ST holders- no show recompense?

I get all of the comments about non-attendance yesterday above, but do feel that exiles buying a ST as a kind of contribution to the club when only going to a few games per season, whilst entirely laudable, should be discouraged for next season. Why not have an 1878 Plus which includes a contribution to a fund for the club to offer discounted seats to local groups for lower-demand games, but also gives the same priority for away game tickets at STHs? When home games are released, 1878 members should get a couple of days priority to get the best seats available together. Yesterday, the attendance was 600 down on last year's average, yet over 6,500 tickets had been issued and the availability of seats to buy together Saturday morning was nearly all restricted view (back of the Main / back of the Osmond) as Block B of the Osmond wasn't opened. That to me is absurd.

Quoted from Limerick Mariner

I get all of the comments about non-attendance yesterday above, but do feel that exiles buying a ST as a kind of contribution to the club when only going to a few games per season, whilst entirely laudable, should be discouraged for next season. Why not have an 1878 Plus which includes a contribution to a fund for the club to offer discounted seats to local groups for lower-demand games, but also gives the same priority for away game tickets at STHs? When home games are released, 1878 members should get a couple of days priority to get the best seats available together. Yesterday, the attendance was 600 down on last year's average, yet over 6,500 tickets had been issued and the availability of seats to buy together Saturday morning was nearly all restricted view (back of the Main / back of the Osmond) as Block B of the Osmond wasn't opened. That to me is absurd.

This a good suggestion. I think exiles should get STH priority for games within a reasonable radius of their home. A town fan living in London should be able to get a ticket to catch up with their mates at Leyton Orient etc.

The frustrating thing at the moment is that I only found out I could go yesterday and my youngest wanted to come with me so once the game was confirmed as on I purchased the only 2 seats available next to one another in the Upper which actually had a reserved sticker on so thanks to whoever sits in F93-94 for surrendering your seat yesterday but there were loads of seats around me that were empty!

The only seats in the Main Stand available to buy are on the top row and my 6 year old son isn't going to have an enjoyable experience looking at wooden beams for 90 minutes is he?

Thankfully my eldest didn't fancy going yesterday otherwise my only option was the top row of the Main.

On the reward debate, fans should be given a small voucher to redeem off their next ST or in the club shop each time they give back their seat but only if somebody buys the seat.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

This a good suggestion. I think exiles should get STH priority for games within a reasonable radius of their home. A town fan living in London should be able to get a ticket to catch up with their mates at Leyton Orient etc.

The frustrating thing at the moment is that I only found out I could go yesterday and my youngest wanted to come with me so once the game was confirmed as on I purchased the only 2 seats available next to one another in the Upper which actually had a reserved sticker on so thanks to whoever sits in F93-94 for surrendering your seat yesterday but there were loads of seats around me that were empty!

The only seats in the Main Stand available to buy are on the top row and my 6 year old son isn't going to have an enjoyable experience looking at wooden beams for 90 minutes is he?

Thankfully my eldest didn't fancy going yesterday otherwise my only option was the top row of the Main.

On the reward debate, fans should be given a small voucher to redeem off their next ST or in the club shop each time they give back their seat but only if somebody buys the seat.

I live near London, as well as a voucher and the opportunity to make friends at Leyton Orient which won't be much of an opportunity as we've played there already and they'll get promoted I think I'd be really happy to forgo buying a season ticket so people can decide on the day.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, removes tongue from cheek.

As I said above the club just needs a more robust and visible scheme so that STH (who haven't been discouraged) can easily make their seat available.  

Quoted from jamesgtfc

This a good suggestion. I think exiles should get STH priority for games within a reasonable radius of their home. A town fan living in London should be able to get a ticket to catch up with their mates at Leyton Orient etc.

The frustrating thing at the moment is that I only found out I could go yesterday and my youngest wanted to come with me so once the game was confirmed as on I purchased the only 2 seats available next to one another in the Upper which actually had a reserved sticker on so thanks to whoever sits in F93-94 for surrendering your seat yesterday but there were loads of seats around me that were empty!

The only seats in the Main Stand available to buy are on the top row and my 6 year old son isn't going to have an enjoyable experience looking at wooden beams for 90 minutes is he?

Thankfully my eldest didn't fancy going yesterday otherwise my only option was the top row of the Main.

On the reward debate, fans should be given a small voucher to redeem off their next ST or in the club shop each time they give back their seat but only if somebody buys the seat.

Broadly agree with this. Surrendering your seat should be made easier, advertised better and incentivised, so anyone looking for seats on the day with a good view can have a better choice and a better chance of getting seats together if there are more than one in the party.

Every game this season, there is a row of seats behind me that have been empty and plenty of pairs of empty seats elsewhere, while I have seen and heard lots of comments about people wanting to attend, but have been restricted to single seats and/or seats with poor views.

I've given up my seat twice this season when I haven't been able to attend but you have to go searching for the facility on the website, and I think you have to have a registered account to do so. It could be made a lot simpler for the casual fan to fill those premium seats if they want to go to a one off game.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

I live near London, as well as a voucher and the opportunity to make friends at Leyton Orient which won't be much of an opportunity as we've played there already and they'll get promoted I think I'd be really happy to forgo buying a season ticket so people can decide on the day.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, removes tongue from cheek.

As I said above the club just needs a more robust and visible scheme so that STH (who haven't been discouraged) can easily make their seat available.  

It's striking that balance and ensuring there is a constant flow of new/occasional fans. Lots of people got caught up in the FOMO regarding ticket availability which is understandable.

The key thing for me is learning from it. Hopefully the ticketing system can be improved next season to prevent people leaving single seats. If we can make ticketing system as lean as possible, that would be a great achievement.

I live 220 miles from Blundell Park but bought a season in the absolute certainty that I wouldn't make more than 10 games. Firstly it was a relative bargain and a donation to the club, second I can sit where I want when I do go, and thirdly I can get tickets to away games.
I've released it a couple of times recently but don't want payment. I knew what I was doing, simple
I did go yesterday but when I don't there's certainly no guilt involved

The initiative suggestions and ideas to make things better are good ones, but we come back to the obvious point that there are not enough seats.

We might get between 5k and 8k depending on various factors but not being able to get a number of seats together is putting a lot of people off, particularly those who make a late decision to attend.

It is rare to see any stadium completely full so I don't see the logic as to why the owners suggest ours needs to be fully sold out before tackling the problem of extra seats.

If the capacity increases to say 11,000 for arguments sake we might still get 5k some times, but we have much more scope for the bigger games which would help pay for it.

Is there a definitive reason we don't open the 2 Osmond sections together?

We are 2 “not so young” exiles in York.  We go to the vast majority of homes games.  Tending to miss the cold midweek games and night driving etc,  for many seasons we were pay as you go. This worked well.

For this season we both agreed that we need to be STHs.  This the only way to guarantee getting 2 seats together in the Upper Frozen Circle Stand.  

An unintended consequence of our increasing success.   We are happy with this change and reallocate seats for individual matches where we cannot attend.  Ironically, this season we will miss some Sat home games due to family heath matters.

Another benefit of being a STH is the better opportunity to get tickets for any key Cup games.

We would not expect to get any refund from the Club for not  getting to games.  We both travelled yesterday.  The football was well worth it.

Quoted from ginnywings

Every game this season, there is a row of seats behind me that have been empty and plenty of pairs of empty seats elsewhere, while I have seen and heard lots of comments about people wanting to attend, but have been restricted to single seats and/or seats with poor views.

That suggests to me there are a lot of selfish, inconsiderate ****s who aren't bothering to release their seats.

If you know you won't be able to attend most home games, don't buy a season ticket.

Quoted from White_shorts

That suggests to me there are a lot of selfish, inconsiderate ****s who aren't bothering to release their seats.

If you know you won't be able to attend most home games, don't buy a season ticket.

Or people who aren't aware.
I assume the club has the season ticket holders emails and phone numbers? Why not ping a text/email to everyone explaining the releas your seat initiative and say you can either do it online or call the club shop