Dot Counting Watford Home Ticket Thread Saturday 15 March (3.00pm)

[The Curragh Of Kildare]

Good early sales again for this match and more than two weeks out (as of 4pm on Friday) there are only 622 home seats left available.

Remaining seats are distributed by Stand - North 82, East 122, South Upper 134, South Lower 284.

 

[The Curragh Of Kildare]

Midnight update on Sunday and just 425 home seats left for this match now, meaning nearly 200 sales over the past 48 hours.

Will likely be open for ticket exchange towards the end of this week given the continuing strong early sales.

 

[Eric Blair]

Yep, I just logged on to buy tickets for our usual area and they were gone. For the first time I've bought tickets for the SSU. I've heard rumours that the stand is paved with gold, better menu options and flushing toilets. Looking forward to seeing how the other half live.

 

[Lost Marbles]

Yep, I just logged on to buy tickets for our usual area and they were gone. For the first time I've bought tickets for the SSU. I've heard rumours that the stand is paved with gold, better menu options and flushing toilets. Looking forward to seeing how the other half live.

I heard it was paved with pigeon s**t and biscuit crumbs.

 

[Manorlounger]

Yep, I just logged on to buy tickets for our usual area and they were gone. For the first time I've bought tickets for the SSU. I've heard rumours that the stand is paved with gold, better menu options and flushing toilets. Looking forward to seeing how the other half live.

Our two seats in the SSU will be up for grabs. They are senior concession (over 65) If you are willing to be (temporarily) part of my network, I can forward the tickets to you direct. Otherwise I will list them on ticket exchange. Drop me a PM.

Ticket forwarding

 

[Carpy]

Our two seats in the SSU will be up for grabs. They are senior concession (over 65) If you are willing to be (temporarily) part of my network, I can forward the tickets to you direct. Otherwise I will list them on ticket exchange. Drop me a PM.

Ticket forwarding

Prawn Sandwiches included?

 

[Manorlounger]

Prawn Sandwiches included?

It's bring your own these days.
Standards are not what they were.

 

[Colin B]

Currently 359 tickets left, but the inadequacies of our ticketing system remain.

Of the 359 seats remaining only 159 of them are in groups of two or more, meaning there are exactly 200 single seats out of 359, or over 55%. This will inhibit sales of the remaining seats, as most people don't want a single seat. It really needs looking into, as I've previously mentioned.

Another thing that needs looking at are the empty seats, particularly in the NS family area, when we have a Sell Out. On Saturday the ticket site was showing less than 20 seats available in the NS, but (sad individual that I am) I counted the empty seats there from my position in the SSU. I counted well over 100 in the NS family blocks alone, and many of these were in rows, or groups, together. I think if someone has a child season ticket (or two) in that area, but cannot or does not want to attend a game, the ticket exchange offers no real incentive to put the tickets up for re-sale, due to the incredibly cheap cost of the kids season tickets, and therefore paltry amount that would be paid out for doing so. The upshot of this is that we have a couple of hundred empty seats for a Sold Out game every time.

These seats appear to be pretty much the same ones every time too. I think there is a case that the owners of these season tickets clearly don't value them and they are denying somebody else the chance to attend. They are neither attending themselves, nor putting the tickets on the exchange, and I know this will upset some, but I think it's pretty selfish behaviour. If you're going to get a massive discount on your kids' seats then I don't think it's unreasonable to have some sensible conditions applied. I feel some sort of "three strikes and you're out" policy wouldn't be unreasonable in these cases.

For clarity, I have nothing against kids, or kids at football, and think the next generation should be encouraged, but I don't think we're doing it correctly, if someone can buy a young child a seat for the season for a tenner and then hardly ever attend.

 

[Scotchegg]

Currently 359 tickets left, but the inadequacies of our ticketing system remain.

Of the 359 seats remaining only 159 of them are in groups of two or more, meaning there are exactly 200 single seats out of 359, or over 55%. This will inhibit sales of the remaining seats, as most people don't want a single seat. It really needs looking into, as I've previously mentioned.

Another thing that needs looking at are the empty seats, particularly in the NS family area, when we have a Sell Out. On Saturday the ticket site was showing less than 20 seats available in the NS, but (sad individual that I am) I counted the empty seats there from my position in the SSU. I counted well over 100 in the NS family blocks alone, and many of these were in rows, or groups, together. I think if someone has a child season ticket (or two) in that area, but cannot or does not want to attend a game, the ticket exchange offers no real incentive to put the tickets up for re-sale, due to the incredibly cheap cost of the kids season tickets, and therefore paltry amount that would be paid out for doing so. The upshot of this is that we have a couple of hundred empty seats for a Sold Out game every time.

These seats appear to be pretty much the same ones every time too. I think there is a case that the owners of these season tickets clearly don't value them and they are denying somebody else the chance to attend. They are neither attending themselves, nor putting the tickets on the exchange, and I know this will upset some, but I think it's pretty selfish behaviour. If you're going to get a massive discount on your kids' seats then I don't think it's unreasonable to have some sensible conditions applied. I feel some sort of "three strikes and you're out" policy wouldn't be unreasonable in these cases.

For clarity, I have nothing against kids, or kids at football, and think the next generation should be encouraged, but I don't think we're doing it correctly, if someone can buy a young child a seat for the season for a tenner and then hardly ever attend.

I agree in principle with you, especially about the 3 strikes rule. The only caveat would be in regard to the much higher number of 12.30 kick offs than many were expecting. I was talking to a family recently who were at a game because their kids game had been cancelled. They said that 12.30 games were a real challenge to get to, and their only real way of doing so was if they came straight from the game, often still in kit, and got dropped off at the ground with parking that late being almost impossible.

They said that they had missed games because their kids were frozen to the core from playing and couldn't face another 2hrs freezing at the game. And another where they could get dropped off but had no one to pick them up after the game. Both of these things changed on the day which prevented the tickets being available for exchange.

They had been season ticket holders for several years missing one or two games a season, but it was much harder this season.

I would like to see that the club open up the ticket exchange for the Family Stand much earlier, and allows these tickets to be bought with the same concessions as general sales available. And for the club to promote these tickets to families and junior members. It wouldn't be too difficult to create a waiting list of families ready and willing to attend so that ALL tickets on the exchange go to young fans. It wouldn't be impossible to create a WhatsApp/Facebook group that even put out notification of empty seats at kick off that were free for those living on the estate.

We need to be more proactive and imaginative to fill every seat, but none of it is beyond the realms of possibility.

 

[windmill]

I agree in principle with you, especially about the 3 strikes rule. The only caveat would be in regard to the much higher number of 12.30 kick offs than many were expecting. I was talking to a family recently who were at a game because their kids game had been cancelled. They said that 12.30 games were a real challenge to get to, and their only real way of doing so was if they came straight from the game, often still in kit, and got dropped off at the ground with parking that late being almost impossible.

They said that they had missed games because their kids were frozen to the core from playing and couldn't face another 2hrs freezing at the game. And another where they could get dropped off but had no one to pick them up after the game. Both of these things changed on the day which prevented the tickets being available for exchange.

They had been season ticket holders for several years missing one or two games a season, but it was much harder this season.

I would like to see that the club open up the ticket exchange for the Family Stand much earlier, and allows these tickets to be bought with the same concessions as general sales available. And for the club to promote these tickets to families and junior members. It wouldn't be too difficult to create a waiting list of families ready and willing to attend so that ALL tickets on the exchange go to young fans. It wouldn't be impossible to create a WhatsApp/Facebook group that even put out notification of empty seats at kick off that were free for those living on the estate.

We need to be more proactive and imaginative to fill every seat, but none of it is beyond the realms of possibility.

Every seat is not filled. There were loads of empty light blue seats in the North Stand at kick off. Clearly visible from the East Stand. Does the East stand look at capacity from those seated in the North Stand at kick off? Imagine not. |However, South Stand Lower looked full about ten minutes into the game. Thought this area would be the last to sell out. North Stand is a bit of an enigma..........never full.

 

[Scotchegg]

Every seat is not filled. There were loads of empty light blue seats in the North Stand at kick off. Clearly visible from the East Stand. Does the East stand look at capacity from those seated in the North Stand at kick off? Imagine not. |However, South Stand Lower looked full about ten minutes into the game. Thought this area would be the last to sell out. North Stand is a bit of an enigma..........never full.

Yes, that the point I made about why there are some issues, particularly amongst the family stand.

 

[Essexyellows]

If parents are taking their kids the kids are (likely) to be standing in front of said parents, going to the loo, running about with mates etc - in fact they could be doing many things other than sitting in their allocated seat glued to the game.

SSL/SSU probably have a higher percentage of curmudgeonly "olds" who sit still with their flasks and secret biscuit stashes....

 

[Lost Marbles]

I agree in principle with you, especially about the 3 strikes rule. The only caveat would be in regard to the much higher number of 12.30 kick offs than many were expecting. I was talking to a family recently who were at a game because their kids game had been cancelled. They said that 12.30 games were a real challenge to get to, and their only real way of doing so was if they came straight from the game, often still in kit, and got dropped off at the ground with parking that late being almost impossible.

Also evening games. I can't get back after evening home games, which is one of the reasons I didn't buy a season ticket. But even if I still lived in Oxford, I wouldn't take my 6 year old as it would be too late for him.

 

[Stranger]

I would like to see that the club open up the ticket exchange for the Family Stand much earlier, and allows these tickets to be bought with the same concessions as general sales available. And for the club to promote these tickets to families and junior members. It wouldn't be too difficult to create a waiting list of families ready and willing to attend so that ALL tickets on the exchange go to young fans. It wouldn't be impossible to create a WhatsApp/Facebook group that even put out notification of empty seats at kick off that were free for those living on the estate.

We need to be more proactive and imaginative to fill every seat, but none of it is beyond the realms of possibility.

That would just mean people won't buy tickets but wait until they might be able to get a freebie

 

[Scotchegg]

That would just mean people won't buy tickets but wait until they might be able to get a freebie

I doubt it. There is plenty of interest for those wanting to buy tickets but the ticket exchange is not perfect and there will always be a handful who are unable to attend on the day at short notice.

Empty seats don't give us anything, but a family who would otherwise not be able to go to games cheering could be mutually beneficial.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Currently 359 tickets left, but the inadequacies of our ticketing system remain.

Of the 359 seats remaining only 159 of them are in groups of two or more, meaning there are exactly 200 single seats out of 359, or over 55%. This will inhibit sales of the remaining seats, as most people don't want a single seat. It really needs looking into, as I've previously mentioned.

Another thing that needs looking at are the empty seats, particularly in the NS family area, when we have a Sell Out. On Saturday the ticket site was showing less than 20 seats available in the NS, but (sad individual that I am) I counted the empty seats there from my position in the SSU. I counted well over 100 in the NS family blocks alone, and many of these were in rows, or groups, together. I think if someone has a child season ticket (or two) in that area, but cannot or does not want to attend a game, the ticket exchange offers no real incentive to put the tickets up for re-sale, due to the incredibly cheap cost of the kids season tickets, and therefore paltry amount that would be paid out for doing so. The upshot of this is that we have a couple of hundred empty seats for a Sold Out game every time.

These seats appear to be pretty much the same ones every time too. I think there is a case that the owners of these season tickets clearly don't value them and they are denying somebody else the chance to attend. They are neither attending themselves, nor putting the tickets on the exchange, and I know this will upset some, but I think it's pretty selfish behaviour. If you're going to get a massive discount on your kids' seats then I don't think it's unreasonable to have some sensible conditions applied. I feel some sort of "three strikes and you're out" policy wouldn't be unreasonable in these cases.

For clarity, I have nothing against kids, or kids at football, and think the next generation should be encouraged, but I don't think we're doing it correctly, if someone can buy a young child a seat for the season for a tenner and then hardly ever attend.

I completely agree @Colin B

I have an adult and a child season ticket in that area. We have been to three home games this season but I’ve also done three things:

1. Given my season ticket to friends and family in the hope of them rekindling their love for the club and building the fanbase
2. Sold it to the guy who sits next to me . I made friends with him against Norwich and he likes to bring friends to use the seats in that area
3. Released it on the exchange the moment it opens. I don’t need the money but know that two tickets together is a real bonus and I don’t like seeing the empty seats of feeling like I’m part of it.

As such they’ve been vacant twice. Once pre the exchange and once when they didn’t sell.

Three strikes seems fair to me as it ensures people are responsible. Caveat is that there shouldn’t be a strike if you release it onto the exhange at least 24 hours before kick off.

 

[Colin B]

I completely agree @Colin B

I have an adult and a child season ticket in that area. We have been to three home games this season but I’ve also done three things:

1. Given my season ticket to friends and family in the hope of them rekindling their love for the club and building the fanbase
2. Sold it to the guy who sits next to me . I made friends with him against Norwich and he likes to bring friends to use the seats in that area
3. Released it on the exchange the moment it opens. I don’t need the money but know that two tickets together is a real bonus and I don’t like seeing the empty seats of feeling like I’m part of it.

As such they’ve been vacant twice. Once pre the exchange and once when they didn’t sell.

Three strikes seems fair to me as it ensures people are responsible. Caveat is that there shouldn’t be a strike if you release it onto the exhange at least 24 hours before kick off.

Well done Simon, that's exactly as it should be. Top man.

Just to be clear, my three strikes wouldn't include people who released tickets to the exchange, or they were used by others. I'm talking about people who stockpile the ticket, don't use it, and don't release it to anybody else (ticket exchange or other means) to use.

People just need to be reasonable and realise that a lot of people want to watch matches, but can't get tickets, while their's and their child's seats sit empty week after week. I'll do the same check at the Watford game, but can pretty much guarantee exactly where I'll see the empty seats.

 

[BicesterU]

I’ve only missed the evening midweek games because it’s too late for my boy, and one Saturday match at home this year because of illness. Have always listed my tickets on the exchange when possible, apart from the Pompey game as I had a migraine. Breaks my heart to see my seats empty if they don’t sell - would rather give them away for nothing for a game than have it empty.

 

[MarkG]

View attachment 25871

 

[BicesterU]

View attachment 25871

Lovely and warm in that sun on Saturday. Regretted not wearing shorts.

 

[Colin B]

Lovely and warm in that sun on Saturday. Regretted not wearing shorts.

Not in the SSU it wasn't. Coldest bloody place on earth!

 

[LowerSouth]

Lovely and warm in that sun on Saturday. Regretted not wearing shorts.

I did, but not too much sun in SSL

 

[MarkG]

Struggling to add a comment to my wide angle picture of the North Stand last Saturday.

Some of those seats at the front are almost *always* empty. Not sure what it looked like from SSU.

Also how does ticket exchange work in the family stand, when I thought family stand means you are there with kids, whereas ticket exchange elsewhere you pay full adult price?

Do the club want to keep it as a family stand, rather than have a load of random adults buying up tickets on exchange?

 

[BicesterU]

I think all exchange tickets are sold at adult price. I’ve asked about upgrading my lad’s to another adult for the evening kick-offs and been told that would be fine, and the couple of seats behind us are often adults only - although not sure if they’re tickets that have gone in resale, or been picked up on general sale.

 

[Colin B]

Struggling to add a comment to my wide angle picture of the North Stand last Saturday.

Some of those seats at the front are almost *always* empty. Not sure what it looked like from SSU.

Also how does ticket exchange work in the family stand, when I thought family stand means you are there with kids, whereas ticket exchange elsewhere you pay full adult price?

Do the club want to keep it as a family stand, rather than have a load of random adults buying up tickets on exchange?

It looks pretty similar Mark, and yes the empty seats in your photo are the ones that are most often empty. It is the two NS blocks closest to the ES that are always affected.

Early kick offs are worse, for the understandable reasons cited by others, but it is still always the worse area of the ground.

It's a crazy situation where we have a 12,500 capacity stadium that can only accommodate 11,500 after segregation etc, and even then there are probably only 11,300 actually in the ground!

 

[MarkG]

Pompey 15 feb

It looks pretty similar Mark, and yes the empty seats in your photo are the ones that are most often empty. It is the two NS blocks closest to the ES that are always affected.

Early kick offs are worse, for the understandable reasons cited by others, but it is still always the worse area of the ground.

It's a crazy situation where we have a 12,500 capacity stadium that can only accommodate 11,500 after segregation etc, and even then there are probably only 11,300 actually in the ground!

Just for context this is the south stand last game. I think the gaps at the front are mostly left available for disabled fans and their attendants.

 

[Scotchegg]

Not in the SSU it wasn't. Coldest bloody place on earth!

Game away at Barnsley mid 90's - the coldest I've every experienced a game. SSU pushes that close all year round!

 

[christenedinjericho]

It looks pretty similar Mark, and yes the empty seats in your photo are the ones that are most often empty. It is the two NS blocks closest to the ES that are always affected.

Early kick offs are worse, for the understandable reasons cited by others, but it is still always the worse area of the ground.

It's a crazy situation where we have a 12,500 capacity stadium that can only accommodate 11,500 after segregation etc, and even then there are probably only 11,300 actually in the ground!

If you think the NS is bad....from my seat in the NS the SSU has more blue seats (empty) than the tory party had in the last GE!

And the SSL has..................shed 'the operative word here' loads too.

And, please don't tell me the ol' chestnut that the seats are taken in the SSL, but everyone congregates to the back by the executive boxes and sings 'sunshine on leith'...sorry leys.

COYY'S.

 

[Eric Blair]

I completely agree @Colin B

I have an adult and a child season ticket in that area. We have been to three home games this season but I’ve also done three things:

1. Given my season ticket to friends and family in the hope of them rekindling their love for the club and building the fanbase
2. Sold it to the guy who sits next to me . I made friends with him against Norwich and he likes to bring friends to use the seats in that area
3. Released it on the exchange the moment it opens. I don’t need the money but know that two tickets together is a real bonus and I don’t like seeing the empty seats of feeling like I’m part of it.

As such they’ve been vacant twice. Once pre the exchange and once when they didn’t sell.

Three strikes seems fair to me as it ensures people are responsible. Caveat is that there shouldn’t be a strike if you release it onto the exhange at least 24 hours before kick off.

Forgive my ignorance but presumably when your tickets go on the exchange they dont need to go to an adult and child. Two adults can buy them, for example.

 

[Eric Blair]

sings 'sunshine on leith'...sorry leys.

COYY'S.

Please tell me that people sing "sunshine on leys". Brilliant