Match Day Tickets Solihull

[Anon E Mouse]

I am not defending it - because I feel like the club could and should do better on this front.

But to flag one of the larger obstacles, its not just taking cash at the turnstile, its the fact they need access to the ticket system. A place in the stand or seats needs to be allocated to the person paying.

This means each turnstile would need some level of "computer" plus "ticket printer"....

This was expensive for each turnstile (and presumably had environmental/security risks given the buildings). So the decision was taken to centralise - and put several stations in the front office only.

I think when the new ticket system went live -they circumvented this challenge for the terracing for a number of months - by just preprinting a batch and giving them to each turnstile.

I think this in turn though starts to give challenges around counting attendance and all the reporting/audit/finance side. Whilst the East bank rarely sells out - the club do have a responsibility to manage the number of people in any given section in real-time; and to apply capacities safely.

(And a fix for seating was never found, from my memory)

To restate my first statement. Absolutely not a defence - because it really ought to be achievable/better - but just flagging that its a little harder than just taking the card payment.....

Fair points but other clubs do it. Even a few smaller teams (although maybe they don't need to worry re allocated seats and capacities).
Maybe just use it for standing areas that will never get near selling out, especially with all the people that are put off by the current arrangements.

I think I might just give it a miss on Saturday and listen to Rob on the radio again.

[karlready]

It’s quite a palaver isn’t it , just to watch a game of football.

[Wakefield Shots]

Even clubs in the North East Counties league have online payments, plus cash and card on the turnstiles. How difficult can it really be, and must be costing the club in lower attendance.

[Anon E Mouse]

Even clubs in the North East Counties league have online payments, plus cash and card on the turnstiles. How difficult can it really be, and must be costing the club in lower attendance.

This is my point really. It may cost to set up something but weigh that up with a few hundred each week, that might of just shown up but decide not to as they can't be bothered with the hassle of it all.
I seem to remember that the board is full of business and money men. Don't see much evidence of their expertise and skills being shown.

[TracoShot]

Even clubs in the North East Counties league have online payments, plus cash and card on the turnstiles. How difficult can it really be, and must be costing the club in lower attendance.

This is my point really. It may cost to set up something but weigh that up with a few hundred each week, that might of just shown up but decide not to as they can't be bothered with the hassle of it all.
I seem to remember that the board is full of business and money men. Don't see much evidence of their expertise and skills being shown.

Are you really saying that a 'few hundred' dont turn up every week just because they want to pay cash at the turnstile ?

[Wakefield Shots]

Even clubs in the North East Counties league have online payments, plus cash and card on the turnstiles. How difficult can it really be, and must be costing the club in lower attendance.

This is my point really. It may cost to set up something but weigh that up with a few hundred each week, that might of just shown up but decide not to as they can't be bothered with the hassle of it all.
I seem to remember that the board is full of business and money men. Don't see much evidence of their expertise and skills being shown.

Are you really saying that a 'few hundred' dont turn up every week just because they want to pay cash at the turnstile ?

Only 20 people being put off would be £10k over a season!

[Shots2000]

Even clubs in the North East Counties league have online payments, plus cash and card on the turnstiles. How difficult can it really be, and must be costing the club in lower attendance.

I think it probably knocks of 50-100 who may decide to go last minute. I'd be more worried about our lack of midfielder hardly grips the fans that we haven't got one so close to the opener.

[HarryTom]

The people that arrive last minute can still pay cash at the ticket office, then simply walk 2 yards to go through the turnstile, i really don't see the problem here, it is being blown up out of all proportion, Paying by cash is not the problem, it's the people who want to pay by cash at the turnstile rather than at the ticket office. It's not even worth arguing about ! Now, if the club announced no cash payments accepted, well, then i could understand some anger, but they Haven't !!

[stevieshot]

I'm a Season Ticket holder now, but if I wasn't, I would have liked the option of using my card to pay at a turnstile. With the availability of card readers this shouldn't be a problem for the Club. Even if it was restricted to standing areas, as another poster has said. Fans matter.

[Birdman]

I'm a Season Ticket holder now, but if I wasn't, I would have liked the option of using my card to pay at a turnstile. With the availability of card readers this shouldn't be a problem for the Club. Even if it was restricted to standing areas, as another poster has said. Fans matter.

Stevieshot, have you read RC-Moderator’s post on p1? It’s not just a case ‘tap and go’.

[Dom Sterlings Left Leg]

The people that arrive last minute can still pay cash at the ticket office, then simply walk 2 yards to go through the turnstile, i really don't see the problem here, it is being blown up out of all proportion, Paying by cash is not the problem, it's the people who want to pay by cash at the turnstile rather than at the ticket office. It's not even worth arguing about ! Now, if the club announced no cash payments accepted, well, then i could understand some anger, but they Haven't !!

For a business that clearly needs every penny it can get making it more difficult for your customers to spend their money is insane.

However simple it may seem to walk 2 yards, queue at the ticket office and buy a ticket and then queue at the turnstiles to get in, it is quite obvious to anyone with a brain that queuing once and if you so require, paying at the turnstile, is more desirable.

There may well be ticket allocation issues to overcome but surely it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to overcome something so simple.... if only someone connected to the club made their money via IT....

[HarryTom]

The people that arrive last minute can still pay cash at the ticket office, then simply walk 2 yards to go through the turnstile, i really don't see the problem here, it is being blown up out of all proportion, Paying by cash is not the problem, it's the people who want to pay by cash at the turnstile rather than at the ticket office. It's not even worth arguing about ! Now, if the club announced no cash payments accepted, well, then i could understand some anger, but they Haven't !!

For a business that clearly needs every penny it can get making it more difficult for your customers to spend their money is insane.

However simple it may seem to walk 2 yards, queue at the ticket office and buy a ticket and then queue at the turnstiles to get in, it is quite obvious to anyone with a brain that queuing once and if you so require, paying at the turnstile, is more desirable.

There may well be ticket allocation issues to overcome but surely it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to overcome something so simple.... if only someone connected to the club made their money via IT....

Sorry, still don't get it, queuing at the turnstile ? i think the last time i was in a proper queue (not just 4/5 people in front of me)was when we played the rabble from Manchester

[Bob]

The people that arrive last minute can still pay cash at the ticket office, then simply walk 2 yards to go through the turnstile, i really don't see the problem here, it is being blown up out of all proportion, Paying by cash is not the problem, it's the people who want to pay by cash at the turnstile rather than at the ticket office. It's not even worth arguing about ! Now, if the club announced no cash payments accepted, well, then i could understand some anger, but they Haven't !!

For a business that clearly needs every penny it can get making it more difficult for your customers to spend their money is insane.

However simple it may seem to walk 2 yards, queue at the ticket office and buy a ticket and then queue at the turnstiles to get in, it is quite obvious to anyone with a brain that queuing once and if you so require, paying at the turnstile, is more desirable.

There may well be ticket allocation issues to overcome but surely it shouldn't be beyond the wit of man to overcome something so simple.... if only someone connected to the club made their money via IT....

Sorry, still don't get it, queuing at the turnstile ? i think the last time i was in a proper queue (not just 4/5 people in front of me)was when we played the rabble from Manchester

Err no Harry, several times last season I had just as long a queue second time round than I did the initial one, there really is people with strange ideas these days!

[Jason]

Perhaps this could be framed another way...

Why should I, as someone who has decided to purchase my ticket using the online means then have to spend ages queuing up whilst someone faffs about with cash/cards in front of me.

Under the new means, I've never had to queue at all, just turn up, go to the first available turnstile, scan my bar code and I'm in.

[Shots91]

I see this topic has been a problem for a while now.
This system I can understand if we were a top national league side who was fighting for promotion and drawing big crowds week in week out.
Then I can understand online ticketing and for seating etc...

Unfortunately we are not in that position to worry about flocks of fans queing down the high street to get in.
I think the most fans you see queing to get into the ground these days is the lot who want to get into the ground straight away but normally the turnstiles are late opening like they are most of the time otherwise there's no quing even right up to kick off really.
So I do hate it when we get on social media...by your online tickets now to avoid queing...sorry never happens. And no having your phone scanned is not much quicker then handing a £20 note over.

Let's get real with this whole having to pay and stay in your location..it is not needed. Not while we only get 1,300 - 1,800 at best all season.

I've been to plenty away games and I go to other local grounds when I can't make a shots away game...so i go over to places like Dorking, Farnborough, Leatherhead and so on...sometimes even woking when they got a decent opponents.
And each and every one of these football grounds I go to is all the same.
You can buy tickets online if you want but you can pay on the day. Most turnstiles will have similar signs I.e.

Turnstile 1 - card only
Turnstile 2 - cash and card
Turnstile 3 - pre paid tickets
Season ticket holders use any turnstile

The Turnstile operators have nothing special with them apart from a cash box and one of those little white contactless card readers that most places have theses days. Even the burger vans have them.
And they don't worry about giving you a ticket as you've paid to get in that's all you need.

To me this is all we need to be doing. You don't need a ticket as most of these grounds let you go where you want, seat or terrace.
The only thing is they want is to not sit in a season ticket seat which would either have a name on it or a sticker, otherwise sit where you like.

We were like this once with what I've just explained not so long ago. I don't know why we can't be like that again.

So I think that we should have at least 1 Turnstile for cash.
We should stop the whole seating thing as there's so many seats available come 3 o'clock and you should be allowed to sit where you like, just not in a season ticket seat.
And the terrace ticket should freely allow you to go where you like and fancy at the time.

If we had a game where we knew we were expecting a crowd of let's say over 4000 then yes use the online system. And have seat and terrace allocated.
It's just not needed all this for the attendance we get.

The attendance these days are so small at the EBB we shouldn't be worrying about any of this and we shouldn't have to pay to be restricted to one area that isn't even full.