La Scimmia Rossa Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 According to the club website, it will now be £25 to reserve a kid's ST seat next to an adult. The reason given for the charge is "The entire purpose of charging a fee for a reserved seat was not to make money but to dissuade those youngsters who take a season ticket and don’t then turn up for the club’s matches, which impacts negatively on the match day experience for others." This seems to contradict the accusation that it was "being abused" that was floated at the meeting. There's no need to charge people who are using the system sensibly. The people who applied last year and didn't use it, should be barred for this season. Furthermore the amount of new requests who will take a season ticket and not use it will be minimal, we only average crowds of 5000. So those who attended the meeting on Friday who were "waiting to see" what the club put out, what's the plan now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediocre Pundit Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 My personal view is that it's fine - and regardless I don't have children - so I won't be pushing for any action myself. Would be interested to see if a big group of fans is significantly affected by this (i.e. as significantly as having no option but to move to a poorer area of the stadium for the full season) and, if so, those fans impacted can raise it with the board. And I'm sure other fans would support them. The way I see this one though is that kids go free continues but with unreserved seating and encouragement to sit in the family section. If you want to reserve a seat in a different section you pay £25. There's still choice here and, worst case scenario, £25 is still a pretty good deal for a full season. I don't think this will adversely affect too many fans. You will no doubt differ, if for nothing more than to start an argument. But if there was significant detriment being caused that I just haven't thought of them I'm sure something could be done. But, as said, any action should be led by those directly affected - as it was with the North Stand situation. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
read'n'yell Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I think it is fair enough, if you use the seat then £25 quid is very reasonable for the course of a season. £1.25 a game or something? It is an issue that a lot of seats go unused in prime locations. Certainly around my season ticket seat there is always loads of spare reserved seats. I assume since the North Stand gets 600 fans and I think there is roughly 400 season tickets people over there - then some of these seats are jhs ticket holders that move across. If you're that skint then don't reserve a seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedLightningUK Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Kids don't go free in this instance do they? That's really the bottom line of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhs Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 The charge is perfectly reasonable imo. If money is really tight then just turn up at the gate and the kid gets in completely free. If you require or wish a reserved seat for your kid then pay £25 for a whole season of football - less than £1.50 per game. The £25 will also help cover admin/associated costs for managing and producing the season ticket. I would like to see how many other top league clubs offer such a deal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Scimmia Rossa Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) And so it begins. It's reasonable to charge £25 quid for a reserved kid's seat therefore it must be reasonable to move those kids and parents to another area of the ground who don't want to/can't afford the £25 ? The point surely isn't whether it's reasonable? It's whether it's neccesary/required in the first place? "any action should be led by those directly affected - as it was with the North Stand situation". You've got to laugh eh? Edited May 21, 2014 by La Scimmia Rossa 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhs Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 And so it begins. It's reasonable to charge £25 quid for a reserved kid's seat therefore it must be reasonable to move those kids and parents to another area of the ground who don't want to/can't afford the £25 ? The point surely isn't whether it's reasonable? It's whether it's neccesary/required in the first place? If there is evidence of "prime location" seats (e.g. centre of JHS) being wasted or going unused due to free kids season tickets and around 150 kids season tickets being produced by the Club for free and never being collected/used... then, in my opinion, yes, a charge is necessary and required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Scimmia Rossa Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Where is the evidence? I thought the tickets were being abused? Wasn't that mentioned at the meeting? That allegation seems to have mysteriosuly disappeared? Prime seats? At Firhill? There's 4000 empty most Saturdays.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhs Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Where is the evidence? I thought the tickets were being abused? Wasn't that mentioned at the meeting? That allegation seems to have mysteriosuly disappeared? Prime seats? At Firhill? There's 4000 empty most Saturdays.... The club were quoted saying that around 150 free kids season tickets were applied for, produced by the office and were never used/collected all season - pretty strong evidence of wasted resources and seats. If there are no prime seats at Firhill and it is mostly empty then there can be no complaints about not reserving a kids seat and just sitting where you want each week by turning up at the gate or sitting in the kids/family section. It is pretty obvious that when something is totally free and then the terms change or an "admin" fee is levied that those who used the offer will be unhappy and for many of those in that category there will be no reasoning. I can see why a fee is now being charged and it can be avoided if money (or the principle of now paying) is the main issue. Edited May 21, 2014 by mhs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunfermline Jag Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 The club's statement implies that it is all the fault of those pesky kids who took season tickets they wouldn't use when it was, in fact, the club that foisted the tickets on them without finding out whether they were likely to attend every week. My son and I attended all but three games at Firhill last year. £25 on the face of it isn't bad but it is not kids for free. It is £25 more I have to pay to Thistle for the same as we had last year. As it happens, my son and I will probably spend most of next season in the North Stand and just use our own seats for the Celtic game. Thus, it will cost me £25 to reserve one seat for one game and will not stop two seats in the JHS lying empty for most of the season. If anyone wants to negotiate the right to sit in our two seats for all other games I am open to offers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I have to hold my hands up here. I got four kids season tickets last season. Two for my kids and two for my (then) partner's kids. Two of these were only used once (see previous brackets!). I don't consider that I abused the system. Again, the club make an announcement that make the situation unclear. If unreserved seating means sit anywhere in a family section then I don't have a problem with that. Kind of what I expected to be the case last season. My personal view is that it's fine - and regardless I don't have children - so I won't be pushing for any action myself. Would be interested to see if a big group of fans is significantly affected by this (i.e. as significantly as having no option but to move to a poorer area of the stadium for the full season) and, if so, those fans impacted can raise it with the board. And I'm sure other fans would support them. The way I see this one though is that kids go free continues but with unreserved seating and encouragement to sit in the family section. If you want to reserve a seat in a different section you pay £25. There's still choice here and, worst case scenario, £25 is still a pretty good deal for a full season. I don't think this will adversely affect too many fans. You will no doubt differ, if for nothing more than to start an argument. But if there was significant detriment being caused that I just haven't thought of them I'm sure something could be done. But, as said, any action should be led by those directly affected - as it was with the North Stand situation. As with the North Stand situation, this directly affects all Partick Thistle fans and the future of the club. There is a lot of "my stand is better than your stand" pish on here at the moment. One Thistle. Remember? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graemei Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 My personal view is that it's fine - and regardless I don't have children - so I won't be pushing for any action myself. Would be interested to see if a big group of fans is significantly affected by this (i.e. as significantly as having no option but to move to a poorer area of the stadium for the full season) and, if so, those fans impacted can raise it with the board. And I'm sure other fans would support them. The way I see this one though is that kids go free continues but with unreserved seating and encouragement to sit in the family section. If you want to reserve a seat in a different section you pay £25. There's still choice here and, worst case scenario, £25 is still a pretty good deal for a full season. I don't think this will adversely affect too many fans. You will no doubt differ, if for nothing more than to start an argument. But if there was significant detriment being caused that I just haven't thought of them I'm sure something could be done. But, as said, any action should be led by those directly affected - as it was with the North Stand situation. I agree with you. Also £25 is buttons for a full season. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrD Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Surely having a policy where a free season ticket is invalidated if not claimed after a period of time would be a simple mechanism to stop this problem arising? Kids for free is a great flagship marketing strategy but it loses its force once it becomes burdened with all sorts of provisios. Also 25 quid puts it not far off the Celtic kids season ticket offer in price. This compromises the ability to achieve the purpose of the policy - to grow our fanbase - by diluting our competitive pricing advantage. Edited May 21, 2014 by mrD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhs Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Surely having a policy where a free season ticket is invalidated if not claimed after a period of time would be a simple mechanism. Good shout! How could that be managed? Probably by tracking if the season ticket was used to attend a match... Although, the club wouldn't know it was unused until after at least one home game and someone could be ill or on holiday so it would be unfair to cancel a ticket after one missed match. Therefore, a few missed matches would probably be required. By this time, the seat has already been reserved for weeks or months and not available for another fan to buy on a season ticket. A member of staff would have to go and remove the reserved sticker from the seat, re-allocate the seat for season ticket sales and the club should also notify the person who is having their ticket cancelled. All of this is further admin work. Alternatively, a deposit system could be employed, if the kids season ticket is used x number of times then the £25 or a large proportion of that is refunded. Again this is further admin work and costs so I can see why this would not be a suitable system/check too. I do sympathise with those that are hit by these changes but I think the club are trying to be reasonable by keeping the cost down and offering/maintaining alternatives that are completely free. Edited May 21, 2014 by mhs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThickAsThieves Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 U16 are free to get in to all matches for yet another season. I personally think £25 to reserve a seat is fair enough. Whenever I sit in the Jackie Husband Stand, I often try get a central seat, and they're basically all taken up by "Reserved for season ticket holder". Obviously there are quite a few empty, but for me I'm never sure which one will be empty once the match starts and which one will result in someone coming over and telling me to move. If you want a specific seat for the season, then pay a small fee. Fair enough. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 John Lambie Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 It is reasonable, & you can still get a free season ticket as an u16. A few years ago when u16s were free there was a £30 charge to reserve a seat.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Scimmia Rossa Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 If 150 season tickets went unclaimed, then presumably the club can ensure that those people can't receive one this season? Also no issues with a deposit scheme. Use the money towards next years adult season ticket rather than give the money back? Dunfermline Jag is also spot on. It's a 25 quid increase on last year. More if you take more than one kid. Completely wrong-headed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew37 Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 I have two U16's girls that had season tickets last year. They both came to about half the home games, I made it all bar one. When they were not there....theie seats we occupied by other PATG fans. It is utter nonsense to say that un-used season tickets affect the match day experience...OMG...if there is an empty seat...and someone else sits in it then how is it affected? The entire purpose of charging a fee for a reserved seat was not to make money but to dissuade those youngsters who take a season ticket and don’t then turn up for the club’s matches, which impacts negatively on the match day experience for others. Our biggest game in years v Morton was not sold out...neither Celtic games this year were fully sold out either...we always have spare seats. Paying £50 for my two kids is £50 more than last year. We sit right at the edge of the old kids area centrally in the JHS. We travel over 2 hours total to get to Firhill and back every home game so we have that added expense. I just don't see the need for this. However if the club said it is £25 a year for an U16 season ticket with reserved seat...I would probably buy them. Still great value...its the nonsense reason for the change that boils ma piss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady-isobel-barnett Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 The club were quoted saying that around 150 free kids season tickets were applied for, produced by the office and were never used/collected all season - pretty strong evidence of wasted resources and seats. Seems wrong that the parents of those kids who used their seats are getting punished because of others. If it has to be £25, which I think is too much in any case given so many night games etc younger kids may not get to, then there should be sliding scale to take into consideration adults who are taking more than one kid. If you believe like me that the "kids go free" initiative isn't altruistic but a way of attracting future adults to Firhill then why should someone bringing say their son or daughter's pal along be charged extra? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonehJags Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 How can you argue against this? The statement by the club is fantastic in terms of the way they have responded to heavy criticism by myself included. £25 to reserve a seat is practical. Its also a means of supporting the club for those who have a little extra cash. If you can't afford that then its nothing at the gate. Some folk are never happy. They'll be wanting adults go free next. Moral of the story is get behind the team and sing yer heart oot cos this is as good as its been for years and the futures brighter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La Scimmia Rossa Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Killie and St Mirren have FREE under 16 season tickets next season. St Johnstone has an under 12 ticket for free. Dundee Utd has an under 12 ticket for free, Dundee has an under 12 ticket for £18, Hibs are £20. We are completely out of step. Ironic. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhs Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Seems wrong that the parents of those kids who used their seats are getting punished because of others. Unfortunately, this often happens, the minority spoil it for the majority. there should be sliding scale to take into consideration adults who are taking more than one kid. I like your idea of the sliding scale, first kid is £25 then second is less etc. - would help those with two or more kids keep the cost down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Hansen Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Seems wrong that the parents of those kids who used their seats are getting punished because of others. If it has to be £25, which I think is too much in any case given so many night games etc younger kids may not get to, then there should be sliding scale to take into consideration adults who are taking more than one kid. If you believe like me that the "kids go free" initiative isn't altruistic but a way of attracting future adults to Firhill then why should someone bringing say their son or daughter's pal along be charged extra? Seems fair to me still kids free or reserved seat £25.00,give the club some credit where it's due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhs Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Killie and St Mirren have FREE under 16 season tickets next season. St Johnstone has an under 12 ticket for free. Dundee Utd has an under 12 ticket for free, Dundee has an under 12 ticket for £18, Hibs are £20. We are completely out of step. Ironic. Killie offer one free U-16 season ticket per adult, then those after are £20. St Mirren is the same but those after are between £45-£190. Also, we still offer free U-16 entry at the gate and I believe there are free U-16 season tickets (with no limit per adult) in the family section of the stand. We still offer the best overall deal imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThickAsThieves Posted May 21, 2014 Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 (edited) Killie and St Mirren have FREE under 16 season tickets next season. St Johnstone has an under 12 ticket for free. Dundee Utd has an under 12 ticket for free, Dundee has an under 12 ticket for £18, Hibs are £20. We are completely out of step. Ironic. Eh? We still have FREE under 16 season tickets. And have had them for longer than any of these clubs. It is utter nonsense to say that un-used season tickets affect the match day experience...OMG...if there is an empty seat...and someone else sits in it then how is it affected? Not really. All the best seats are reserved at Firhill, the full middle section. So if I arrive at Firhill at 2.35pm, and sit in one, someone might come and ask me to move. If I arrive at 3pm then yeah it doesn't really matter as you will just be able to grab a spare seat. It's not the most annoying thing in the world but still a bit of a pain in the arse that so many seats are reserved when they're not actually used. A £25 reservation fee (not too much - especially considering the savings you've made over the years...) will help remedy that. And if you can't afford it? No problem, you don't have to, kids are still free. You just won't have the same seat every time. Edited May 21, 2014 by ThickAsThieves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.