With respect to rearranged fixtures, I feel season ticket [ST] holders are at a disadvantage to per game ticket buyers.

*say* for the AFC self-righteous game, had I bought a single ticket for that game and been unable to attend I could have gotten a refund – but as a season ticket holder there is no obvious facility to do so.

Now obviously there is an inherent risk in buying a season ticket that one might not be able to attend all games and of course there is an element that buying an ST is a ‘donation’ or a ‘bridging loan’ for the club and also has some other benefits like a specified seat, shop discount and cup ticket priority, etc BUT at the start of the season one can reasonably estimate the number of Saturday (or weekend) game and midweek games and take a punt that there will be x number of each – so in the case of rearranged fixtures (which nearly always fall midweek) its not simply a case of ‘tough’ is it?

I’m not saying I want a refund but feel I should at least be entitled to one in some form even if a free pint voucher by way of recognition to ST holders unable to attend *say* the AFC self-righteous game.

Thoughts…

and yes I am being contrarian about Wimbledon - they fall into the Dulwich/FGR bracket of being nauseatingly self righteous.

I think you want the penny and the bun on this one.A ST holder has a number of free matches so,how can you claim on something that is free.

Percy plunkett wrote: February 21st, 2023, 4:33 pm I think you want the penny and the bun on this one.A ST holder has a number of free matches so,how can you claim on something that is free.

Nope a season ticket holder is or might be incentivised to buy a season ticket on the basis of being cheaper per game but they’re not getting “free” matches as such, semantics perhaps?

Season ticket holders get 46 games for the price of 38 so you would have to miss 8 games before you're out of pocket plus you haven't the hassle of buying tickets and the added benefits of priority and shop discounts

daftasfxxx wrote: February 21st, 2023, 7:04 pm Season ticket holders get 46 games for the price of 38 so you would have to miss 8 games before you're out of pocket plus you haven't the hassle of buying tickets and the added benefits of priority and shop discounts

Without ST holders de facto interest free loans over the summer the club would be funked, seems perverse that for an unexpected midweek game single ticket holders have more “rights” than ST holders that’s all (I’m not saying I and other ST holders are “better” or more committed fans btw as I know not everyone can/would justify the upfront cost of an ST) a statement from the club might be in order - “we recognise that season ticket holders could not have foreseen this extra midweek game when purchasing their season ticket and whilst we are unable to offer a refund for those unable to attend this rearranged fixture we recognise and continue to appreciate the enormous commitment and financial sacrifices our season ticket holders make”.

The way I see it is I'm getting a pretty decent deal and if by any chance I can't make a game, we'll that's my little gift to the club cause I have never or ever will be a tight arse especially where my club is concerned

The only penalisation is this seasons absurd policy of making season ticket holders purchase another match ticket if they wish to go into hospitality.

I understand where you are coming from re hospitality, but if it is regularly full, all they have done is drop the incentive benefit for season ticket holders. As is said above, season ticket holders get 8 "free" games, so by choosing hospitality, you are moving from your reserved "free" seat. It also raises more income of course, which is never a bad thing.

Bangitintrnet wrote: February 22nd, 2023, 8:08 am I understand where you are coming from re hospitality, but if it is regularly full, all they have done is drop the incentive benefit for season ticket holders. As is said above, season ticket holders get 8 "free" games, so by choosing hospitality, you are moving from your reserved "free" seat. It also raises more income of course, which is never a bad thing.

Might be semantics but I've never thought of having a season ticket as getting 8 'free' games - I’m fortunate enough to able to buy one to support the club in a fallow period (no medal required but me and other ST holders keep the club alive for several summer months) and appreciate there are some other benefits to it not least less of a baws ache than getting separate tickets - the '8 free games' are in fact a shared risk between me and the club as I buy an ST reasonably knowing I may miss x number of games, I personally have never worked out how much per game it is I just buy it almost as a matter of course and again I recognise that through a little bit of hard work and no small amount of luck I have the money to do so.

My point on the [now fairly rare occurrence] of a weather affected game being rearranged is that that game would have reasonably been expected to be played on a weekend and is now midweek - a single ticket holder unable to attend can get a refund I cannot (in my case I CAN usually attend midweek games so it not an issue what day the game is played buy it may be for some/many as below).

Now I'm not saying I get my calculator & calendar out at the start of each season am not I saying I want a pro rata refund what I am sating is it seems or could be seen as ST holders almost being worse off than single ticket holders. I'm not really speaking for myself as I'm fortunate not to have to count the pennies but I’d imagine some ST holders on more limited budgets or [for various reasons] unable to make midweek games, being rather narked by this especially if they HAD got their calculator and calendar out and thought ‘OK there are usually x no. of midweek games and x no of weekend games I can miss the midweek ones and still justify the cost of a season ticket’.

Bangitintrnet wrote: February 22nd, 2023, 8:08 am I understand where you are coming from re hospitality, but if it is regularly full, all they have done is drop the incentive benefit for season ticket holders. As is said above, season ticket holders get 8 "free" games, so by choosing hospitality, you are moving from your reserved "free" seat. It also raises more income of course, which is never a bad thing.

You may know better but my understanding is that hospitality is rarely full and poorly attended for some matches. I’m of course talking about those who actually pay!

I think it used to be a bit like that, but has changed. I think gold and silver trust membership includes some hospitality, or at least a raffle for some. Also match and match ball sponsorsorship etc etc.

I believe the cheap upgrade was a temporary measure to get fans like my little group to attend. When we did - once or twice a season - it was packed, so obviously people liked the opportunity to be in the same company as people like Colin Addison, and the food is very good. However it was a good offer and probably disincentivised other ways of attending.

It happens I work shifts I plan my leave around the County in the past 20 odd years I've only had one season I've managed to watch every game when I was on gardening leave from the steel works before redundancy

CathedralCounty wrote: February 21st, 2023, 9:50 pm

daftasfxxx wrote: February 21st, 2023, 7:04 pm Season ticket holders get 46 games for the price of 38 so you would have to miss 8 games before you're out of pocket plus you haven't the hassle of buying tickets and the added benefits of priority and shop discounts

Without ST holders de facto interest free loans over the summer the club would be funked, seems perverse that for an unexpected midweek game single ticket holders have more “rights” than ST holders that’s all (I’m not saying I and other ST holders are “better” or more committed fans btw as I know not everyone can/would justify the upfront cost of an ST) a statement from the club might be in order - “we recognise that season ticket holders could not have foreseen this extra midweek game when purchasing their season ticket and whilst we are unable to offer a refund for those unable to attend this rearranged fixture we recognise and continue to appreciate the enormous commitment and financial sacrifices our season ticket holders make”.

Another way of looking at this "interest free" loan is that the interest season ticket holders get is the money they save on the 8? "free" matches they get. If 8 is the correct number, 8 is a big percentage of the 38 they actually pay for and of course if calculating an APR, the amount loaned is gradually repaid during through the year as each paid for game is played so I doubt anybody wold find a comparable "interest rate" at their bank.

Maybe the club should ditch the whole idea and just borrow the money if they don't already have it in the bank? I do wonder whether anyone has considered the rationale for season tickets given the current financing model of professional football and wonder whether the half-season ticket is more beneficial to clubs in giving a financial buffer against potential winter postponements.

Of course one complication is that the club rake it in where season ticket holders don't attend a match.

Who'd want to be a director and have to make these decisions?