LCFC must offer General Sale to fans

[Adster]

8 hours ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

People chugging nonsense like this is exactly what would embolden the club to have the kind of policies they do.

100%. My slide joke above aside, this was pretty much what I was getting at.

 

Entitled customers (which is the reality of what we are, whether we like it or not) cannot just "email the ceo" and expect something different to happen. It won't. I agree with the sentiment of the core issue here, but it smacks of a Karen mentality all too many people have in this world today. 

[Vlad the Fox]

If the club won’t listen would it be worth ufs and the foxes trust contacting local media, local mp, making a bigger and more public issue of it. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

On 20/12/2023 at 15:24, Trav Le Bleu said:

I miss the days when you could just turn up on the day and be guaranteed entry if you paid your money.

 

Sorry to self-quote, but wouldn't this old way of doing things go a long way to eliminating the very thing that clubs say they are trying to stop with their ticketing, i.e. touting?

[RowlattsFox]

I would expect Top doesn't get involved in any of this side of things and puts his trust in other people. Probably not even aware of the ticketing process. 

 

General sale is what gets kids into games, we all start the same way generally, usually cup games and the shit league games. 

 

Edited 22 December 2023 by RowlattsFox

[guest123]

15 hours ago, Union FS said:

We've had a response from the club which is deeply unsatisfactory to us – particularly given scores of fans have since come forward to share their own struggles getting tickets for games that have not sold out. 

We’ll continue to push for fans' rights to attend games in our ongoing discussion with the club and would encourage everyone who shares our view to make their feelings clear to LCFC.

what's been said from both sides then?

[Freeman's Wharfer]

15 minutes ago, RowlattsFox said:

I would expect Top doesn't get involved in any of this side of things and puts his trust in other people. Probably not even aware of the ticketing process. 

 

General sale is what gets kids into games, we all start the same way generally, usually cup games and the shit league games. 

 

This is the other thing.

 

Anything bad about the club and it’s operation it’s all “I expect Top isn’t even aware” and “it must be lower down the chain”.

 

Anything good, like free beers or investment in the training ground it’s “thanks Top” and “how lucky we are to have these owners paying out of their own pocket”.

 

The club is a business, and a good owner has oversight of the entire operation. Take your Thailand tinted spectacles off please, people!

[jammie82uk]

23 minutes ago, guest123 said:

what's been said from both sides then?

Seems like they won’t say despite being asked multiple times on here and on social media

[guest123]

1 minute ago, jammie82uk said:

Seems like they won’t say despite being asked multiple times on here and on social media

and people have a go at the foxes trust for not communicating, poor, even if it's to say the club have asked us not to discuss it

[bmt]

15 hours ago, ramboacdc said:

Sorry for double posting! 

 

Honestly I think it's money reasons. Why charge 40 a ticket when youncan get 70 on the first purchase as they have to get a membership. Both teams are pushing for the prem but our finances have a lot more going out than Brum and someone thinks charging for membership will mean everyone who wants to go to a game will just pay it. Unless there was a walk out LCFC won't change. It just seems silly that the club would rather have an unsold seat than a seat sold at general sale.

 

But if there's 3000 unsold tickets at games this makes no sense 

[UniFox21]

14 minutes ago, jammie82uk said:

Seems like they won’t say despite being asked multiple times on here and on social media

 

12 minutes ago, guest123 said:

and people have a go at the foxes trust for not communicating, poor, even if it's to say the club have asked us not to discuss it

Tbf to UFS every time they share, they get bans or options removed. 

 

Playing ball a bit has given us a singing section and some great tifo's. 

 

What has the foxestrust help us with lately?

[SouthStandUpperTier]

I've seen a couple of people on this forum admitting that they've bought memberships just to go to the Rotherham game. I suspect there will be others that have done the same. The club aren't going to change policy while we've got fans that give in so easily.

[guest123]

1 minute ago, UniFox21 said:

 

Tbf to UFS every time they share, they get bans or options removed. 

 

Playing ball a bit has given us a singing section and some great tifo's. 

 

What has the foxestrust help us with lately?

i simply said people call out the foxes trust for being silent and ufs are doing the same. 

[Lcfc82]

16 hours ago, Union FS said:

We've had a response from the club which is deeply unsatisfactory to us – particularly given scores of fans have since come forward to share their own struggles getting tickets for games that have not sold out. 

We’ll continue to push for fans' rights to attend games in our ongoing discussion with the club and would encourage everyone who shares our view to make their feelings clear to LCFC.

What was the club’s response ?

[Jackubu]

7 minutes ago, guest123 said:

i simply said people call out the foxes trust for being silent and ufs are doing the same. 

They're not being silent though, they've shared that the conversation is ongoing albeit in an unsatisfactory way. My guess is that, if they shared the correspondence, the communication would be cut off. Seems sensible 

Edited 22 December 2023 by Jackubu

[lcfc278]

As others have probably had the same, this week I've had emails from the club firstly pushing me to order Christmas 'gifts' before the post delivery deadlines and then again before the Click and Collect deadlines for the store. In both of these emails they listed 5 or 6 'gift' ideas to buy and on both there was the option to buy someone an Adult or a Junior membership. Listed alongside the shirt, games and other merchandise. It's clearly a commercial decision they've made as a business to push/ensure that a membership is required to easily get tickets to games.

 

Sadly a sign of the times and a sign of where the club is, it's a business. Next season, if we're promoted, it will even less of an issue for the club as they know there will be higher demand to go to games and people will again have to stump up the membership fee.

[SemperEadem]

32 minutes ago, jammie82uk said:

Seems like they won’t say despite being asked multiple times on here and on social media

The club are like North Korea. The whole discussion would instantly be thrown out and the draw bridge up. The long game has to be played not just posting out contents of emails straight the way.

The fanbase would lose any chance of making progress.

[brucey]

58 minutes ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

This is the other thing.

 

Anything bad about the club and it’s operation it’s all “I expect Top isn’t even aware” and “it must be lower down the chain”.

 

Anything good, like free beers or investment in the training ground it’s “thanks Top” and “how lucky we are to have these owners paying out of their own pocket”.

 

The club is a business, and a good owner has oversight of the entire operation. Take your Thailand tinted spectacles off please, people!

"Top probably isn't aware" isn't necessarily defending him. He's clearly less engaged in the club than his father was (as seen with OHL whose fans are saying he's not been in over a year). As such I expect him to entirely delegate things like ticketing policy to the relevant management teams, rather than be involved personally in those decisions. 

 

The free stuff, hospital charity donations and building projects were all things that his father started, and he likely feels the need to carry it on. I don't think it's something he would have started by himself if it wasn't already in place. However it's still a good thing that he's doing it. 

 

Edited 22 December 2023 by brucey

[Voll Blau]

27 minutes ago, guest123 said:

i simply said people call out the foxes trust for being silent and ufs are doing the same. 

Two unsolicited statements publicly criticising the club in under 24 hours is a funny definition of "silence".

 

Oh, and can you not see how publicly stating "the club asked us not to discuss it" would, by definition, be a breach of that confidence?

Edited 22 December 2023 by Voll Blau

[dmayne7]

33 minutes ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

I've seen a couple of people on this forum admitting that they've bought memberships just to go to the Rotherham game. I suspect there will be others that have done the same. The club aren't going to change policy while we've got fans that give in so easily.

So people should just not go? Your tactic is totally fair and sensible when it comes to general consumerism. Unfortunately, football is not that. It's a lifelong emotional bond for most people that is as significant to them as all but the very most important things in life (family). Yes, it's changed and it's financially driven but as a fan, you should never be in a position where you are having to make a moral stand when it comes to supporting your football club (and effectively having to deny a part of who you are)

[SouthStandUpperTier]

1 minute ago, dmayne7 said:

So people should just not go? Your tactic is totally fair and sensible when it comes to general consumerism. Unfortunately, football is not that. It's a lifelong emotional bond for most people that is as significant to them as all but the very most important things in life (family). Yes, it's changed and it's financially driven but as a fan, you should never be in a position where you are having to make a moral stand when it comes to supporting your football club (and effectively having to deny a part of who you are)

Not saying that. People can do as they please. Just don't expect the club to change their policy anytime soon though when it's clearly working as intended for them.

[AjcW]

1 hour ago, RowlattsFox said:

I would expect Top doesn't get involved in any of this side of things and puts his trust in other people. Probably not even aware of the ticketing process. 

 

General sale is what gets kids into games, we all start the same way generally, usually cup games and the shit league games. 

 

Exactly! Often for me it was whenever Mum/Dad got home at a reasonable enough time to be able to make an impulse decision! 

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

I've seen a couple of people on this forum admitting that they've bought memberships just to go to the Rotherham game. I suspect there will be others that have done the same. The club aren't going to change policy while we've got fans that give in so easily.

I'd love to know what other option I've got apart from giving in?

 

My lad is desperate to go see a game and has been bugging me for months to take him so yeah, I gave in.

 

I hate the process and it stinks that you have to buy a membership but I want him to go, enjoy the experience in SK1, and become hooked like I was at his age. 

 

[Chrysalis]

On 20/12/2023 at 13:30, Union FS said:

Enzo Maresca has repeatedly called for fans to step up and be part of the drive to promotion – but right now, many don’t have a choice.

There is currently no General Sale being offered for the Rotherham home game in just three days, or the Cardiff away game.

UFS has raised this issue with the club and we call on LCFC to make tickets available to fans who want to support their team but can’t currently commit to a season ticket or membership.

With the stadium expansion coming, LCFC must do all it can to keep football available and affordable for all present and future fans.

 

UFS

We have a very large capacity issue which the club isnt currently rushing to remedy sadly.

 

There is simply no capacity for general sale.

 

The pent up demand wont last forever, we need extra seats yesterday really.

[Voll Blau]

9 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I'd love to know what other option I've got apart from giving in?

 

My lad is desperate to go see a game and has been bugging me for months to take him so yeah, I gave in.

 

I hate the process and it stinks that you have to buy a membership but I want him to go, enjoy the experience in SK1, and become hooked like I was at his age. 

 

Feel for you being over a barrel like that.

 

It's all well and good for people to say "just don't go", but it's not an effective way to get change in circumstances where a club seem quite happy for casual fans (for want of a better term) to stay away anyway. Plus, it's unrealistic to expect enough people to join a boycott of anywhere near the level you'd need to be noticed.

 

The club need to be shamed into recognising their responsibility to their fans and that's only going to happen if more people like you come forward to share the kind of shocking example you've highlighted.

[foxile5]

2 hours ago, Freeman's Wharfer said:

This is the other thing.

 

Anything bad about the club and it’s operation it’s all “I expect Top isn’t even aware” and “it must be lower down the chain”.

 

Anything good, like free beers or investment in the training ground it’s “thanks Top” and “how lucky we are to have these owners paying out of their own pocket”.

 

The club is a business, and a good owner has oversight of the entire operation. Take your Thailand tinted spectacles off please, people!

I agree.

 

This isn't anti-ownership, either. We're lucky to have the owners we do. They have CLEARLY been a net gain to us and the city. However, they can't be removed from legitimate criticism. That way lies idolism. 

 

Top carries the can for the relegation. He isn't naïve enough that he won't have saw Rodgers losing the plot. He would have weighed the cost of the contract vs the probability of relegation and made a very poor call to keep him longer than he did. It's fine to say that and acknowledge that the buck stops with him. People like to blame Rudkin as some kind of totem of hatred but the buck stops with Top. 

 

Top, too, can be credited with not snapping up an easy managerial choice like Parker and getting Maresca in. That's how ownership works. The team you surround yourself with advise you but the bigger decisions are ultimately yours to own. 

 

I think that the almost non-stop success we enjoyed during the first six or seven years of Thai ownership have blunted people's ability to be critical. It's great we were so successful; it shows us that these owners are capable of successful decision making. That doesn't mean that poor decision making isn't part of the human condition.