Seating issues

[Teigngull]

Hi View1
I will speak with the Steward Manager to find out why this was said especially as I had no knowledge of being asked to see you at half time or phoning you after the game. I will be at the game tomorrow so happy to meet with you at around 2.30pm? If you ask for me at Main Reception I should have finished the stewards briefing and other match day checks by then.
Best regards,
Andrew

WELL DONE ANDREW CANDY,
Good to see someone involved with the club gives a suit about someone's BAD EXPERIENCE, I sincerely hope that you listen to View1's (he's called Will , by the way) issue, it's obviously affected him quite badly for him to start a thread !, and as you know by reading this forum Will has garnered a lot of support .
It obviously needs sorting, which ever side of the argument you sit on, one way or another. There is far too much confusion, a very simple solution,I'm sure, is just around the corner.
I appreciate you putting your head above the parapet Andrew, once again well done sir.

[andrew candy]

No problem Will and thank you Teigngull.

[Midlandgull]

Well done and thank you Andrew!

[Scott Brehaut]

It’s no surprise that Andy is sorting this. At the risk for turning this into an Andy Candy love in, he is always willing to assist fans when he can. There are many on here and elsewhere that can attest to this. Had he been informed of your plight on Boxing Day, I have no doubt in my mind that he would have come and sorted it.

Look forward to seeing a successful resolution to this episode and, going forwards, a decent seating ticketing allocation system in place.

[LeVandre Fiasco]

It's very simple - if we offer a booking system, then everyone should have an allocated seat whether they pre-book or buy on the day. This stops any of this happening! First come first served only works if we abandon online booking entirely. It's got to be one or the other, the current set up is garbage causing frustration for pre-bookers as well as those turning up on the day.

Absolutely this - one or the other.

Never any issues in days of yore (pre-online booking), with 3000+ gates the norm.
Want a plum seat or sit in a group? - get inside early.
More fussed about a beer in Boots, prior? - you take your chance.
If the club anticipates a large crowd (Truro), then All Ticket.

Online works if paying at the gate isn't an option - a la EPL clubs, IMO.

[chunkygull]

Season ticket holders should be able to sit in their allocated seats. All other seats, whether booked in advance or paid for on the day, should be first come, first served. Easy isn't it? Save a lot of bother. Most places where advance booking is advantageous insist on being in your places at least 30 minutes prior to performance, otherwise no guarantee. Turning up 5 mins before kick off and expecting seats to be unoccupied is ridiculous.The occupants should never have been told to move.

Thats the best post I have read on the subject.
Aside from season tickets it should be first to seats get them, simple. If there are a few of you and say one seat short of all sitting in a row but a few spaces empty further along, you might find if you are polite and ask nicely and in a civilised and non arrogant way then people are inclined to move up for you.
Those who turned up early have made much more effort than those who turn up at 5 minutes to kick off whether booked online or not. There may be reasons for being so late but thats nobody elses problem.

[View1]

Completely agree with Grockle on this but it seems this is not going to be the likely outcome.

I have had a call from someone senior at the club this evening who although sympathised advised people who book online should be able to claim their seats at anytime and the stewards and staff on gates will be advised of this to make sure they are all saying the same things- if you buy on the gates you need to sit on the seat numbered on the ticket, so turn up with everyone you want to sit with and go in using the same turnstile one after another or your stuffed!

I've been asked to put my frustrations in writing, which I have done but it won't change anything I'm sure.

Anyway we will try again tomorrow but just sit in the family stand to avoid unnecessary drama.

[Dazza]

Depressing stuff Will.

In other words those booking ahead ( or could it be those prepared to pay a little more ) get priority.

I can however see some drawbacks here

- it encourages people to get there pretty late 'encouraging' last minute queuing and possibly on occasions delayed kick offs . I am sure the guys running the gates won't be over happy.

- if seats are to be allocated to non advance bookers out of a book of tickets the gate man is deciding whether you get wet when it's raining, whether you are sitting next your mate or to be separated by an aisle and how good a view of the game you will get.

This out break of officialdom has come at unfortunate time it seems. It has us years to get a team together that can entertain and suddenly it's rules, rules, rules.

[Dazza]

And what really really annoys me is that the sneering bunch who turned and stood over us at 2.55 p.m. full of their rights and whose attitude upset my grandson get seemingly condoned by this club 'decision'.

I can see some sense to a pre booking system but it in itself ought to be subject to some common sense rules. As it stands at the moment it is open to discourtesy. If such a system is being introduced it requires regulating. If the club really are going to re emphasise pre booking by allocating definite seats to all they are making a ridiculous decision. They clearly can't steward the present system properly let alone this draconian suggestion.

[Ferrrr187]

Interesting post this. I totally get that if someone has bought a ticket early on the gate and the havnt got a seat specified then they should be able to sit where they want. That is not the decision of the fan who purchased their ticket in good faith.
However I take my two young children up very week and we can't get up there much before kick off. The club offers the chance to reserve a seat which we take up wishing to all sit together. (If this service wasn't offered I would have to take my chances) Regardless of division Torquay are a big club and pre booked seats are common place in medium to big size clubs across the country. I thos day and age why shouldnt there be?I have issues with people sitting in the reserved seats and have reported it
I received the following response from the club today:

"We had some difficulties with our new ticketing system and I sincerely apologise for any problems this may have caused.

We have further amended our procedures for ticketing and for your information; effective from Saturday’s game v Gloucester, to gain access to Bristows Bench and Family Ticket Stands everyone will require a ticket. Tickets can be purchased in advance via the online ticket shop until 11pm the day before the match and similarly by phone/in person at the Club. Remaining tickets can then be purchased at the ticket Office or on the gate.

All Tickets will have a designated Block Number, Row Number and Seat Number. Holders will be required to sit in the designated seat. There is no unreserved seating.

We will ensure that all Club personnel are fully briefed in these procedures.

We apologise for any inconvenience you may have experienced and wish to assure you that these procedures are continuing to receive our fullest attention. We look forward to welcoming you and your family/friends to Plainmoor for future exciting and we hope winning games"

Hopefully this sorts it and we can enjoy winning games and leagues for many seasons to come!

[brucie]

View 1 - that's an appalling response to be honest. Nothing short of disgraceful. Would you be interested in naming the person who spoke to you?

In fact I am disgusted by the lack of any apology and the apparent lack of comprehension of your problems. Three of us were attending tomorrow game and the Truro return driving 150 miles on each occasion.

There is absolutely ZERO chance of me attending either game now as I am not going to turn up an hour early and run the risk of being presented with 3 tickets in different parts of the stand.

Whilst I don't always agree with Dazza he is dead right. If the burke who contacted View 1 seriously thinks that it was perfectly fine for his party to be turfed out of their seats just before kick off then he seriously must wanted his head read.

[Ferrrr187]

View 1 - that's an appalling response to be honest. Nothing short of disgraceful. Would you be interested in naming the person who spoke to you?

In fact I am disgusted by the lack of any apology and the apparent lack of comprehension of your problems. Three of us were attending tomorrow game and the Truro return driving 150 miles on each occasion.

There is absolutely ZERO chance of me attending either game now as I am not going to turn up an hour early and run the risk of being presented with 3 tickets in different parts of the stand.

To be fair they have apologised twice in this email! I think the fairest way to guarantee a ticket is pre booking by phone or on the internet. Saying that I'm pretty sure of you arrive an hour before you would get 3 seats together. They won't be able to please everybody all the time but have given everyone the option of pre booking.

[brucie]

That's total bullshit though. Because of my personal circumstances there is no way I can pre book a ticket as due to my partners illness I never know until the day of the game whether I can definately attend or not.

It wouldn't be so bad if the unreserved tickets were all sold consecutively from the same book but judging by past experiences they are all over the shop. I can assure you that there is no guarantee of getting tickets in the same block let alone in the same row if you pay on the gate which I think anyone would agree is fairly ridiculous.

Just isn't worth the aggravation - a shame because we are playing well.

[Ferrrr187]

The club's first concern should be the fans experience at a match day. How can getting people to arrive an hour before any action just to guarantee a seat be in the fans best intetest? I appreciate that some people circumstances prevent them from pre booking but my circumstances prevent me from getting there an hour early. It really is swings and roundabouts. You can pre book up to 11.00pm the day before. If there are going to be big crowds there has to be a fair ticketing systems to allocate seats. Unfortunately I think for the vast majority pre booking is they way forward! They offer online or by phone and right up to the night before.

Going back to the OP I think what they had to endure on boxing day was a disgrace! They shouldn't of been put in that situation. All seat allocation would of probably meant they all Sat together in "unreserved seats" without any commotion.

[Ferrrr187]

The club's first concern should be the fans experience at a match day. How can getting people to arrive an hour before any action just to guarantee a seat be in the fans best intetest? I appreciate that some people circumstances prevent them from pre booking but my circumstances prevent me from getting there an hour early. It really is swings and roundabouts. You can pre book up to 11.00pm the day before. If there are going to be big crowds there has to be a fair ticketing systems to allocate seats. Unfortunately I think for the vast majority pre booking is they way forward! They offer online or by phone and right up to the night before.

Going back to the OP I think what they had to endure on boxing day was a disgrace! They shouldn't of been put in that situation. All seat allocation would of probably meant they all Sat together in "unreserved seats" without any commotion.