We don't have to give them 25%! I think the FA rules say 15% which would be covered by the normal away stand. This a very strange decision by the club, as is the decision to let STH's buy as many tickets as they want. Doesn't bode too well for regular supporters that are not STH's.
You are probably right but it's the way the tickets are being sold that's causing the 'panic'.
STH's should have been given a couple of days to buy their normal seat. They'd be no need to rush. Once that was done the club could have put the tickets on general sale, i.e. allow sales through the website. Or, if they wanted to give priority to 'regular' fans. include another slot for people that have been to 3+ games, or whatever. And then put them on general sale.
@bill_stickers Seeing the 'Main Stand' is part of the administrative and commercial hub of the ground, I think it's still valid to call it the Main Stand.
With regards to the decision to allocate the main stand, I can understand the commercial justification, though I really think that with a big effort to market the game to people in Wycombe (first-timers, lapsed supporters, exiles who wouldn't normally come to home games) I think we could have sold 8,000 tickets to home areas. The knock-on benefits might be additional half-season ticket sales or some more casual punters at the remaining home games, especially if we're going for promotion. And who knows, some youngsters might get the bug from their first game and come regularly.
@richmayes999 - the 2550 figure doesn't stack up - the Main Stand has 1,300 seats and the Hillbottom Road end is licenced to hold c. 1,850. Are some seats in the main stand (except directors area) being made available to home fans?
If not, all we will have is 4,580 seats in the Woodlands and 1,494 tickets for the reduced-capacity Valley End, making a grand total of 6,074 (excluding executive boxes) on general sale at the ticket office. Seeing we usually get a hardcore of at least 3,000 to run-of-the-mill Saturday league games, I personally don't think we'd be pushing the boat out to get twice that +1,300 for an attractive 3rd-round tie against one of the biggest clubs in the country who are vulnerable to an upset this season.
I understand why the club have done this and I think that 6,000 tickets is roughly about what I'd expect us to sell. My main concern though is how this is going to look on TV, with Villa fans there in 2/3rds of the shot. So what I hear you say, but it's not a great advert for the club that we appear to give up half our stadium for a glamour cup tie and will only make the Villa fans more vocal against the home support. I'd have much rather we tried to give them a few blocks of Frank Adams if we had to, where they'd be invisible and much further away from the pitch.
To be honest as long as every Wycombe fan who wants to go can get a ticket I'm quite happy for this allocation to happen. We're unlikely to sell out and I think a fuller ground looks better than who's actually sat in the seats. It's not like millions will be watching in any case. BT Sport viewing figures are in the thousands aren't they?
Can someone from the club please confirm what the capacity of the ground will be for this game?
I posted about this a while ago and believe a big error has been made in wrongly reducing the capacity of the ground from 10,000 to 9,600 when allowances were made previously reducing the terrace capacity when the away end was built. It is an error that could cost the club upto £4,000 for this game alone.
Hard to find much on viewing figures RITM but this suggests that the BT 4th round games last year were over 1 million, so probably fair to assume it would be somewhere around that.
As far as I know the Beechdean has WWFC ST holders in just part of it now, around Block D area and all ST holders in that stand were moved together during the season break. This was so if they wanted to give other clubs access to the stand the WWFC ST holders could stay in their seats. It would explain why the allocation for AV does not equal the total of the Beechdean and away end. However I will find out when I get through to get my ticket. Its engaged constantly at the moment!
I bet the Woodlands bar members are not to happy, despite having forked out between £70-£80 for an annual bar pass, they will have to pay £10 more to use the same bar for the Villa game.
I recall, as @meninblue notes above, that ST holders were moved from some areas of the Beechdean stand in order that, should the club wish to give other clubs additional seats in that stand, the WWFC ST holders could stay in their (new) regular seats.
It seems strange, then, that no provision appears to have been made to enable ST holders to get first dibs on their regular seats for this match. ST holders who get through on the phones first can buy however many tickets they want; presumably, including buying tickets for their mates/family in seats next to their regular seats, which on league games would be be occupied by other ST holders.
I am fully expecting to find, when I am able to get through to the ticket office, that the ST holders of the seats next to mine will have bought at least one of my family's regular seats, forcing us to move elsewhere if we wish to stay together.
I don't see why they can't sort out the online system to sell to Season Ticket holders only, mind you it couldn't do the £2 reduction for Plymouth playoff game last season. Would save the telephone operators being busy and the fans hearing an engaged tone
@Uncle_T I think you are right, I don't think the club is making any attempt to ensure STH's retain their 'normal' seat. I've bought 4 tickets (in the Frank Adams) and they cut across at least 2 seats normally taken by STH's.
Since they are allowing STH's to buy as many tickets as they like, STH's are, in theory, not even guaranteed to get a ticket. I'm sure there are many that don't even know tickets are on sale, not everyone is on Twitter or checks the website.
Good point Doob, STH's might (in theory) not be able to get a ticket, and how bloody difficult would it have been to give people a chance to purchase their regular seats anyway?
@Keith_Allens_Wig If they had limited the sale so that STH's could only buy one ticket each (for their normal seat) they'd be no need for all this hassle. STH's could have been given a few days to buy their ticket, with no fear that it would be sold to someone else, and then the remainder could've been put on general sale on the website. (They could also have waited a couple of days and announced the sale details tomorrow evening, at the ground).
@Right_in_the_Middle, I agree with you. We get 3k average at home games. If all those waivers only like coming to glamorous games, well no tears from me, I want Wycombe to generate as much revenue as possible, so we can reach our benchmark plans and if viable reestablish our Youth/U21 football team ASAP.
Comments
Especially from the Oxford fans as they didn't get it !!
What's the Beechdean?
Main Stand
Main stand?
yes they have been given 2550 tickets which is the away end and the whole main stand
It's different allocation rules for away fans in the cup isn't it? Hence why we have to give them an extra stand but not Poxford.
We don't have to give them 25%! I think the FA rules say 15% which would be covered by the normal away stand. This a very strange decision by the club, as is the decision to let STH's buy as many tickets as they want. Doesn't bode too well for regular supporters that are not STH's.
Referring to it as the 'Main Stand' is somewhat archaic now, considering the stand opposite is twice the size.
I really don't get these panic about tickets, i don't think it's going to sell out, am I the only one thinking that we'll be lucky to break 8,500?
You are probably right but it's the way the tickets are being sold that's causing the 'panic'.
STH's should have been given a couple of days to buy their normal seat. They'd be no need to rush. Once that was done the club could have put the tickets on general sale, i.e. allow sales through the website. Or, if they wanted to give priority to 'regular' fans. include another slot for people that have been to 3+ games, or whatever. And then put them on general sale.
@bill_stickers Seeing the 'Main Stand' is part of the administrative and commercial hub of the ground, I think it's still valid to call it the Main Stand.
With regards to the decision to allocate the main stand, I can understand the commercial justification, though I really think that with a big effort to market the game to people in Wycombe (first-timers, lapsed supporters, exiles who wouldn't normally come to home games) I think we could have sold 8,000 tickets to home areas. The knock-on benefits might be additional half-season ticket sales or some more casual punters at the remaining home games, especially if we're going for promotion. And who knows, some youngsters might get the bug from their first game and come regularly.
@richmayes999 - the 2550 figure doesn't stack up - the Main Stand has 1,300 seats and the Hillbottom Road end is licenced to hold c. 1,850. Are some seats in the main stand (except directors area) being made available to home fans?
If not, all we will have is 4,580 seats in the Woodlands and 1,494 tickets for the reduced-capacity Valley End, making a grand total of 6,074 (excluding executive boxes) on general sale at the ticket office. Seeing we usually get a hardcore of at least 3,000 to run-of-the-mill Saturday league games, I personally don't think we'd be pushing the boat out to get twice that +1,300 for an attractive 3rd-round tie against one of the biggest clubs in the country who are vulnerable to an upset this season.
I understand why the club have done this and I think that 6,000 tickets is roughly about what I'd expect us to sell. My main concern though is how this is going to look on TV, with Villa fans there in 2/3rds of the shot. So what I hear you say, but it's not a great advert for the club that we appear to give up half our stadium for a glamour cup tie and will only make the Villa fans more vocal against the home support. I'd have much rather we tried to give them a few blocks of Frank Adams if we had to, where they'd be invisible and much further away from the pitch.
To be honest as long as every Wycombe fan who wants to go can get a ticket I'm quite happy for this allocation to happen. We're unlikely to sell out and I think a fuller ground looks better than who's actually sat in the seats. It's not like millions will be watching in any case. BT Sport viewing figures are in the thousands aren't they?
Can someone from the club please confirm what the capacity of the ground will be for this game?
I posted about this a while ago and believe a big error has been made in wrongly reducing the capacity of the ground from 10,000 to 9,600 when allowances were made previously reducing the terrace capacity when the away end was built. It is an error that could cost the club upto £4,000 for this game alone.
Hard to find much on viewing figures RITM but this suggests that the BT 4th round games last year were over 1 million, so probably fair to assume it would be somewhere around that.
http://www.thefa.com/news/the-fa-cup/2015/jan/fa-cup-fourth-round-viewing-figures
Of course you also have to think about the MOTD audience as well, which will add a significant number.
Why not ask the club directly?
Boxing Day last year we gave Luton the main stand and we out sang them all game. Plus more and probably guaranteed revenue.
As far as I know the Beechdean has WWFC ST holders in just part of it now, around Block D area and all ST holders in that stand were moved together during the season break. This was so if they wanted to give other clubs access to the stand the WWFC ST holders could stay in their seats. It would explain why the allocation for AV does not equal the total of the Beechdean and away end. However I will find out when I get through to get my ticket. Its engaged constantly at the moment!
Let's hope we don't see this embarrassment:
I notice they have hiked up the ticket prices for the big game too. Think I'll watch it on the box.
I bet the Woodlands bar members are not to happy, despite having forked out between £70-£80 for an annual bar pass, they will have to pay £10 more to use the same bar for the Villa game.
£100 plus VAT
I recall, as @meninblue notes above, that ST holders were moved from some areas of the Beechdean stand in order that, should the club wish to give other clubs additional seats in that stand, the WWFC ST holders could stay in their (new) regular seats.
It seems strange, then, that no provision appears to have been made to enable ST holders to get first dibs on their regular seats for this match. ST holders who get through on the phones first can buy however many tickets they want; presumably, including buying tickets for their mates/family in seats next to their regular seats, which on league games would be be occupied by other ST holders.
I am fully expecting to find, when I am able to get through to the ticket office, that the ST holders of the seats next to mine will have bought at least one of my family's regular seats, forcing us to move elsewhere if we wish to stay together.
I don't see why they can't sort out the online system to sell to Season Ticket holders only, mind you it couldn't do the £2 reduction for Plymouth playoff game last season. Would save the telephone operators being busy and the fans hearing an engaged tone
@Uncle_T I think you are right, I don't think the club is making any attempt to ensure STH's retain their 'normal' seat. I've bought 4 tickets (in the Frank Adams) and they cut across at least 2 seats normally taken by STH's.
Since they are allowing STH's to buy as many tickets as they like, STH's are, in theory, not even guaranteed to get a ticket. I'm sure there are many that don't even know tickets are on sale, not everyone is on Twitter or checks the website.
Good point Doob, STH's might (in theory) not be able to get a ticket, and how bloody difficult would it have been to give people a chance to purchase their regular seats anyway?
@Keith_Allens_Wig If they had limited the sale so that STH's could only buy one ticket each (for their normal seat) they'd be no need for all this hassle. STH's could have been given a few days to buy their ticket, with no fear that it would be sold to someone else, and then the remainder could've been put on general sale on the website. (They could also have waited a couple of days and announced the sale details tomorrow evening, at the ground).
@Right_in_the_Middle, I agree with you. We get 3k average at home games. If all those waivers only like coming to glamorous games, well no tears from me, I want Wycombe to generate as much revenue as possible, so we can reach our benchmark plans and if viable reestablish our Youth/U21 football team ASAP.