Treatment of Manor, Morris Evans,1893 Club, and New Britannia Lounge now Club

Shabby Yellow

Shabby Yellow

Junior Member
Joined
7 Dec 2017
Messages
61
Having been a member of the various iterations I would like to express my growing disbelief that a group of supporters can be so badly treated.

I've been enjoying the lounges for some twenty years, reading the programme and a chat pre match, the halftime despondency whether we're winning, drawing or losing and the pint in bar to celebrate or commiserate with each other afterwards. The package of tea, biscuits, programme, team sheet and parking space was good value and also enabled me to give a lift to other supporters who sat in the East Stand and take them home afterwards.

Yes, it's had its moments that have been spoken of many times on this forum - tea is too hot, too cold, wrong types of biscuits; everyone getting their season ticket prices except for lounge members was a yearly gripe. But we have been a group where staff didn't know where to put us. At various times over the years we were manged through the ticket office, corporate, marketing, commercial. People would come and go, we even had a grand presentation by Ian Lennagan one season.

I really have no idea who is responsible now hence my raising on the forum. I can only guess that is it run by someone who has been instructed to reduce the average age of supporters. Many of the members were fortunate to be able to spend a little more for a parking space near the ground and a little extra comfort - I'm not sure how many of the less able will manage to keep coming. The way we have been treated though does not encourage older supporters to want/ be able to attend. The last straw for me was creating the Britannia lounge - any supporters involved in that? This included the approximately £12 pie as part of the package. Now that has been withdrawn it is now the Britannia Club where for only £9 a game you can have access to a bar to pay stupid prices for a drink. I wonder where the cigarette packet is that was written on as it should be framed.

This may seem trivial to many but it has chipped away my passion for the club. Yes I'll still go home and away but I've only been to one pre-season match, I'm not going to get my usual home shirt. Not out of spite but out of a feeling of being let down. I'm not asking for special treatment - I know some have managed to get parking spaces, etc based on hounding the right people but we should all be treated with an element of respect hence my writing here.

Supporters panel, OxVox, I know we ex- 1893'ers are a small group but it would be good to have some explanation of how this situation has been allowed to happen.
 
I've never used that facility but a surcharge of £9 per match to get access to a bar is ridiculous. You do wonder who has approved that at the club because it's clearly a terrible offer and a P**s-take. Let's wait for the next iteration of the offer. Perhaps it'll be 'just £5 per match now to be able to go to the bar but you can't buy any drinks??'
 
Our very long term supporters should be treated with huge respect by those currently working for the club. This all seems fairly shabby to me.
 
I guess a lot boils down to what Kassam will permit in the ground. If the club can't access catering facilities, or get ripped off for Kassam providing the catering, the options available for the lounges being 'special' go down to not a lot.
The thought of presumably well off people being sponged off with the offer of a pie on entry made me chuckle. Perhaps some might like pies, but I'd expect something a bit more gastropub if I was paying a significant premium.

I've been to the Arsenal and Emirates in the premium seats, and there was a good range of food and drink, even free drinks at half time (or there was last time I went).
 
I am more baffled each time something like this happens, somewhere along the line the idea that supporters are customers who can decide that they have had enough and stop spending their money has been missed
 
The usual suspect will be along shortly to tell you how great the alternatives are, and that you need to move with the times.
 
Marked Ox said:
Manorlounger? :)
Click to expand...
Seeing as you asked!

This problem has been simmering for some time. Both @OxVox and @OUSP Secretary have addressed the issue with the club. The latest offer is following the refusal by most 1893 members to stump up an additional £450 for the season. Lowering the price to £200 but taking away most of the original benefits has left a very poor deal. Sadly, the cost of providing the various incarnations has been increasing year on year and all down to Stadco (AKA Kassam) What Stadco charge for a cup of tea/coffee is just outrageous. It got so bad that the club had to find a sponsor to cover the cost of biscuits in the lounge! Even then, according to club sources, the lounges ran at cost or a loss.
The trouble is, as @Shabby Yellow rightly pointed out, the lounges were the domain of the long standing supporters, the older and in some cases, less able who not just appreciated somewhere warm at half time but needed that warmth just to get through the afternoon. The social interaction was of enormous help to many. The car parking space close to the entrances, invaluable. I know of some who have not renewed season tickets this term simply because they cannot envisage a season of sitting outside in the cold weather. They have been lost by the club.
The current offer is access to the bar, no more, no less. No guarantee of anywhere to sit, no hot drink at half time. No sitting around a table with fellow supporters to discuss the game and much more. Mrs Lounger and I have made many friends through the lounges. Some we still see at games, many more, we do not.
That the club's marketing/commercial departments have got this wrong, again, is clear. That this must change with the new stadium approaching is imperative.
 
I've been talking this through with Mrs Lounger and had contact with some ex 1893 club members and, some interesting questions have come up.
First off, what if we invite a friend to a game? Can they upgrade their ticket to include the access to the Britannia Club? Or, do they sit outside while we go for a second mortgage and buy a drink?
What if we decide, however foolish it sounds, to upgrade to the restaurant for a game? Normal upgrade for season ticket holders = £50 but, we have already paid for access to the bar? Do we get a discount for buying the same product twice?
What is the capacity envisaged for the club? How will that be measured in terms of numbers of exactly who has access to the bar area? (boxes, players, wives and girlfriends of players etc, VIP's, club staff. The list goes on and on.)


It has just not been thought through properly.
 
Shabby Yellow said:
Having been a member of the various iterations I would like to express my growing disbelief that a group of supporters can be so badly treated.

I've been enjoying the lounges for some twenty years, reading the programme and a chat pre match, the halftime despondency whether we're winning, drawing or losing and the pint in bar to celebrate or commiserate with each other afterwards. The package of tea, biscuits, programme, team sheet and parking space was good value and also enabled me to give a lift to other supporters who sat in the East Stand and take them home afterwards.

Yes, it's had its moments that have been spoken of many times on this forum - tea is too hot, too cold, wrong types of biscuits; everyone getting their season ticket prices except for lounge members was a yearly gripe. But we have been a group where staff didn't know where to put us. At various times over the years we were manged through the ticket office, corporate, marketing, commercial. People would come and go, we even had a grand presentation by Ian Lennagan one season.

I really have no idea who is responsible now hence my raising on the forum. I can only guess that is it run by someone who has been instructed to reduce the average age of supporters. Many of the members were fortunate to be able to spend a little more for a parking space near the ground and a little extra comfort - I'm not sure how many of the less able will manage to keep coming. The way we have been treated though does not encourage older supporters to want/ be able to attend. The last straw for me was creating the Britannia lounge - any supporters involved in that? This included the approximately £12 pie as part of the package. Now that has been withdrawn it is now the Britannia Club where for only £9 a game you can have access to a bar to pay stupid prices for a drink. I wonder where the cigarette packet is that was written on as it should be framed.

This may seem trivial to many but it has chipped away my passion for the club. Yes I'll still go home and away but I've only been to one pre-season match, I'm not going to get my usual home shirt. Not out of spite but out of a feeling of being let down. I'm not asking for special treatment - I know some have managed to get parking spaces, etc based on hounding the right people but we should all be treated with an element of respect hence my writing here.

Supporters panel, OxVox, I know we ex- 1893'ers are a small group but it would be good to have some explanation of how this situation has been allowed to happen.
Click to expand...

I think you and others alike have earned your badges and deserve to be treated with a little bit of respect.

Never fancied using the lounges myself but It’s not asking for the earth to be made to feel a little more special as a thank you for the additional funds being passed to the club.

Seems a bit of an own goal.
 
Manorlounger said:
I've been talking this through with Mrs Lounger and had contact with some ex 1893 club members and, some interesting questions have come up.
First off, what if we invite a friend to a game? Can they upgrade their ticket to include the access to the Britannia Club? Or, do they sit outside while we go for a second mortgage and buy a drink?
What if we decide, however foolish it sounds, to upgrade to the restaurant for a game? Normal upgrade for season ticket holders = £50 but, we have already paid for access to the bar? Do we get a discount for buying the same product twice?
What is the capacity envisaged for the club? How will that be measured in terms of numbers of exactly who has access to the bar area? (boxes, players, wives and girlfriends of players etc, VIP's, club staff. The list goes on and on.)


It has just not been thought through properly.
Click to expand...
like the 'new' membership cards, the ST's assuming EVERYONE has a handheld device & charging those who don't extra- the Promotions dept need a f*****g kick up the a**e to say the least!
 
Manorlounger said:
Seeing as you asked!

This problem has been simmering for some time. Both @OxVox and @OUSP Secretary have addressed the issue with the club. The latest offer is following the refusal by most 1893 members to stump up an additional £450 for the season. Lowering the price to £200 but taking away most of the original benefits has left a very poor deal. Sadly, the cost of providing the various incarnations has been increasing year on year and all down to Stadco (AKA Kassam) What Stadco charge for a cup of tea/coffee is just outrageous. It got so bad that the club had to find a sponsor to cover the cost of biscuits in the lounge! Even then, according to club sources, the lounges ran at cost or a loss.
The trouble is, as @Shabby Yellow rightly pointed out, the lounges were the domain of the long standing supporters, the older and in some cases, less able who not just appreciated somewhere warm at half time but needed that warmth just to get through the afternoon. The social interaction was of enormous help to many. The car parking space close to the entrances, invaluable. I know of some who have not renewed season tickets this term simply because they cannot envisage a season of sitting outside in the cold weather. They have been lost by the club.
The current offer is access to the bar, no more, no less. No guarantee of anywhere to sit, no hot drink at half time. No sitting around a table with fellow supporters to discuss the game and much more. Mrs Lounger and I have made many friends through the lounges. Some we still see at games, many more, we do not.
That the club's marketing/commercial departments have got this wrong, again, is clear. That this must change with the new stadium approaching is imperative.
Click to expand...

I've done my survey now but wish I put more warm areas for fans to a) watch the game from at a reasonable price and b) heaters under the stand to defrost at half time. If someone hasn't done todays survey please raise these ideas on my behalf
 
Joey's Left Boot said:
I've done my survey now but wish I put more warm areas for fans to a) watch the game from at a reasonable price and b) heaters under the stand to defrost at half time. If someone hasn't done todays survey please raise these ideas on my behalf
Click to expand...
Will the heaters be air pumps?
 
Can we start a list of Commercial & Marketing Cluster Fudges?

It`ll be a long one, but I bet we come up with some great ideas to improve things.
 
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