I know somewhere we've spoke about this before but I notice the West Ham game they require 10 credits to book tickets , not that I'm actually planning on going to that match, but on a scale of things is 10 credits a lot , what did the chelsea game end up at , 6 wasn't it ? can't remember what it started at though.
Anyway, I know what you mean, strange, They must take into account time of year, distance etc because matches against teams further away up North are usually no credits required. Maybe it's after the holidays, demand is higher so they can put up the required amount.
Chelsea started out at 20 or 25 away credits for the game last week. It started out at the same in April and then dropped to 12 credits.
My understanding is that the away credits required are based upon previous demand for tickets and distance (London and near-vicinity clubs, as well as ManUre and Liverpool requiring more than other clubs).
Naturally, as the timeframe for selling tickets advances and tickets remain, the away credits required drops. It is somewhat similar to the home ticket practice of silver members being able to purchase prior to red members, i.e., given first priority. If the Chelsea game had not been held within the school holiday season when many of the older members are away on holiday, I doubt it would have dropped much more than the 12 away credits from last time.
I am more peeved about the demands of Sky TV to hold the game at 4 pm instead of noon which is what the police wanted. This gave all the Chelsea idiots time to spend hours in the pub before kick-off and is responsible, in my opinion, for the verbal and physical abuse suffered by some of the Arsenal fans as they left Stamford Bridge.
It's probably one of the most inhospitable, thuggish group of home supporters that I have encountered (outside of the Spuds, but Chel$ea rates a very, very close second).
Thats marvellous West ham's headbangers will be well tanked up if its yet another 4 o clock kick off i am sick of Sky moving the Everton game means i cant take my two lads
Sierra has done a very good summary, 9 times out of 10 you would have to have 12 credits for Chelsea away, and probably 15 if you wanted a decent seat.
The London teams tend to go to credits, Charlton probably will not due to it being on boxing day but Fulham and Palace did last year so im not surprised the Hammers have too.
the away credit system means that that you are rewarding by following your team around. everyone wants to go to spurs away and its very unfair if you travel to boro/toon and dont get rewarded for your loyalty. its a clever system although i feel the further away you go the more credits you should get. going to an away european match gets you the same amount of credits as going to spurs.
anyways 10 credits might stick. might not. last season the only games that credits were needed was man ure, spuds, charlton, palace, fulham and chelsea. the charlton and palace game ended up on general sale.
It's a dual-edged sword. On one hand, Sky coverage gives Arsenal money; on the other hand, Sky has far too much say in when games are going to be played.
I really am stymied as to how Sky out-influences the police recommendations, particularly when the police should have the best understanding of their own crowds.
Noon or 4 pm -- does Sky *really* think that it would make a difference as to how many people are going to be watching on television? I do understand starting games early or later on Saturdays because of the televised restrictions, but a Sunday?
It's a darn shame that football is becoming more and more about big money, and less about the pure beauty of the sport itself. Soon if any club wants to compete for the premiership title they will have to be owned by billionaires with lots of 'play' money to throw about. Then our away credits will mean naught because few will be able to afford the high price of tickets when the clubs try to gouge the away supporters to help pay for their continued escalation of costs. Advertising ruling, billionaires changing the game...what will our children really be watching in twenty years?
Yeh I agree with that West Bank .... Sunderland, Middlesborough etc etc and like you said especially if you go to the CL away games , even Dennis doesn't go to them lol Btw thanks to everyone so far for explaining the system
Norwich went to credits last year, I remember as I had just joined the travel club and could not wait to go to this game as my friend is a Norwich S/T holder. I can only assume an August bank holiday in East Anglia had high demand!
Im on the away scheme now so credits do not really effect me anymore but it is a fair system, though I agree about the distance travelled issue.
For those with low credits take solice that Liverpool required none last year, and by going to as many games as you in just a couple of seasons you will have built them up!
The away scheme ... Is that where you have to guarantee you will go to every away game before you can join . I saw the form on Arsenal.com with words to that effect?
Sierra is right Sky are calling all the shots who cares about us nobody afterall we are not a football club we are a global brand according to the suit they want our cash though
It should be pointed out that away credits only accumulate for two seasons. That is this year is being calculated on the 2003/2004 and the 2004/2005 earned credits.
Most of us believe that away credits should be weighted (given more credits) for distances travelled from Highbury so that the games in Bolton, Newcastle and the like would get more credited to the away credit account than those games at Fulham and the like. Now to convince Arsenal that it is a reasonable system.
I think I am more perturbed that they do not look at away credits for the FA Cup Semi and Final games. Instead of offering it up as a 'bonus' to season ticket holders who may not have travelled to any of the FA cup games, they should first offer it up to those members who *did* travel and then the remaining tickets to the Season ticket holders and down the line. I do understand that the season ticket holders believe that because they put out a chunk of change for their season ticket up front that they should get some benefits. However, there are few of us who would not willingly put out that money for a season ticket (we've been on the waiting list for six years since coming back to England). I do feel that those people who supported the team through their games up to the Semi and Final should be rewarded for that support.
It really irritated me that I froze my backside off at the FA Cup game at Sheffield in mid-week, not getting home until 4 am and yet those people, including the tickets reserved for *other* FA cup groups (like Hampshire FA), got tickets and we were forced to get ours elsewhere. I truly hope that the Hampshire FA member that I had to buy our tickets from enjoyed his trip to Orlando Disneyworld since that is what he said he was doing with the money that he got from us.
The whole system of earning away credits needs to be looked at, as well as the policy of the FA to give out a large portion (some one-third) of the tickets available for these games to people who are not even supporters of the two teams playing!
