A number of fans have contacted me recently to outline frustrations regarding ticketing issues at the Club. These centre around the new Priority Points system and the release of information for the upcoming away games at Astra Giurgiu and Manchester City. I have contacted a source at the club and am able to provide some explanations, as well as considering the pros and cons of the new system.
Firstly, the priority point system still takes into account the previous season’s purchases as well as the current season’s as it always has. For this season that’s 2015/16 and 2016/17 – any points accrued in 2014/15 have now been removed. Previously, fans would complete a Priority Point Application Form and either post, fax or email it to the club or hand it in at the ticket office. The club have overhauled the system and made the whole process available online only from this season with supporters with 8+ points applying from 9am, 7+ points from 10am etc.
I was told that the “application has changed because sending in faxes was archaic at best. We wanted in this modern world to bring things up to date and make it electronic in line with many other clubs and the process of buying tickets in general. The time scales are no different to any event going on sale e.g. concerts etc. The previous system was incredibly manual, time consuming and laborious and general feedback has been this is an improvement”.
All of which is true but many fans are frustrated that, for them, this is actually not as convenient as the former system. Many supporters cannot get online during a working day due to meetings, appointments, lessons etc. From a doctor in surgery to a dustman doing the rounds, the working person is not always readily available to drop everything and book football tickets. If Tottenham or Arsenal tickets go on sale at 9am, for example, and supporters can’t get online until 4pm due to work commitments, the likelihood is they will be sold out by that time. The purchasing system still has its gremlins too with many club members being greeted by error messages when going online at 9am today to book tickets for the Astra Giurgiu home tie.
The club have also extended Priority Points to not just relate to away games. Supporters should have been awarded a point for each of the European home games played so far – I booked a ticket for both Domzale and Astra but have only been awarded one point, while others I know have been awarded the full two and others none.
Supporters have also had concerns regarding the release of ticket details for the Astra and Man City away games. The draw for the Astra game was made a week ago and there are now only six days until the away leg yet, as of this morning, no ticket details for the trip to Romania had been released. I know some fans who had booked flights and hotels and were getting concerned about exactly how they were going to lay their hands on an actual ticket for the game. It transpires that this delay was down to officials at Astra Giurgiu not providing the relevant information to West Ham United until noon today. The delay from Astra has seen some flights sell out and costs increase, pricing out some Hammers fans from now making the trip to Romania.
Also, with two weeks and two days until the trip to Man City there were again, as of this morning, no details on the website regarding this game. Normally supporters are allocated tickets three or four weeks before an away game but, with the game falling on a Bank Holiday weekend and trains getting booked up, supporters could not plan ahead without knowing if they were even attending the game or not.
My information is that the Man City tickets were actually sent to the Boleyn Ground in error and reached the new Ticket Office this morning. The game will be on sale across two days (next Thursday and Friday) providing extra time for each point bracket.
Following my contact with the Club earlier today, details for both away games at Astra Giurgiu and Manchester City are now available on the official club website.