TheGuv

Every cunt in my work league on a minimum of 26 points for captaining Haaland

Been saying it for a while now. The family enclosure was increased from 500 (underneath L7) in the early-mid 2000s to stretching across the whole Milburn and even into Leazes L7 core after the singing section was disbanded. It was all about bums on seats during the dark days of Ashley. Some kid’s STs are £86 a year. I’ve no idea how much childcare is, but £4.52 for a day at the match doesn’t seem bad at all… I think for a ST (at the back of Leazes L7) when I started going as a kid in 2001 was at least double or maybe even 3x as much as what kids in the family enclosure pay now. For a Club so focused on increasing income - it’s bizarre this hasn’t been flagged/discussed more openly.

Eales on Radio Newcastle now

I agree with all of that. Only trickiness would be to see whether the ‘noisy’ old guard could A) get back in B) be more dedicated safe standing/singing sections. Because if they just increased capacity but it just meant that more ‘bodies’ were in the stadium, I doubt it would make much difference other than ‘locking in’ some of the noise that might escape out over the Gallowgate. I am incredibly interested to see what the atmosphere is like on Saturday. I have a feeling @Wallsendmag Bolton Wanderers at home in 1996 could be more common throughout the season.

If the atmosphere is bad now I can’t imagine moving stadium will make it any better @Wandy

I managed to get get one last night after refreshing the ticket page every minute for around 2-3 hours. And even then I had to click on the seat within 2-3 seconds. I missed out on a handful as I was too slow. I’d rather not have to do that every week tbh and I doubt I’ll be that lucky either. However, 3 of my friends and family cohort that I would go to the games with have all been unsuccessful in the ballot, unsuccessful in yesterday’s 10am queue and also couldn’t get any last night and this morning on resale despite trying the refreshing technique.

The amount of people who do this is ridiculous. So aye, have one in the bogs I’m a smoker and even I can wait during the game. It always makes me chuckle like.

Someone else who gets it ??

I queued for every game last season. Never saw anything over 40,000 like

Interesting that today there was more people in the queue for <1000 tickets than at any time last season with the original queuing system. Perhaps logic shows that plenty of people can join a queue at 10am. If we are to ballot surely the ballot should be after a queuing system? Today was just madness.

Only 14-17 left when I got in at around 10:15

Joined the queue today. With 4 Friends and family doing the same. Best we got was 4700 in the queue, worst 35,000. Thats even worse than last season for numbers in the queue For around 1000 tickets perhaps?

Probably a few variables in there needed. Such as: Being allowed to pick my fucking seat for a game But generally, yes.

I still want to stay at SJP. I have no confidence that we will however. I can write the press release already. ““We’ve evaluated all options. Our soul is at SJP. We’ve looked at every possibly solution. Unfortunately the best way ahead is……”

Regardless of people’ views on this current back and forth. If we don’t agree and stand up to together to certain things now, the Club will never have to listen on these matters in future. I do think it is important tbh.

Quite amazing really how selective the Club’s memory is when it suits them isn’t it? ”We’ve never had membership loyalty points so we won’t introduce them now!” ”We’ve never had back row of Leazes as the same price as Category 2 Leazes or Gallowgate. But we will introduce that now!”

True for many. I just wanted Ashley Out.

This is the sort of example that shows how poor this all is. @Gregcan you pass this onto the Club please? I know they don’t seem too bothered with it all at the moment - but the more voices heard the better.

You’ve missed my point entirely though with my original scenario. You’ve taken us right back to where we were at the start

I think we’re going round in circles… It’s obvious that some like the new model and some don’t. Some are saying 10am is unfair (it probably was - but it was a situation made unfair by people’s daily diary/work environment. One could argue there are ways around this - via family/friends or even taking day’s off etc. I used to nip to the loo if I was in the office A total side note. But when the 1000 STs were released last year, I planned to take day(s) off if required to camp out in the queue But the Club chucked it on the online system instead and I missed out). C’est La Vie Others argue that those who did utilise the 10am to their own benefit showed their utmost desire to attend (because if they had the option at 10am, they made sure it worked for them). My view is there HAS to be an alternative to a lucky dip. How the Club do it - is open to debate, but there has to be a debate. Just imagine the outcry if STs were to be balloted every year, or indeed every away ticket was to be balloted (and loyalty points weren’t taken into consideration). I’m sure we’d all agree that would be unfair. So i’m not sure how membership should be any different (especially if we were to start from scratch in August 2023… to make it super duper fair moving forward). This being the case, it’s the number 1 priority for the club to work out a fairer system moving forward. But crucially surely loyalty has to be rewarded moving forward?! Another example: It’s March 2026. Bobby Dazzla has entered the ‘ballot’ for every game for 3 years and was successful 30% of the time and had attended 20 League games in that time period. Newcastle are playing Man City in a title decider in May 2026 and Bobby is hopeful for a ticket. He is unsuccessful. However, Joe Bloggs decides he wants to have a chance at being at SJP for our first title win in 99 years. He buys his first membership in March 2026 and enters the ballot for the City game. After all, he’s a member and deserves just as much chance as Bobby? Joe gets the ticket and Bobby doesn’t. Who on here would think that’s ‘fair’? Forget about the here and now, there’s also the future we need to be thinking about here. Clearly there is no thought process into this other than rinsing 85,000+? Fans of £37 and we’re all supposed to be happy about it.

Jump up the tiers the more points you collect? It doesn’t have to be done in the form of a Catholic Indulgence payment to skip the queue. If I spend a certain amount on my Amex Blue card, I get more points. The more I fly with BA I can move into a different Tier from Bronze - Silver - Gold. If I don’t use it. I lose it. Not sure why the club can’t think of something along this sort of model.

I don’t know how the Club came up with this ‘solution’ though? Where was the consultation with members? (There was none. Yet there was a safe standing and away loyalty point consultation). How had the old system been flagged as an issue if there was no consultation? Someone has dropped a clanger at the Club and we’re none the wiser. Is anyone genuinely happy with this alternative? Or is it just the Club who are happy as they’ve made a few extra £ for new memberships?

If it is… ?

Good poll. I know only of Group 2 so far. I know of one lad who has bought a membership this season who didn’t last year. But I don’t think he’s been successful in the ballot.

I maintain that the membership system has been rushed and written on the back of a fag packet. Considering that memberships is about raising money and widening the ‘fan base’ I can’t believe the club didn’t look into how other club’s run their memberships. I also find it a tad saddening that the only change from the club was to change the ballot to allow you to select a pricing category. There’s still a lot that can be worked on to make a membership more desirable, for EVERYONE, moving forward. Of course I’m selfish and the old system suited me. But to look at the new system pragmatically, there’s a lot of holes in it. The club must and should be doing better.