Testing Testing 1-2

[Readingfanman]

it was a good exersise by the club as those helpers have potentially helped bring in an excess of £30 million as a direct result of their actions.

So one game out of the 46 made us win promotion?

Leicster wern't it?

[Forbury Lion]

And surely offering an incentive to collect funds for the tsunami appeal defeats the point of voluntary charity work?

But it doesn't defeat the point of charity work.

[Hoop Blah]

The points system needs some tweaking thats for sure.

I am dumbfounded that the club is basically blackmailing fans into buying a ticket for a pre-season friendly by offering 20 points for a ticket. I thought the system was set up to be able to recognise those fans more loyal to the club, this is going too far.

I'm just as amazed that I find myself agreeing with Finch Royal that STAR should be lobbying the club to address this exploitation of its points system. The supporters trust should be looking after the well being of the supports, not just buddying up to the club to keep them sweet and stay within a comfort zone of club/STAR self appreciation.

Why do we pay our membership fee's just to be fobbed off?

[AthleticoSpizz]

A Leeds supporting friend once said to me at a game the season before last....................... "You have a nice friendly set-up here, you don't really want to be promoted, it'll spoil everything for you"

Don't know what he was talking about

[Chicken Balti Pie]

STAR,

Could we transfer Tesco Clubcard points into Royalty points please.

I think this is a fair suggestion.

I await your reply.

CBP

[STAR Liaison]

And surely offering an incentive to collect funds for the tsunami appeal defeats the point of voluntary charity work?

I don't believe it was said up front that people would get royalty points for doing it. People volunteered because they wanted to do somethng positive.
Do people seriously think the star board members are all sitting at their computers daily checking what hob nobbers have to say?? They have a lot of other things on their plate, as anyone willing to stand for election to the board would find out

They were offered up front.
http://www.readingfc.premiumtv.co.uk/pa ... 40,00.html

There was another situation like this too if I remember rightly, something about handing out leaflets in town with Murty in exchange for royalty points (although Murty was actually injured just before it so wasn't able to himself).

Sorry just had time to read this thread again.

FYI the points for helping collect for the Tsunami appeal were awarded after the event as the person at RFC was so impressed by those who turned up to collect that they wanted a tangible way to thank them.

However, the handing out of leaflets at the shop in town and the BIO help (as per the RFC site page above) were both advertised before the event as attracting points.

I know this will not be in line with how some people would want the points to be awarded but they are seen in the club as a way of rewarding those who help the club not just the team.

[Finch Royal]

Will you be replying to mine and Legend's points ?

[STAR Liaison]

Will you be replying to mine and Legend's points ?

Which particular point do you think is unanswered then?

[Finch Royal]

Absolutely.

If you help the club financially, then maybe you should get a financial benefit.
For example, if you go to loads of home games but no aways, you should get a money off voucher for the megastore, therefore money into the club = a financial reward. Obviously you are displaying some form of loyalty to the team as well, so should still get some points.

Likewise, if you go to loads of away games, then you should be rewarded with priority for 'glamour' away days, but not nessecarily get any financial benefit because financially, you've not really helped the club.

Anybody else thinking on the same lines

Not a bad shout

Wonder if STAR are going to respond to my earlier response to their comments ?

It is not our loyalty scheme, it is the club's and the whole reason for starting it was to reward those who spend money at the club.

We can make representations about another scheme but I doubt very much if it will happen the way you suggest as what will the club get from it? It also will not come at no cost so you would have to design a system that will benefit the club as well as the fans - those suggested so far do not. Do we really want the club to spend money that could be seen as a luxury when we complain about the level of ST prices.

If you can come up with something let us know and we will happily put it to the club.

How much of a system do you need to design to be able to check how many away games someone has travelled to if they're all logged on the relevant Season Ticket anyway ?

It's not rocket sicence and it's not costly.

Again, the club is thinking small time with its own interests at heart without giving a shit for its loyal fans.

I sent an e-mail to the senior ticket office girl offering to buy some loyalty points, surely i'm the most loyal of fans for willing to pay for points ?? Money in the clubs coffers for doing jack ??? She told me royalty points were not for sale, surely a contradiction ??

Still waiting for STAR to reply.

What do you have to do to get a reply ?

I don't want to turn this into a full-blown discussion on this point because it will never change, and should be in Club Policies, .

I wonder if SC will justify his above comment as it's not the attitude i expect STAR to adopt. No, i don't believe it should be in club policies, this is you trying to fob me off, it should be up to STAR to take on board my comments in this thread and propose them to the club as they are the fairest way of allocating away tickets.

I'll leave you to sifle through this lot.

[STAR Liaison]

I can't see that you have not had a reply maybe just not the reply you want.

From the beginning the points system was devised as a way to reward those who help the club make money. Whether you agree or not the current football climate means that no club is successful unless it can extract a lot of money from its fans to pay to its players.

Whereas you see those who go to away matches as important, that does not put much into the club and that is the whole raison d'etre for the points system.

I think now they will admit it was a mistake to ever call them loyalty points as that evokes different things for different people and much as anyone will argue for their definition of loyalty should prevail I doubt very much that there will be any major changes other than scrapping it at some stage. Personally I think it may go if we were to be relegated and all the good time fans disappear and there is no problem in ticket allocations but I have no reason to say that other than the hassles it brings. At the moment it allows the club to differentiate between new fans and committed fans, between new fans and old fans - but they are aware it is a blunt instrument and not infallible as some old fans cannot go to as many games for reasons other than their loyalty.

It would be possible to suggest adjustments to the system but I would not expect a suggestion to make away games more important than home games to get a good reception. By all means give us some suggestions to take to the next management meeting we attend and we will let you know the reactions.

[Finch Royal]

Thank you for your reply, certainly more constructive than STAR Campaigns

I think my suggestion has been posted in this thread as to what would be a fairer way to allocate away tickets. I'll have a look later when i have more time and if it's not there then post it again

[Harold]

I can't see that you have not had a reply maybe just not the reply you want.

From the beginning the points system was devised as a way to reward those who help the club make money. .

Can I get Royalty points if I stay at the hotel or buy a beer at the ground then? After all this is helping the club to make money....

[STAR Liaison]

I can't see that you have not had a reply maybe just not the reply you want.

From the beginning the points system was devised as a way to reward those who help the club make money. .

Can I get Royalty points if I stay at the hotel or buy a beer at the ground then? After all this is helping the club to make money....

That was certainly the intention at the start of the process but for some reason it has not got beyond tickets for day to day expenditure. It may be because the guy who set up the system was only employed for the season and so there is not the bandwidth for anyone else to develop it further as he was not replaced and all his work has had to be spread around the rest of the small staff there.

[Hoop Blah]

Do STAR have any intention of lobbying the club to use the royalty system in a more sensible way so as to reward fans in a fairer system?

The latest example of blackmailing fans to come to a pre-season friendly is extremely insulting to me, and doesn't fit with the aim that the points are there to help the club identify those supporters who show more commitment to the club.

[STAR Liaison]

Do STAR have any intention of lobbying the club to use the royalty system in a more sensible way so as to reward fans in a fairer system?

The latest example of blackmailing fans to come to a pre-season friendly is extremely insulting to me, and doesn't fit with the aim that the points are there to help the club identify those supporters who show more commitment to the club.

I have asked for suggestions for a 'fairer' way but have not had any yet. I am not sure how offering an incentive is blackmail.

In this particular case the club wants to sell out (which is not usually the case for a friendly) as they are having to pay for the oppostion and they also want to give 'newer' supporters a chance to obtain points as they are aware that it could develop into a closed shop. So it does fit in with the aim of encouraging supporters to help the club.

[RFCSinceBury1971]

A fair way IMO would be to sell away tickets based on amount of away games attended. I suggested this after the Arsenal game but that idea upstet to many fans who do not, or rarely go to away games.

[Finch Royal]

A fair way IMO would be to sell away tickets based on amount of away games attended. I suggested this after the Arsenal game but that idea upstet to many fans who do not, or rarely go to away games.

bASICALLY WHAT fINCH SUGGESTED IN A NUTSHELL.

[premiership_bound]

I buy all my away tickets at the away grounds. The club do not know I do this. Will they beleive me so that I can get an away ticket. Otherwise it would not be fair.

[Finch Royal]

I buy all my away tickets at the away grounds. The club do not know I do this. Will they beleive me so that I can get an away ticket. Otherwise it would not be fair.

I will reply later when i have more time, but basically, tough shit !

[premiership_bound]

So either a tough shit from the club or a tough shit from Finch. What a choice