I have just been reading in the news today, that Arsenal as the club are being morte active in trying to sort out the demands for tickets.
The media is reporting that 24 season tickets were cancelled due to not being used with regards to the criteria of match attendances.
They have also tightened up said criteria for the coming season, by informing holders that only three of the twenty three matches covered can be missed – four or more and the s/t will be taken away.
The club is also tightening up on the illegal selling of tickets by touts and season ticket holders.
They have disqualified 20,000 members and 54 season ticket holders for attempting to obtain or sell tickets in a unauthorised way. Also in the coming season, the Gunners will continue to increase their investment in anti-touting measures. This includes developing greater online protection and dedicating more internal sources to take action against the problem.
Finally, they have recognised that many members, reported to be around the three hundred mark, who applied for twenty or more tickets in the ballot system were unsuccessful.
They have decided to invite the said three hundred or so members, to purchase a ticket from a select number of game tickets before Christmas.
Now, I see all of the above as positive moves by the club, to try and cut down on the ticket touts, season ticket holders who try and make money by selling their tickets for a profit, trying to ensure that every seat is taken and acknowledging that the ballot system is not the final solution.
Congratulations to the club for trying to make the system more foolproof.
ken1945
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Hey mate
First I heard of this
Can you tell me more info ?
It’s in the news, both on Facebook and Google Dan.
I picked it up early this morning, so you should be able to source the “official” message, if you click on Pat’s “reading in the news today” highlighted in red.
Cheers mate
Still not perfect that I need to pay , then fail 20 times to then still not be guaranteed anything but it’s a start I guess
Excellent work by the club.
Clearly something needed to be done if the club is happily collecting the membership fees and there is virtually no equity in how the tickets are distributed.
One of my sons is in the fortunate position – with his mate – of deciding to join the club level. An expensive route and one that failed this year, however, the club almost guaranteed a place next season. He decided that it was better than missing out time after time. And waiting for years. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.
To think that in my youth it was just a case of turning up on match day, paying and going through the turnstiles
SueP, I used to carry my daughter through the turnstiles at the East Stand and she sat on my lap from the age of two!!
It was only after a couple of seasons that I was asked to follow an official to a room.
It was explained to me that having her on my lap was a fire hazard and I was instructed to stop doing it.
The club then offered me the opportunity to watch the game at the clock end, but as there were no seats, we went home.
I then put my daughters name down for a season ticket and she didn’t get one until The Emirates was finally confirmed.
So season tickets back in the 70’s were still hard to get, but there was always something special about arriving early, going through the turnstiles and waiting a couple of hours to kick off – but my season ticket is something I treasure.
Hope your son gets his next season and I’m sure he’ll share it with you!!
Ken1945
Lucky little lady.
We only ever went in the clock end and my parents always made sure that we were leaning against the barriers- rather than leaning on them. Sitting was only experienced when I started taking my eldest.
I did use a friend’s season ticket (2) in the upper west stand occasionally which was fantastic. Sadly he felt that his plum seats were too expensive and put them back to the club hoping to get 2 more further from the middle which went down the plug hole – ending up with nothing. I felt so sorry for him especially as he’d held the tickets for many years.
Fingers crossed for next year. Following up from the touts etc, my son and his friend had exclusive use of 2 season tickets for 2 years until last season. No questions asked – they paid the acquaintance handsomely until the league table improved and he wanted them back. I presume that can’t happen under the new system?
10 bob to get in the kids moat!
SueP, a great mate of mine has had Club Level ST since the Stadium opened, and like you said, it’s expensive. You do get a free programme on entering and they usually hand out free programmes when leaving. Also there’s free drinks at halftime. I’ve been up there a few times with him when his son can’t make it, sitting above the away fans, loved it.
Sounds a treat! I can only dream for 2025/26 and success in him getting the club level and carry on with the red level myself too. For you and Ken1945 I think you both made your investments in buying ST’s at the right time
Ten bob! Blimey – and to be below pitch level. It sounds like going into the Silver ring at Sandown watching the hooves thunder past
I’ve not tried yet but it now seems near impossible for a foreign fan to get a chance to see a game at the Emirates. I’m in Canada and have travelled abroad to see a few games in the past but that takes planning. In the past if you were a red member and it was first come first serve you could get a ticket and plan a trip. Now with the ballot system it seems it may be a lot harder to make that happen
As far as I’m aware SueP, the club have closed any loopholes regarding passing ones ticket over to someone else… inasmuch as one has to download a app on to one’s phone and it’s automatically loaded, by the club, for the next home game.
I’m not the most fluent when discussing today’s technology and I’m sure others will have found a way to circumnavigate the clubs efforts.
Of course, we haven’t talked about the clubs efforts to help season ticket holders who cannot make it to a game.
They allow said holder to offer their ticket back to the club for resale right up until 24 hours before a game.
If it isn’t sold, the holder is not penalised and it doesn’t count towards the attendance figure one has to adhere too.
The other way to use one’s ticket, is to identify someone from the different memberships (red and silver), who has the same profile as the holder (for my ticket it’s 65 or over) and inform the club that they will be using said ticket.
The club then sends the friend an email that they use to gain entry to the Emirates.
That was a long winded reply, but I hope it gives EVERY fan an idea of what the club is officially doing to try and get as many supporters the chance to watch a game.
Touts openly ask who wants to sell or buy tickets outside the station and around the Emirates. Everyone, including the police, knows who they are. They should be the easiest to stamp out. Some have been around since Fat Stan Flashman those who remember him from decades ago.