Oh the hypocrisy of it all.
Arsenal have made huge changes to away ticketing in recent years following some very noisy campaigning from a very small minority of fans.
First they got rid of the away scheme, then they introduced random pickups, and this summer they went after supportersclubs. Finally, they made it easier for r and silver members to get away tickets, allowing them to buy at the same point as golds if they had the relevant credits (IE if you have 10+ credits, you can buy tickets at the 10+ window regardless of your membership).
All of this was done to supposedly stop away tickets being a “closed shop” and make it easier for those lower down the chain to get access for away tickets.
The upcoming Bayern Munich Champions League game has not sold well. A mixture of us being to Munich more times in recent years than some fans have had sex, and the cost of flights, hotels, and more.
On Tuesday, the club announced the new sale windows for the match:
• Window 3: Platinum, Gold, Travel Club, Siver and Red Members with 10+ credits
• Window 4: Platinum, Gold, Travel Club, Siver and Red Members with 5+ credits
• Window 5: Platinum, Gold, Travel Club, Siver and Red Members with 0+ credits
And almost like clockwork, the complaints came in.
They cried that why should someone with 1-4 credits be treated the same as someone with 0 credits. That the club should introduce a 1+ credit window. And this just shows that this was never about opening a closed shop, it was about these fans getting in the shop and ensuring the door closed behind them.
A big complaint was how fans who have followed The Arsenal through the tough times had more priority for away games than someone who has recently bought a club Level season ticket and suddenly wants to go Spurs away. These fans did not want priority buying. They wanted equal opportunity.
But now they have 2 or 3 credits, they want priority over those fans who have 0 credits. Who were unable to go to Napoli (due to the short notice) or Ipswich.
So they think the system is unfair when they are unable to go to games, and now they think the system is unfair as the door is open for others to “compete” for tickets against them.
Due to the influence some of these fans have (through the fans forum and being loud on social media), the club have buckled. They have changed Window 5 to exclude Silver and Red Members on 0 credits.
It all shows the campaigning by a few fans is bollocks.
They are happy to exclude members who do not have as many credits as them, but want to put limitations on those members who have more credits than them. All they want is “fair system that suits them”, and that they are happy restricting other fans from obtain tickets, as long as it is to their advantage.
The club has made huge errors in the way they have gone after away fans in recent years, and the result is away ends are now poor, with groups of mates now broken up, and the atmosphere has suffered as a result. But hey, as long as Tarquin or Shazeed in Club Level can now get a ticket who cares about anyone else?
Keenos
