of 10,000 or even lower if results don't work out.

How much revenue has been lost because potential attendees have given up actually trying to buy a ticket? Everyone who complains about a lack of atmosphere at Portman Road needs to know. The casual fan is largely lost to us and with a dwindling of core support we seem to be doomed unless an influx of new support can be found.

Unfortunately the season ticket renewal notifications do nothing to suggest that this may happen any time soon.




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uefacup81 added 16:11 - Apr 1
Without having given any details of this 'unpleasant' system you refer to, it's impossible to see the point you're trying to make...
4

TR11BLU added 16:48 - Apr 1
It is a nightmare, seems they do everything possible to not sell a ticket to fans.
Bring back the telephone system.
2

CambridgeBlue added 16:53 - Apr 1
Sorry I don't get it. I've been to about five games this season and all I've done is walk in to the club shop before the game and handed over my money. It's been a completely pain-free process.
2

uefacup81 added 18:32 - Apr 1
I have to agree with you, CambridgeBlue. If I make a late decision to go to a game, then I buy on the day (I'd much rather have a ticket stub than a print-at-home ticket!), or if I plan in advance I go onto the website, pick the precise seat I want, pay, and the ticket arrives on my doormat a couple of days later.

I can't see how the club can make it any simpler or easier.
2

NoCanariesAllowed added 18:34 - Apr 1
Have to concur with the posters above. I don't understand what the problem is - I've never had a single issue with ordering tickets from Ipswich, either on the phone or online, and have always considered the Ticket Office to be doing a great job. The only difficulty I've ever experienced was my ticket not being delivered for the Brighton game the other week, and even then they were very helpful and efficient in getting me a duplicate ticket to collect at the Amex on the day.

Seems like an excuse for moaning on a day when there's not much to moan about, if you ask me.
1

Blue041273 added 19:11 - Apr 1
Cambridgeblue

I'm not talking about home games, although the gripe still applies to those of us who don't live in the Ipswich vicinity and have to go through the torturous experience of buying a ticket online. I was specifically referring to the away game at Watford and my experience in trying to buy two tickets online for two season ticket holders was not a lovey dovey matter.

I'm glad that you and others see no problem here, but believe me my experience in trying to buy tickets for the Watford game was not an easy one and I think that others may have had similar experiences buying tickets online which might deter them from bothering again.
-3

warwickblue added 22:15 - Apr 1
I'm sorry - but not one single word of this blog rings true.
Over the years (first game 1967-68) I have never experienced anything other than first rate service from the ITFC ticket office. Just today, whilst making enquiries about moving season ticket seats for myself and my elderly father for next season, Warren Maddison in the ticket office could not have been more helpful - personally calling me on my mobile during my lunch-break to make sure that things were able to be sorted out satisfactorily. I cannot support the assertion that ITFC treats its customers as mere commodities. In my experience the club still shows a level of individual customer-care which is exemplary.
1

JimmyJazz added 08:15 - Apr 2
You mention twice that you are a season ticket holder. Is this of any relevance? Were you expecting preferential treatment when trying to purchase a ticket?
1

uefacup81 added 09:03 - Apr 2
Okay, I just tried to buy some away tickets just to test the 'unpleasant' system...

Go to site
Select 'Away Tickets'
Log in
Select match
Type number of tickets
Click 'Buy'

Total time, about 30 seconds...
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gazzmac4 added 09:51 - Apr 2
Dont ST holders get preferential treatment? Are you arguing they should get more or none altogether? I am confused.

I got my tickets for Watford relatively easily. Logged in at 910AM monday when they went on sale to ST holders. Already have a few STH's linked to my account, clicked amount of tickets (one for each) and paid. They are in fact, already here at my house as we speak. Simples.
1

JimmyJazz added 10:14 - Apr 2
Gazzmac, i was suggesting that the blogger seemed to be expecting even more preferential treatment than is on offer.
0

Boz581 added 10:16 - Apr 2
CambridgeBlue, you need to be specific, "Lovey dovey affair" is not specific. State your complaint so others can compare.I agree with most posters here. The ticketing process is pretty painless.I rarely go to home games because the atmosphere is cold dull and generally boring. Ive been a Blue ever since I was old enough to come to Portman Road and have held seaon tickets for several years but these days I CBA with Portman Road. Over priced over rated and no atmosphere.
Awaydays for me every time.
0

Blue041273 added 12:39 - Apr 2
Boz

I think you should have directed your post to me rather than Cambridgeblue.

It's clear that others have not had the frustrating experience in buying tickets online that I had. That is good. Maybe I have had a bad experience. For those who think that I believe I should have preferential treatment because I am season ticket holder, I can only say that, if anything, the reverse is true. I want the process of buying tickets to be as simpler as possible. More than anything I want PR to be full again. My complaint, if you could rate it as such, was that the online booking process was unduly complicated and could put off the casual applicant.

However I bow to the majority on this thread and acknowledge that my original view may have been somewhat OTT. I have always received exemplary service from the staff of Planet Blue and the Ticket Office. I also understand that regular users to the ticketing website are happy with it. I can only reiterate that in my view first time users (particularly those who cannot get to Planet Blue) might be put off by the online experience.
1

itfcinwales added 16:17 - Apr 2
I agree with this to a certain extent,

as i only manage to ever to get to a couple of away games in a season, i have no choice but to order tickets online.

The old simple process of phoning the ticket office so simple and brilliant and really do not understand why they have stopped this for it to replace with a much more confusing website.

Granted others may prefer the online system but I for one don't. Can't see why we can't book tickets over the phone in conjunction with the online system
4

North_London_Blue added 17:41 - Apr 2
Best thing to do is to go into the "My Account" setting and add another person you want to sit with. When you go to book tickets it is pretty straightforward to get tickets providing you meet the prerequisites at the time for the game.

Should you want an easier way to book tickets for rock concerts and happen to want to see one in London it may please you to know that you can book through a person at Stargreen (020 77348932 in case this was also needed).

Didn't think either were particularly difficult tasks but hope you figured it out
0

DurhamTownFan added 23:06 - Apr 2
I'd like to stick up for the blogger a bit here, not because I completely agree or because I think the cub are doing anything particularly wrong, but simply because I know others who've had difficulty.

The main problem with any on-line service is that you usually can't talk to a human for helpif you need it. If you simply can't find the option you need on a website, what can you do?

If I'm right I seem to remember that buying in the club shop on a match day adds at least a couple of quid to the price? That for me isn't usually the best option.

I think another problem is that only offering an on-line service hinders those fans who aren't so confident with computers or who have nobody to help them do it. My Dad is quite a young 6 and isn't scared of cumputers, but has no time for them if he can't find the right option. I found it very difficult to explain to him why the club no longer have a telephone service when we recently bought tickets!

What this really boils down to in my opinion, is the increasing sense of disengagement with the club. Gone are the days when an owner like Sheepshanks would give long personal interviews which hadn't been pre-vetted like ME's programme 'interviews'. You can now buy a ticket online, scan a barcoded ticket in an unmanned turnstile, and leave the ground without ever having spoken to a member of staff at the club, all for goodness knows how much more money, year-on-year. That I suppose is just how you have to operate if you want to break even in modern football.
4

WubbleU added 10:11 - Apr 3
Not sure why people are saying the blogger is looking for preferential treatment as a season ticket holder. That sounds like someone with a pre-conceived idea of season ticket holders being needy and just jumping to conclusions.
This sounds like someone who is a home season ticket holder and an occasional away attendee, so not so familar with the ticketing system. If there is a need for bitching then the blogger should be branded with that old favourite for popular away games...daytripper!

2

dalianwasexciting added 17:42 - Apr 3
The only issue I can see here is that we may have sold so many that the allocation is over. I would actually commend ITFC, I decided to go to Barnsley away the Wednesday before the game and made an on line application for tickets, they dropped onto the front door mat on the Friday. Similarly just booked Blackburn away tickets on Monday and they arrived Tuesday. It is a pain free situation.
1

BXLBlue added 21:25 - Apr 3
YES! This is so true. I follow the Town only at arms length these days but thought last Friday I might go to the Foretst game. I do not expect to have to register myself on the ITFC website simply to find out how much the tickets for the game would be. When I emailed the club to have a moan about this I got a reply that advised me it was a Cat B game but STILL failed to tell me how much the tickets were.
So yes, I agree wholeheartedly that the Club needs to do a lot more to entice people in and stop making it so bloody difficult that the waverers give up - as I did
3

Rjitfc added 09:05 - Apr 4
Cant say I've had any problems getting tickets to any away games this season. I'm not really sure what part it is you find difficult. Pretty much all ticket services are web based nowadays.. get used to it!
-2

verulam added 10:19 - Apr 7
Just caught up with this thread and have to say as a St albans based supporter that the web based ticket ordering system is so much better than the old telephone system. Many a time in the past I have had to hang on for ages to get through to the ticket office. For the Watford match (as others have noted) the whole process was completed in under a minute.
0

Suffolkboy73 added 09:46 - Apr 10
Two sides to this. I have found the new online experience of purchasing tickets excellent. The only problem has come this season that my 2 boys now want to come to football with me (which is good for town support) however to relocate my seat with purchase of additional tickets cannot be done online and doing it over the phone with the ticket office (sorry we dont have a ticket office i mean admin) its as though I want to draw blood, its very hard work and doesnt promote bringing your children to support the team IMO.
1

ONENIL78 added 16:14 - Apr 10
bring back pay at the gate....sorted
0

runningout added 00:34 - Apr 18
Cant think of one iffy occasion I have ever had when purchasing a ticket, whether late decision or not.. Guess you more have had just a unlucky couple of events.. Dont give up just the same :-)
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runningout added 00:37 - Apr 18
meant 'Must' not 'More.. dOh!
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