Priority points system

SilentProf

Well-known member
After the clamour for tickets yesterday, I don’t see the point in a priority points system if people are just giving their tickets to others who haven’t earned enough points when they’re needed. I like the idea but it’s poorly implemented and needs some refining. It’s just creating a system of gatekeepers to high demand tickets, which is ripe for exploitation by people who gain more points while selling their tickets to others either at cost or for profit.
 
So whats the alternative? A free for all as used to be the case? I guarantee you would have far more people complaining that they never got a ticket than what are now.

How do you refine/change the current system? I don't recall any issues at any previous away games this season with much smaller allocations. I'm assuming that the tickets pretty much sold out at the higher points brackets which suggests most will be regular away attenders anyway so assume the vast majority will be actually going to the match.
 
There will be some people transferring their ticket to others, but I would be surprised if its the majority of season ticket holders. More likely elderly season ticket holders say over 75s not fancying a late night trip to Salford or very young season ticket holders say under 9s. Touting (selling on at profit) will be rare because tickets are traceable, so a ticket sold can be checked to see who originally bought it.

I think there could be some tweaking of the system for example its not possible for say someone under 25 to be Gold Card holder. Maybe more points could be given for purchasing away tickets in the last 3 seasons.

It appears over 15k wanted to go to the MU game and we had only around 8,800 tickets for the core body of Boro fans (club sponsors and employees take tickets).
 
I don’t believe we have over 9000 fans with over 140 points which I think you needed after 3 yesterday. It looks like a ticket tout for me or a over inflated price of a mate 🤮
 
The ticket sales shows the flaw with the priority system as the system isn't verified season ticket holders sell their points and numbers to others. Needs sorting as we may have playoff final yet
 
Forgive me followed the boro all my life been to many away games and many a cold night to watch the boro midweek at home never seen such a rush for tickets apart from semi and final tickets
I think after the events of the last 2 years there is a big desire to go out and celebrate life with others, and what better way to do it than with thousands of Boro fans.
 
The priority system is fine for situations where we get 10k tickets but it fails massively when we are doing well and getting small allocations simply because the people that are lucky enough to get the 1st tickets will have more points than someone that applied and missed out which means the following week that person has to miss out again and the other person gets to go to every game and get the points. It isn't fair that the same people get to go every week when others want to go. The fairest way to do it would be that if someone applies and misses out they should be first in the queue for the following match if they want it. If our form carries on the rest of the season and we get promoted then I imagine we will have a lot more complaints when people miss out repeatedly because they have no opportunity to increase their points value.

Actually, the fairest way is a free for all for all people that qualify, be that season ticket holders or season ticket holders by longevity or whatever. You might get more people complaining but fairness isn't about getting the fewest complaints, it's about giving everyone eligible the same opportunity. Of course, people with the most points will always prefer a points system, just like rich people like the way the economy is stacked in their favour.
 
If we even got to Wembley, we'd get over 30k for the play off final, and we don't have 30k season ticket holders.

Nothing to worry about.
There is for fans with less points! They don't use enough levels in the points system IMO. I think they usually drop from about 70 points to general sale.

For something like a play off final, there will be fans who literally never go to a game, but who want to go to Wembley. Personally I think they ought to have a 35pt, and 10pt selling level before general sale. That way even if you only make it to a few games a season, you'd still have a very slightly better chance of getting a play-off ticket.

Edit: I see someone posted on another thread that there was going to be a +33 point level for Man.U tickets before general sale. I still think there should be a +10... or similar for something like a playoff final.
 
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We often venture into the age old argument on here of ‘season ticket holder benefits’. It’s usually at the start of a season and linked to walk up prices but as we hopefully become a better team it moves into tickets for big away days. I have had a season ticket for a number of years, I don’t generally go to away games out if choice and on occasion through illness or work Miss the odd home game, possibly 3 or 4 a season but I buy my season card anyway as a commitment to my club in good times and bad. I accept I am fortunate to afford the monthly payment buying the card on credit allows and others maybe can’t do that but I give up other things - going to the pub less often as a trade off. The Boro reward me with a free pint and I my account says I have 153 priority points. It doesn’t get me to the front of the queue and I accept the people who like me buy their season card every year but who also go to away games get priority over me. I looked at the United game as I enjoyed the atmosphere of the League Cup game in 2017 I think it was but couldn’t afford it this time around. I could have bought a ticket for a family member as for me this is still the club affording me a bonus for buying my season card but I chose not to, others might think differently but I don’t think this is wrong. Buying a ticket and selling for profit is definitely a no no and anybody found doing that should be banned from the Boro ground but the priority points system for me is about as good as we are going to get to recognising and rewarding long term loyalty to the club.
 
The only issue I have is that I went to uni in the late nineties, so I ended up being on a waiting list for a season ticket back in 97. I’ve had one since 98, but I still only get the chairman’s drink points.
My son is 9 had a season ticket for 4&1/2 years so he is stuck with only 140pts, from the season tickets.
Luckily we’ve gone to away games so he now has 164 (I’m 174) points, but if we had a game where you needed 170, we could both miss out.
 
I can’t believe people are really “selling” their priority status to friends and family. If I asked a friend who wasn’t going if I could use his status and he said yes but only for £20 quid, he would no longer be my friend.

As for the demand, why does that surprise anyone? I’m going with 3 mates and we are all long term season ticket holders but only occasional away game attendees (although 1 went to Mansfield). From a personal point of view, a Friday night in Manchester after watching Boro play/beat Man Utd in a cup match is always going to be more appealing to me than a Monday night game in Blackburn and I’m obviously not alone in thinking that way, hence the high demand.
 
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