Tickets Half Season Tickets

[Scotchegg]

Half Season Tickets - Oxford United

www.oufc.co.uk

Good time to launch this and hopefully we'll see a good take up for the second half of the season. Still some massive home games to come, and priority for any big cup games if we get past Grimsby.

What's not to like?

 

[Scotchegg]

Cambridge Boxing Day game free.
Derby
Barnsley
Northampton
Reading
Wigan (including half price ticket for non ST holder)
Leyton Orient
Cheltenham
Lincoln
Fleetwood
Peterborough
Stevenage
Portsmouth
Priority for FA Cup 3rd round and beyond
Priority for away games

Pretty good time to buy!

 

[RgYellows]

Cambridge Boxing Day game free.
Derby
Barnsley
Northampton
Reading
Wigan (including half price ticket for non ST holder)
Leyton Orient
Cheltenham
Lincoln
Fleetwood
Peterborough
Stevenage
Portsmouth
Priority for FA Cup 3rd round and beyond
Priority for away games

Pretty good time to buy!

The FAQs say Pompey not included.

Good for the club to get these on sale nice and early, hopefully a high uptake pre Christmas and helps them firm up January transfer budgets in advance.

Judging by the difficulty some of my nearest and dearest had getting their orders through, might be a decent level of interest so hopefully this helps pack out the stadium for the second half of the year.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Another bollock dropped - they needed to release these before releasing individual Cambridge and Derby tickets.

As it is, many decent previously non-ST seats (I know, they're by me) are not available as half STs, having been purchaed as individual tickets for Cambridge and/or Derby.

Instead, people have scooped up good seats for Boxing Day, effectively blocking those from being half ST seats (who should have had priority).

And no, they've not been sold as half STs in the last few hours - there are plenty of seats that are available for the Derby game (so not STs half or full) yet unavailable for Cambridge and therefore unavailable as half STs.

They could have even released the half STs earlier with the advertised added benefit of effectively getting first dibs on Boxing Day seats!

Instead you're going to have a situation where people get less choice on their half ST with better seats continuing to be available on a match by match basis.

I don't think there is any malice here, just not been thought through at all. You wouldn't sell individual match tickets for the first game of the season until ST holders have had first dibs. The half ST should be no different.

 

[Scotchegg]

Every silver lining has a cloud!

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Every silver lining has a cloud!

OUSP: "We're here for you, we're working for you"
Supporter: "I think the club have made a mess of half season ticket sales"
Prominent OUSP Panel Member: "lol, check out this dickhead"

 

[Scotchegg]

OUSP: "We're here for you, we're working for you"
Supporter: "I think the club have made a mess of half season ticket sales"
Prominent Forum member: "lol, check out this dickhead"

Corrected that for you. I post as a normal forum member just like everyone else unless specifically stating otherwise.

 

[OX14]

Another bollock dropped - they needed to release these before releasing individual Cambridge and Derby tickets.

As it is, many decent previously non-ST seats (I know, they're by me) are not available as half STs, having been purchaed as individual tickets for Cambridge and/or Derby.

Instead, people have scooped up good seats for Boxing Day, effectively blocking those from being half ST seats (who should have had priority).

And no, they've not been sold as half STs in the last few hours - there are plenty of seats that are available for the Derby game (so not STs half or full) yet unavailable for Cambridge and therefore unavailable as half STs.

They could have even released the half STs earlier with the advertised added benefit of effectively getting first dibs on Boxing Day seats!

Instead you're going to have a situation where people get less choice on their half ST with better seats continuing to be available on a match by match basis.

I don't think there is any malice here, just not been thought through at all. You wouldn't sell individual match tickets for the first game of the season until ST holders have had first dibs. The half ST should be no different.

There is still plenty of good seats available to purchase half season tickets though. Even if they did release these earlier or delayed fans being able to purchase tickets for the Cambridge or derby game, how long would you just keep it open for half season ticket purchases? Don't forget it's coming up the last pay day before Christmas for alot of people and the club wouldn't want to miss out on fans buying tickets for boxing day just on the off chance someone was going to purchase a half season ticket on that seat. It's first come first serve!

 

[CCYellow]

It's first come first serve!

Half season tickets should have been served first.
Surely it's best to get people to commit to every home game for the rest of the season, rather than commit to one game?

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

There is still plenty of good seats available to purchase half season tickets though. Even if they did release these earlier or delayed fans being able to purchase tickets for the Cambridge or derby game, how long would you just keep it open for half season ticket purchases? Don't forget it's coming up the last pay day before Christmas for alot of people and the club wouldn't want to miss out on fans buying tickets for boxing day just on the off chance someone was going to purchase a half season ticket on that seat. It's first come first serve!

Mind boggling mis-understanding of the situation, that.

No-one is arguing that they keep the sale of half STs open indefinitely - just that there is even a few days of availability before prime seats are locked off because Boxing Day Barney fancies his annual trip.

Imagine a 'new' fan, having enjoyed 3 or 4 home games this season in, say, Block 14 (SSU). They would have been able to get 2, 3 even 4 seats together regularly this season. They then want to take the plunge with a half ST. All good. Unfortunately they find that there are only single seats available for half STs in Block 14 - where they've sat all season - purely because of one game.

By your reckoning, they should suck it up and sit on the peripheries of Block 15? Even though they want to commit for the rest of the season? Because Barney and his cousins fancy their day out against Cambridge and won't be seen again til next year.

It's not a good look. You can dress it up however you want, but any fan rocking up to buy a half ST today is likely going to have to take a 'lesser' option than they would be able to get for Burton or Derby as one-off games.

That can't be right.

 

[OX14]

Half season tickets should have been served first.
Surely it's best to get people to commit to every home game for the rest of the season, rather than commit to one game?.

But there is no guarantee on the uptake of half season tickets and delaying the sale of individual tickets for the Cambridge game or Derby game further towards Christmas may have impacted sales. Most people don't have much spare cash around the Christmas holidays so I can see why the club have started selling both games tickets already.

 

[OX14]

Mind boggling mis-understanding of the situation, that.

No-one is arguing that they keep the sale of half STs open indefinitely - just that there is even a few days of availability before prime seats are locked off because Boxing Day Barney fancies his annual trip.

Imagine a 'new' fan, having enjoyed 3 or 4 home games this season in, say, Block 14 (SSU). They would have been able to get 2, 3 even 4 seats together regularly this season. They then want to take the plunge with a half ST. All good. Unfortunately they find that there are only single seats available for half STs in Block 14 - where they've sat all season - purely because of one game.

By your reckoning, they should suck it up and sit on the peripheries of Block 15? Even though they want to commit for the rest of the season? Because Barney and his cousins fancy their day out against Cambridge and won't be seen again til next year.

It's not a good look. You can dress it up however you want, but any fan rocking up to buy a half ST today is likely going to have to take a 'lesser' option than they would be able to get for Burton or Derby as one-off games.

That can't be right.

The solution is buy a half season ticket to another seat and then email the ticket office who will move your half season ticket to the already taken seat for the Cambridge and Derby once it's available for the home game after free of charge. It just means sitting elsewhere for 2 games.

A new fan in the summer has the same problem with the fact existing season ticket holders have priority to either keep their seat or move to any unoccupied seat before they go on general sale.

 

[Foley]

I would have thought that you could buy a half ST in any seat that doesn't have a ST already attached to it.
Then maybe one or two games, move somewhere close that has yet to be sold.
Very slightly inconvenient, but doable?

 

[SteMerritt]

I would have thought that you could buy a half ST in any seat that doesn't have a ST already attached to it.
Then maybe one or two games, move somewhere close that has yet to be sold.
Very slightly inconvenient, but doable?

To be honest I thought that was how it was now. Upon purchase of the half ST you'd be told that you have the seat, but for game X it has already been sold in advance.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Always better to have a convoluted workaround rather than get it right first time!

Especially when that workaround is as simple and fun as requiring the supporter to not only realise what has happened, but then pro-actively doing the legwork of identifying a 'non-ST but sold for Cambridge' seat or two that they want, and then somehow put in a 'save the seat' request to the ticket office (who would absolutely understand the situation) for the rest of the season, whilst simultaneously purchasing a different ST seat that they don't actually want, other than for Cambridge.

We'll have to agree to disagree. It may not be a big deal to those unaffected, but it's likely to impact the sale of half STs and, crucially, it is completely and utterly avoidable. Just like ST holders not getting first dibs on their seats for the FA Cup.

As an aside, it's always baffling as to why, when the club make an obvious and completely avoidable error, we always get those (completely unaffected, of course) rushing in to explain how it's actually all perfectly fine.

 

[Foley]

Always better to have a convoluted workaround rather than get it right first time!

Especially when that workaround is as simple and fun as requiring the supporter to not only realise what has happened, but then pro-actively doing the legwork of identifying a 'non-ST but sold for Cambridge' seat or two that they want, and then somehow put in a 'save the seat' request to the ticket office (who would absolutely understand the situation) for the rest of the season, whilst simultaneously purchasing a different ST seat that they don't actually want, other than for Cambridge.

We'll have to agree to disagree. It may not be a big deal to those unaffected, but it's likely to impact the sale of half STs and, crucially, it is completely and utterly avoidable. Just like ST holders not getting first dibs on their seats for the FA Cup.

As an aside, it's always baffling as to why, when the club make an obvious and completely avoidable error, we always get those (completely unaffected, of course) rushing in to explain how it's actually all perfectly fine.

I would be amazed if this affected half ST sales.
I don't know what the timings are and why the various decisions were made, but my personal view is that this is a pretty minor issue requiring just a little flexibility.
Appreciate that you totally disagree with me!!

 

[SteMerritt]

As an aside, it's always baffling as to why, when the club make an obvious and completely avoidable error, we always get those (completely unaffected, of course) rushing in to explain how it's actually all perfectly fine.

But that hasn't happened

 

[OX14]

I would have thought that you could buy a half ST in any seat that doesn't have a ST already attached to it.
Then maybe one or two games, move somewhere close that has yet to be sold.
Very slightly inconvenient, but doable?

That's what I done in the summer, someone purchased tickets for the first home game (Carlisle) in the seats I wished to have for my season tickets. I emailed the ticket office and they sold me the season ticket on them seats minus the Carlisle game where I had to sit a row infront.

The same can be done this time round with half season tickets.

 

[Matt W]

Let's not put the boot in on the club - we're doing pretty well at the moment in many ways. I have a god awful view with a concourse barrier in my way, but happy to support the club

I'm sure things will improve once we're masters of our own destiny

 

[CCYellow]

That's what I done in the summer, someone purchased tickets for the first home game (Carlisle) in the seats I wished to have for my season tickets. I emailed the ticket office and they sold me the season ticket on them seats minus the Carlisle game where I had to sit a row infront.

The same can be done this time round with half season tickets.

That's great for you.

Can you point to the section of the article that explains this is possible? Not every fan wanting to buy a half season ticket reads this forum.