Never looked to do the maths before but it surely isn't sensible that an adult+junior ST(£380+£95)in the Family Stand is less than an adult ST in the Frank Adams (£495). It doesn't appear that you even have to purchase a junior ticket to accompany the adult to buy in the family stand?
If you're trying to buy a junior ticket in the family stand and find it's full of unaccompanied adults I can well understand why you'd be pissed off.
The maths/protocol appears to need a tweak if the aim is really to enable parents with children to be able to sit in the family stand.
Is the family stand meant to be just for families then? I’d always assumed its name was more an indicator that it was the place in the ground where bad language and uncouth behaviour would not be welcome and so a less ‘macho’ atmosphere to house those fans who’s preference was for a more pleasant watch?
Exactly, but when your owners come out in public saying they are not enjoying it so much and would consider a sale I doubt that long term is their priority. So short term view is likely being taken at the top.
It’s a bit like putting Mr Sad on the front desk of the Happy Shop, not really a smart move.
I know @wycwyc, £19 to be exact, but a junior is £95 which is what I quoted as adult+junior is STILL less than an adult only in the Frank Adams.
It's my opinion that, to qualify for the reduced adult price, you should be accompanied by someone using the child/junior ticket - or at least be able to demonstrate that it happens more often than not (surely possible with the digital ticket system we now have, as they know which tickets are utilised each week).
This would eliminate the situation, which others have commented on not me, where there are large sections of adults in the central areas - with no child/junior - and empty seats each week.
For context - if you currently try to buy a season ticket subscription in the middle three blocks of the family stand there are currently only 17 seats available, none of them together. Notwithstanding the fact that sometimes people can't make it to games, or kids don't fancy it, I'd defy anyone to tell me that those three blocks have been 95% occupied for every single game this season.
Any casual fan bringing a child or two on any Saturday in the season can't get a seat there and will have to sit much closer to the corners, where the game is diffiuclt to see, especially for children or buy a more expensive ticket. Neither of which is going to do much for the long-term plan of converting them into becoming season ticket holders themselves.
I’m in the middle three blocks of the family stand. Apart from my daughter and my friend’s kid, I don’t think there is anyone under 16 within 10 seats of me in all directions. 90% of games there are plenty of empty seats around us too.
I was at the first ever game at Adams Park when Mr Clough brought a very good Forest team to christen the ground for Martin O’Neill.
I came back when Tony Adams took charge as I thought we might see some decent football (not).
But then the club gave us tickets for my boys attending coaching courses and that started the long run of following the Blues. My boys have taken penalties at half time on the pitch into the proper goals (please bring that back) and been mascots as well. That led to us buying season tickets.
And now, we’ve had season tickets in the family stand for more than ten years. Started as myself and my two sons when they were young and now it’s myself and my two sons who are 21 and 24 years old. We love our seats and the regular chats with the people around us.
I started in the Frank Adams upper and have taken the boys there from time to time in cup matches. It’s a much better view up there but the language put me off taking them as youngsters and we bought season tickets downstairs instead. We’ve also sat in the main stand for cup games and Pizza Trophy games but very little atmosphere over there.
And now my boys don’t want to move from our seats even when for cup games.
Wycombe have had a good deal of money from three Trust members and legacy members. And some people would want to kick us out of our seats now. There are plenty of empty seats in the family stand and it’s great to see it full so many times this season for the big games. I don’t see a great issue at present when we have over 3,000 empty seats most weeks.
Great post and a valid reason three adults would be sat in the Family Stand and one I had not considered.
I see the club have released tickets in the whole of the Main Stand for children at Family Stand prices. That’s a great idea and one that should be made permanent on these occasions when 500-600 seats are taken away in the Family Stand. I would restrict them to the wings though, probably A,B,H and V sections where the vast majority of empty seats are.
Got to take my hat off to the ticketing team who are taking on ideas and trying to make these big games work for the club and the home/away supporters.
I understand his feelings but I disagree that it should be happening.
When your kids become adults it's time to move on and sit/stand elsewhere and pass those seats on for new families to fall in love with Wycombe Wanderers.
As for the concept of buying up seats so you have more room for yourself, I'm not sure I'd mind if such people stopped going altogether
@Forest_Blue - thanks for putting the other side of the argument.
A few of us, me included were instantly thinking it sounded wrong for those without kids to be in there. But you've put over a decent scenario where it sounds a lot more reasonable.
Maybe they could simply stop new adults without kids buying in there? Give a grace to those who are long termers?
Though that gives a new level of analysis and if there is a problem with people cynically buying up spares for some leg room - not sure how you weed that out. Although they managed in the upper tier, but that was by increasing prices?
That's exactly the situation I'm in. The club would be upsetting a lot of loyal fans if they tried to move them on - which isn't necessary as I'd estimate that stand is barely ever 75% full.
As for people buying extra seats to give themselves more room, I struggle to believe that's really happening on a notable scale.
When the child tickets were free in the FA stand, we had one for my nephew - he only came to 8-10 games per season but it meant there was a guaranteed seat next to us for him when he did come.
I can imagine some family stand members will pay £19 for a child that may not come every week but guarantees them a seat next to their parents. Even if they only came 6 times per season, £3/game isn’t significant
I can see why ForestBlue has remained in the stand but Eric does have a valid point.
If many adults remained in the Family Stand with their adult children you would end up with no or little spaces for families. This certainly seems to be what has happened in the three central blocks along with supposed adults buying cheap child season tickets and not using them.
I will say that my match-day experience has been enhanced by the relationships built up with people stood or sat around me and I understand why ForestBlue does not wish to move.
Not sure the club have a system as 3 years ago before Covid we rarely sold out anywhere in the home areas of the ground.
This season the Family Stand would be sold out even without giving away tickets to away fans on at least 4/5 occasions. The home game with Oxford would have been another if it was a Saturday at 3, now being a Tuesday at 7.45 you will have hundreds of empty seats.
It’s great the club are getting these big gates but with the extended away tickets they need a better system in place for families. This seems to be happening now.
That's definitely something to look at - giving ST holders the option to log in and make their seat available for sale for any given game - although the shambles of a ticketing website needs overhauling first.
I'm not sure it's a one size fits all argument. If the stand was selling out regularly then you could look to move adults on. If it isn't then not sure it's a massive issue and perhaps adults should be allowed to sit in there unaccompanied by U18s until supply and demand dictates otherwise.
If we are selling out though then I think the easiest thing to do would be to not to sell tickets to adults only. Each purchase needs to have an U18 ticket bought within the purchase.
If the club tracked this properly then an adult STH could only purchase a £19 ticket for a certain number of years, before moving to the £95 STH. This would in theory require those STHs to move on at a certain point.
Appreciate you make friends etc, etc and enjoy the view but the Family Stand should really be for families. I also appreciate money is tight at the minute so it is a large increase to move from Family to FA Upper but if this was a clear policy then at least people could plan for it.
Again, only really a discussion point when there is a huge clamour for tickets all year around.
With the club now looking to offer the same deal in the main stand then perhaps this will alleviate the need to move adults on from the family stand.
Not quite the same as an adult you will pay £4 more to sit in the Main Stand as opposed to the Family Stand.
Its a good compromise though and keeps the cost down far below the FA, also allows the child, junior to stand by the tunnel before and after KO which always goes down well.
I see that Blocks A, B and C in the Family Stand are not yet available for Wycombe fans and neither are Blocks K, L and M in the Frank Adams, although other home tickets are.
The decision to split may not be made as I see no announcement of ticket sales on the Derby website yet for the game for Derby fans.
Perhaps - and I hope sincerely that this is the case - our club is waiting until after the Sheffield Weds game, which does look like it will be either a sell out or very close to one, to consider the result and the experience and decide to save seats in those blocks for our current and future fans.
If there is an opportunity to build the momentum I hope we will take it with both hands.
@railwaysteve You could be right, I think when Pompey tickets first went on sale the blocks at the away end of FA were unavailable so presumably they were considering doing the split for that game too, then decided against.
One observation - I'm surprised there's no attempt to stop away supporters registering an account on the WWFC site and buying tickets in home sections. Maybe that's why sales are going so well for the Sheffield Wednesday game!
Problem with the new ticketing system is you can set up an account using any postcode you like in the Wycombe area, buy a ticket and have it sent straight to your phone. No checks on actual address required or any requirement to see someone face to face.
Its almost impossible to filter out away fans doing this.
😂 of course until 1921 they were called The Wednesday. Must of caused confusion after the shop keepers started playing on a Saturday rather than just on half day closing (remember that Gasroom old timers!).
Some things in life never lose their beauty @Malone . Like pink blossom in springtime, the warm glow of a newborn baby or the false rumour that Lionel Ritchie once performed at Adams Park.
Comments
Never looked to do the maths before but it surely isn't sensible that an adult+junior ST(£380+£95)in the Family Stand is less than an adult ST in the Frank Adams (£495). It doesn't appear that you even have to purchase a junior ticket to accompany the adult to buy in the family stand?
If you're trying to buy a junior ticket in the family stand and find it's full of unaccompanied adults I can well understand why you'd be pissed off.
The maths/protocol appears to need a tweak if the aim is really to enable parents with children to be able to sit in the family stand.
Is the family stand meant to be just for families then? I’d always assumed its name was more an indicator that it was the place in the ground where bad language and uncouth behaviour would not be welcome and so a less ‘macho’ atmosphere to house those fans who’s preference was for a more pleasant watch?
Exactly, but when your owners come out in public saying they are not enjoying it so much and would consider a sale I doubt that long term is their priority. So short term view is likely being taken at the top.
It’s a bit like putting Mr Sad on the front desk of the Happy Shop, not really a smart move.
Under 11s season ticket is much less than £95
I know @wycwyc, £19 to be exact, but a junior is £95 which is what I quoted as adult+junior is STILL less than an adult only in the Frank Adams.
It's my opinion that, to qualify for the reduced adult price, you should be accompanied by someone using the child/junior ticket - or at least be able to demonstrate that it happens more often than not (surely possible with the digital ticket system we now have, as they know which tickets are utilised each week).
This would eliminate the situation, which others have commented on not me, where there are large sections of adults in the central areas - with no child/junior - and empty seats each week.
Handy for you to be able to look down on him not only figuratively but literally as well
For context - if you currently try to buy a season ticket subscription in the middle three blocks of the family stand there are currently only 17 seats available, none of them together. Notwithstanding the fact that sometimes people can't make it to games, or kids don't fancy it, I'd defy anyone to tell me that those three blocks have been 95% occupied for every single game this season.
Any casual fan bringing a child or two on any Saturday in the season can't get a seat there and will have to sit much closer to the corners, where the game is diffiuclt to see, especially for children or buy a more expensive ticket. Neither of which is going to do much for the long-term plan of converting them into becoming season ticket holders themselves.
I’m in the middle three blocks of the family stand. Apart from my daughter and my friend’s kid, I don’t think there is anyone under 16 within 10 seats of me in all directions. 90% of games there are plenty of empty seats around us too.
I was at the first ever game at Adams Park when Mr Clough brought a very good Forest team to christen the ground for Martin O’Neill.
I came back when Tony Adams took charge as I thought we might see some decent football (not).
But then the club gave us tickets for my boys attending coaching courses and that started the long run of following the Blues. My boys have taken penalties at half time on the pitch into the proper goals (please bring that back) and been mascots as well. That led to us buying season tickets.
And now, we’ve had season tickets in the family stand for more than ten years. Started as myself and my two sons when they were young and now it’s myself and my two sons who are 21 and 24 years old. We love our seats and the regular chats with the people around us.
I started in the Frank Adams upper and have taken the boys there from time to time in cup matches. It’s a much better view up there but the language put me off taking them as youngsters and we bought season tickets downstairs instead. We’ve also sat in the main stand for cup games and Pizza Trophy games but very little atmosphere over there.
And now my boys don’t want to move from our seats even when for cup games.
Wycombe have had a good deal of money from three Trust members and legacy members. And some people would want to kick us out of our seats now. There are plenty of empty seats in the family stand and it’s great to see it full so many times this season for the big games. I don’t see a great issue at present when we have over 3,000 empty seats most weeks.
@Forest_Blue
Great post and a valid reason three adults would be sat in the Family Stand and one I had not considered.
I see the club have released tickets in the whole of the Main Stand for children at Family Stand prices. That’s a great idea and one that should be made permanent on these occasions when 500-600 seats are taken away in the Family Stand. I would restrict them to the wings though, probably A,B,H and V sections where the vast majority of empty seats are.
Got to take my hat off to the ticketing team who are taking on ideas and trying to make these big games work for the club and the home/away supporters.
I understand his feelings but I disagree that it should be happening.
When your kids become adults it's time to move on and sit/stand elsewhere and pass those seats on for new families to fall in love with Wycombe Wanderers.
As for the concept of buying up seats so you have more room for yourself, I'm not sure I'd mind if such people stopped going altogether
@Forest_Blue - thanks for putting the other side of the argument.
A few of us, me included were instantly thinking it sounded wrong for those without kids to be in there. But you've put over a decent scenario where it sounds a lot more reasonable.
Maybe they could simply stop new adults without kids buying in there? Give a grace to those who are long termers?
Though that gives a new level of analysis and if there is a problem with people cynically buying up spares for some leg room - not sure how you weed that out. Although they managed in the upper tier, but that was by increasing prices?
That's exactly the situation I'm in. The club would be upsetting a lot of loyal fans if they tried to move them on - which isn't necessary as I'd estimate that stand is barely ever 75% full.
As for people buying extra seats to give themselves more room, I struggle to believe that's really happening on a notable scale.
There will be another scenario.
When the child tickets were free in the FA stand, we had one for my nephew - he only came to 8-10 games per season but it meant there was a guaranteed seat next to us for him when he did come.
I can imagine some family stand members will pay £19 for a child that may not come every week but guarantees them a seat next to their parents. Even if they only came 6 times per season, £3/game isn’t significant
I can see why ForestBlue has remained in the stand but Eric does have a valid point.
If many adults remained in the Family Stand with their adult children you would end up with no or little spaces for families. This certainly seems to be what has happened in the three central blocks along with supposed adults buying cheap child season tickets and not using them.
I will say that my match-day experience has been enhanced by the relationships built up with people stood or sat around me and I understand why ForestBlue does not wish to move.
What's the current system for freeing up your / your child's seat for resale when you/they can't go?
Not sure the club have a system as 3 years ago before Covid we rarely sold out anywhere in the home areas of the ground.
This season the Family Stand would be sold out even without giving away tickets to away fans on at least 4/5 occasions. The home game with Oxford would have been another if it was a Saturday at 3, now being a Tuesday at 7.45 you will have hundreds of empty seats.
It’s great the club are getting these big gates but with the extended away tickets they need a better system in place for families. This seems to be happening now.
That's definitely something to look at - giving ST holders the option to log in and make their seat available for sale for any given game - although the shambles of a ticketing website needs overhauling first.
I'm not sure it's a one size fits all argument. If the stand was selling out regularly then you could look to move adults on. If it isn't then not sure it's a massive issue and perhaps adults should be allowed to sit in there unaccompanied by U18s until supply and demand dictates otherwise.
If we are selling out though then I think the easiest thing to do would be to not to sell tickets to adults only. Each purchase needs to have an U18 ticket bought within the purchase.
If the club tracked this properly then an adult STH could only purchase a £19 ticket for a certain number of years, before moving to the £95 STH. This would in theory require those STHs to move on at a certain point.
Appreciate you make friends etc, etc and enjoy the view but the Family Stand should really be for families. I also appreciate money is tight at the minute so it is a large increase to move from Family to FA Upper but if this was a clear policy then at least people could plan for it.
Again, only really a discussion point when there is a huge clamour for tickets all year around.
With the club now looking to offer the same deal in the main stand then perhaps this will alleviate the need to move adults on from the family stand.
@Commoner
Not quite the same as an adult you will pay £4 more to sit in the Main Stand as opposed to the Family Stand.
Its a good compromise though and keeps the cost down far below the FA, also allows the child, junior to stand by the tunnel before and after KO which always goes down well.
Derby Game:
I see that Blocks A, B and C in the Family Stand are not yet available for Wycombe fans and neither are Blocks K, L and M in the Frank Adams, although other home tickets are.
The decision to split may not be made as I see no announcement of ticket sales on the Derby website yet for the game for Derby fans.
Perhaps - and I hope sincerely that this is the case - our club is waiting until after the Sheffield Weds game, which does look like it will be either a sell out or very close to one, to consider the result and the experience and decide to save seats in those blocks for our current and future fans.
If there is an opportunity to build the momentum I hope we will take it with both hands.
@railwaysteve You could be right, I think when Pompey tickets first went on sale the blocks at the away end of FA were unavailable so presumably they were considering doing the split for that game too, then decided against.
One observation - I'm surprised there's no attempt to stop away supporters registering an account on the WWFC site and buying tickets in home sections. Maybe that's why sales are going so well for the Sheffield Wednesday game!
It's a shame the Wednesday game isn't on a Saturday where I think we would definitely have sold out.
Problem with the new ticketing system is you can set up an account using any postcode you like in the Wycombe area, buy a ticket and have it sent straight to your phone. No checks on actual address required or any requirement to see someone face to face.
Its almost impossible to filter out away fans doing this.
😂 of course until 1921 they were called The Wednesday. Must of caused confusion after the shop keepers started playing on a Saturday rather than just on half day closing (remember that Gasroom old timers!).
You won't let this Wednesday pun go will you.
Everytime we play them 😂
Some things in life never lose their beauty @Malone . Like pink blossom in springtime, the warm glow of a newborn baby or the false rumour that Lionel Ritchie once performed at Adams Park.
The trouble with the Gasroom is that once people randomly diversify, the puns seem to go on All Night Long
It's just three I'm looking for
Hello is it me you're looking for?