by handbags_harris »
09 Mar 2011 12:19
I think this is my first foray into this thread, and my own views are that is a balls-up of monumental proportions by RFC. Regardless of whether wewere playing Villa or City, an away FA Cup Quarter Final, in City's case at £15, is going to generate an almost unprecedented level of interest. Throw in free travel, well quite simply you have a mad scramble for tickets even had we had 6000 or so tickets. The club's excuse that we have only taken 3000 to an away game once in three years is ludicrous, are they really that short sighted? There have been many occasions where we have taken many more than that over the last 15-20 years. History shows that when a big, high profile game occurs the town comes alive.
This isn't the first time RFC have cocked up like this, so they have form. Anyone remember Birmingham City away in December 2007? £16 tickets, but the club took a mere 1600 when we had the demand to sell a full 3000 allocation.
Whoever runs the ticket office has clearly come from a regular consumer environment where the mentality of customer is markedly different to the average football fan, and they haven't once consulted fans. Surely it wouldn't be amiss to maybe mailshot the 100 fans with most points to guage their views on demand? Survey the customer base, ask them their views. Anyone with half a brain (and Ratty) would be able to tell them that:
a) an FA Cup Quarter Final
b) at a major club
c) at £15 or £25
d) with free travel thrown in
would generate a massive level of interest.
Lastly, the points bandings. All season long the points badnings have started at 1800 points, heading down through a reasonable scale of 400 points per day or so. Why did they deem it acceptable to change this for the highest profile game we will have all season (bar maybe trips to Wembley and playoff semi's)? 1600 points was way too low, and then to drop it by 1000 after a day? Utter lunacy. Utterly incompetent buffoons at RFC who decided this. Give me the running of the ticket office, this sort of thing wouldn't happen.