20 Royalty Points for Feyenoord Ticket

[Stranded]

Stranded, my arguments are there for all to see.

I have argued the points you are making in the STAR section.

Fair enough Finch, my point is simply that no system of "loyalty" put in to a club will ever be fair to all. Somebody will not be happy. For example, your away system. Say a Reading fan is living in Manchester and Reading have had 16 away games within easy reach of there over two years but few home games. Are they more loyal than somebody who's attended every home game with an ST and say only 5 away due to cost of travelling etc....

The club picked this one a couple of seasons ago now and I don't remember too many people complaining about it at the time (I'm happy to be corrected on this).

If they were to make a change now it would only lead to more criticism. The club are in a no win situation. People now know how the system works, because it hasn't changed, if people choose to use it to their advantage they will.

[Finch Royal]

Stranded, my arguments are there for all to see.

I have argued the points you are making in the STAR section.

Fair enough Finch, my point is simply that no system of "loyalty" put in to a club will ever be fair to all. Somebody will not be happy. For example, your away system. Say a Reading fan is living in Manchester and Reading have had 16 away games within easy reach of there over two years but few home games. Are they more loyal than somebody who's attended every home game with an ST and say only 5 away due to cost of travelling etc....

The club picked this one a couple of seasons ago now and I don't remember too many people complaining about it at the time (I'm happy to be corrected on this).

If they were to make a change now it would only lead to more criticism. The club are in a no win situation. People now know how the system works, because it hasn't changed, if people choose to use it to their advantage they will.

I agree with the bit in bold, but the point is that you make it fairest for the majority, not the minority....... which my proposed system does.

[Stranded]

But surely the majority are fans that attend home games?

[Finch Royal]

You really need to read my arguments in full, i cant be bothered writing it out again if STAR cant be bothered to do anything "because thats the way it is so and they're not going to change so why bother"

Once again, i have covered that point.

It's on the testing testing 1-2 thread in the STAR section.

[Stranded]

Fair enough, I only had time to have a quick scan. I shall have a proper read later.

[Schards#2]

Kunts.

So, if I go to Villa, Wigan, Sheffield United and West Ham I will have the same number of points as someone who toddles along to a meaningless friendly.

Why don't they just drop the whole pretense about Royalty Points rewarding loyalty and just dish points out at the end of the year to people who've spent most money?

A meaningless friendly ??!! If this is a sell out it is an additional few pennies in the bank - that is its meaning.

In other words - it IS meaningless.

The club might as well have said "buy 20 points off us for £20 and we'll throw in attendance at a training game free".

Why not go the whole hogg and just sell Royalty points in the club shop at £5 per point and allow them to be bought and sold between members.

There, obviously, is not any intention to equate them to the loyalty of the supporter any more.

[Finch Royal]

I've already suggested this, the whole system is farcicle.

Finch has is the fiarest way, but STAR are unwilling to listen.

[weybridgewanderer]

One day perhaps, people will get it into their heads that RFC is a business that is now playing with the big boys. Gone are the days when our "little club" looked after its supporters and appreciated loyalty (if ever it truly did).

The whole "loyalty" thing was done to death and beyond pre/post Arsenal.
Everything now is about maximising income and, whilst I may not agree with it, I can certainly understand the rationale.

As a regular away traveller I appreciate that RFC get little or nothing from my pocket for such excursions and despite the right noises made by the players I really don't believe my presence at Crewe raises their performance levels. Therefore I am not surprised that my loyalty to the club is judged on the depth of my pocket.

Or to put in another way read Stranded's post!

Incidentally, does anyone have knowledge of other clubs distribution policies for away tickets? Are they based on previous away travel history? I have my doubts.

Glasgow Rangers...

Domestic Leaguie games, away tickets are over subscribed for every away match. All season ticket holders that want to go to away games indiocate they want to go to away games and are then put into a ballot and allocated 3 or 4 tickets. It is not possible to buy an away ticket on the fly.

Supporters clubs can apply for away tickets and these can be allocated to club members in any way the club sees appropriate.

European Away games

Not all away European games are over subscribed. the trick here is to go to the ones that are not and get some points on the board!

European away travel club, admin fee of £11 for season ticket holders, £25 for non season ticket holders. 1 point for each away game applied for. If you apply and then reject the ticket you lose the point. You have to show your your itinary before you are sent your ticket. Tickets are allocated to those that have the most points. Rangers try to maintain a 10 - 15 point game history, dropping games from 3 or 4 seasons off, allowing new people to start to "catch up"

[bobby1413]

Rather than moan about it on here, how many of you will take time out to write to or phone Jackie Evans at the club and make your views known?

If enough people bombard her with complaints about this then maybe they will have a rethink. and lets see some discussion on this on the STAR board and find out what STAR, the fans representatives to the club , are going to do about this.

I would suggest something along the lines of the following ...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ms Evans

It has come to my attention that one of our pre season friendlies this summer is being rewarded with 20 Royalty points.

I appreciate that this will have been done to try and attract people to this "meaningless" fixture however this is the equivalent of 10 away fixtures last season.

This really shows a lack of respect by Reading Football Club for the fans who put in time and effort following the team away from home over the last 2 years.

Could I suggest that the club considers retrospectively allocating points to those that attended a number of away games over the last 2 seasons?

One suggestion would perhaps be an extra 10 points for every 5 away games attended?

Regards

Excellent point.

I really feel the club do want to please the fans and care about what they think. However, I don't think JM is a frequent hobnob visitor so I doubt he realises quite how upset we all are.

Definetly think emailing/phoning or writing to the club in a well-written way is a great idea.

[RFCSinceBury1971]

Finch has been campaigning for over a year now about the disagraceful distribution of royalty points. IMO it's STAR's place to put forward the views of the fans, however their attitude has been "they're not going to fix it so why bother trying".

Finch has the answer but no one will listen !!!!!!!!!!!!!



http://hobnob.royals.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=43970

Im with you on this Finch. This one game represents what the dedicated supporter got for going to most of the away games last season. It is totally unfair.
last season after the Arsenal fiasco I suggested that away tickets should be distributed by the amount of away games attended over a 2 year period so those that travelled away on a regular basis got there reward.
I got laughed at for it because some people thought that would be unfair.
Attending away games should not have anything to do with how many home games you have been to or how long you have had a home season ticket.

Yes but the flaw with that is that over the last two years a lot of people would have bought on the day from the away ground making it impossible for the club to have an accurate picture. It would also almost make it a closed shop and would stop those like myself who go to away games when they can from getting tickets.

Basically, any system the club puts in place will lead to people moaning. If you want to go to away games badly enough next year, you can by getting an Away ST.

The club are using the points as an incentive to get people to go to the game. If you don't agree with it don't go.

Yes those who go will get more points than those who went to 10 away games but the money the club will make will be about the same hence the level. As I've said these point are a measure of the money you give to the club not how much you spend going to Hull on a Tuesday night.

I dont agree with it and will not be going. I have an AWST and ST fot the coming season. The coming season is costly enough without taking in friendlies which I do not go to.
Not everybody can go to all away games so why should they have an AWST. This season most home fans have taken a ST but will not go to all the games so why do it for all away games as well.
Yes the club are doing it to try and make money. I am not arguing that point. As for away fans we have visiting fans come to the Madstad so RFC make money from them. They get there loyalty rewarded from there own clubs.
One thing RFC fans can learn from all this is always buy your tickets from RFC so you get your points. Buying on the day means no points. Also buying off other people who have a ticket for an away game and dont go means they get the points and not you.

[PieEater]

Let me introduce you all to Royalty point inflation.

Next season it may be 40 points for a pre-season game and 10 for an away game.

[kirkrich]

Sorry guys, shoot me down in flames but I go to watch and support my team, not to collect frigging points! This is not Sainsburys, its Reading FC. 20 points will not make the slightest difference to whether or not you get to see manure or chelski. The game will be sold out long before you are sweating over 20 points. Support the players, not the board and turn up if you can for the right reason.

[bobby1413]

Sorry guys, shoot me down in flames but I go to watch and support my team, not to collect frigging points! This is not Sainsburys, its Reading FC. 20 points will not make the slightest difference to whether or not you get to see manure or chelski. The game will be sold out long before you are sweating over 20 points. Support the players, not the board and turn up if you can for the right reason.

Great post.

[Schards#2]

Sorry guys, shoot me down in flames but I go to watch and support my team, not to collect frigging points! This is not Sainsburys, its Reading FC. 20 points will not make the slightest difference to whether or not you get to see manure or chelski. The game will be sold out long before you are sweating over 20 points. Support the players, not the board and turn up if you can for the right reason.

Agree with the sentiment but 20 points WILL be the difference for some on the cusp of the minimum points requirement. Throw in the 20 point STAR bung and 40 points will be the difference between yes or no for 1,000's.

[ayjaydee]

Does anyone really think we are going to sell our allocation for Chelsea?

Boxing Day
No public transport
Probably a very minimal STAR service (only 3 drivers prepared to work Boxing Day last year)
Price - enough have railed on here about the cost of tickets for this game.

I know this is veering slightly off topic but come the day those that want tickets usually get them.

[Finch Royal]

At the end of the day, the club can easily introduce a new fairer system to allocate away tickets to those that regularly go away with the minimal of fuss. Royalty points can be used for home games and possible a financial reward from the club, i.e a voucher for the megastore.

It's just pure lazyness

[ayjaydee]

At the end of the day, the club can easily introduce a new fairer system to allocate away tickets to those that regularly go away with the minimal of fuss. Royalty points can be used for home games and possible a financial reward from the club, i.e a voucher for the megastore.

It's just pure lazyness

I thought they had. It's called an away season ticket and they are still available.

Anyone who complains they didn't get a ticket for Man Utd away is therefore obviously not committed enough. (awaits a volley of abuse regarding loyalty, cost etc.)

[Finch Royal]

I've got an AST so it doesn't matter shit to me, but the principle of allocation for those that don't have an AST is wrong and unfair.

[Croydon Royal]

Sorry guys, shoot me down in flames but I go to watch and support my team, not to collect frigging points! This is not Sainsburys, its Reading FC. 20 points will not make the slightest difference to whether or not you get to see manure or chelski. The game will be sold out long before you are sweating over 20 points. Support the players, not the board and turn up if you can for the right reason.

It could do. I'm on something like 480 points, 20 points could put me into the next band when tickets go on sale. It's just sickening to know that by not going to this game because of a holiday already moved to accomodate the football season, I am missing out on teh same number of points I accumilated last year spending 10 different days going to matches all over this country, spending money I don't have to support my team.

[ayjaydee]

Sorry guys, shoot me down in flames but I go to watch and support my team, not to collect frigging points! This is not Sainsburys, its Reading FC. 20 points will not make the slightest difference to whether or not you get to see manure or chelski. The game will be sold out long before you are sweating over 20 points. Support the players, not the board and turn up if you can for the right reason.

It could do. I'm on something like 480 points, 20 points could put me into the next band when tickets go on sale. It's just sickening to know that by not going to this game because of a holiday already moved to accomodate the football season, I am missing out on teh same number of points I accumilated last year spending 10 different days going to matches all over this country, spending money I don't have to support my team.

We could start a black market for Loyalty/Royalty points! I will probably go to the game but am not fussed about getting the points as I have an away st. What am I bid for my 20 points in a reverse auction styleee?!