From what I can tell after a week away on holiday, the linking system as implemented is different from the linking system we were expecting.
As far as I'm concerned (and a lot of this is personal opinion, rather than STAR policy) there is nothing wrong in principle with linking tickets so as to discourage plastics/glory hunters (call them what you like).
However, what should be included, and what seems to be lacking, are the two below facilities :
- you can link a Platinum game with your choice of Silver game. (i.e If you buy a Man Utd ticket then you have to buy from a choice of Silver games, not just one specified one). This is how we understood the linking would work, except for on-line sales where there are technology issues.
- the link only works one-way. i.e you can buy a Silver ticket without having to buy a Platinum ticket, so that people can buy Charlton tickets without buying Man Utd tickets. Without this, it's pointless setting the points requirement lower for Charlton since only if the Man Utd game is sold out (unlikely) will people with fewer points be able to buy Charlton tickets. This means that selling the two separate games as two products is pointless - all that is actually being sold is a single "two-game package!"
So I consider it vital that people are able to purchase Charlton tickets without making them buy Man Utd tickets, and I'm amazed if things have been set up with a two-way link rather than just a one-way link.
As to getting a response yet, many people have been away and only got back this week so no response yet - but if there isn't one this matter will definitely be discussed in depth at the next Senior Management meting on Wednesday next week.