The very fabric that holds the football club together, the fans, are to be pulled apart, yet again, by another ill conceived plan by the club. A couple of years ago, E1-E3 were evicted into mainly the North Stand. Friendships built over a number of years, casual aquaintances, a smile and a nod, gone in the blink of an eye. Now, this latest abomination, will see every other stand affected, relationships between fans, relationships between fathers and sons, grandparents and grandchildren ripped apart with this crazy execution of potentially a good scheme. Thousands evicted from the West Stand Upper, to go where? Scattered about the ground in pockets vacated by groups of friends broken up in different price zones, and parents with no kids because they can't afford to bring them and their friends anymore. The uncle who brings two nephews, faced with a £500 rise for them, so no new generation coming through. ITS A DISASTER. FOR GOD'S SAKE JUST STOP!!!!! PUT IT ON HOLD AND HAVE A RETHINK!!!!!! DIGEST SOME OF THE COMMENTS ON OTHER THREADS. THE PRICING IS A JOKE, YOU CANNOT CHARGE KIDS THE SAME AS ADULTS, ITS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG, AND WILL MAKE US (MORE OF?) A LAUGHING STOCK OF THE FOOTBALL WORLD. Some will say this is a load of crap, and I have gone over the top, but this is a date to note in our long history, as a scheme which could have the most detrimental effect on the club and atmosphere you dare to imagine.
Sadly, it's not crap. I said similar a year or two back and have taken dogs abuse for it. Since then, we've seen attendances and atmosphere drop and a number of other predicted outcomes coming true. Hopefully this time around the penny will drop with club and fans alike.
At least West Upper are getting evicted in time for folks to organise to sit near each other elsewhere. A privilege not afforded to E1-E3.
Example Quickly Drafted Alternative Scheme???? Existing Season Ticket Holders Stay Put - 30% reduction on this seasons prices. New Season Ticket Holders - 20% reduction on this seasons prices. Would mean for North Stand around £370 to £420 ish respectively for adults. Do the same with other stands, and keep the concession prices and reduce accordingly. Everyone would be happier with a decent saving. Everyone would be happier, sitting in their favoured existing seats, with their friends and family around them. More lapsed season ticket holders would renew. No need to evict an entire 11 blocks of season ticket holders from West Stand Upper. The 12 month rolling memberships scheme is a good idea, WITH the RIGHT PRICES and CONCESSIONS. Sadly, experience tells us, NO ONE tells them how to run their businesses. So this is probably a complete waste of time, but is a good safety vent to let off steam!!! Aaarghhh!!!
Sadly, like a bout of crabs I had in the 90's, just when you thought they had ****ed off, they come back with avengence and irritate the **** out of you
Totally agree with the simplicity of all you say. However, the supporters of this club are the last people that the Allams would consider in their grand schemes. It's sheer madness but shows how much contempt for the fans that the owners have.
The West Upper moves are nothing to do with the prices, they're to accommodate an away fan move, whatever happens to prices that won't change.
I'd be very surprised if the away fans ever move to the west upper when we're still unable to walk round the back of the away section where it is. From a safety perspective our club seem to panic in a way no other club does
I appreciate that there are cost implications, but given that the finer points are still being looked in to, one possible solution to part of the problem is to sell passes/membership to the upper west for next season so that relocations can be better discused or organised. The cost in part could possibly be met by the money from those that would otherwise walk away.
Your first few words explain why the west upper is to be closed - cost implications. Rather than trying to build our fan base with the obvious benefits that brings we have seen a penny pinching approach over the last few years. Smaller crowds, same / increased profitability.
I don't understand the logic to all of this If we are in the premier league, the clubs finances are virtually independent of ticket revenue and we pretty much fill the ground anyway. If we are in the Championship, we need as many bums on seats as possible to pay our way This "scheme" pisses of a lot of people and guarantees we lose some family and OAP punters but does nothing to attract new fans Poorer crowds will mean lost revenue and eventual decline Or am I missing something?
I did nothing about the evictions from the North East corner. Well not actually nothing, I verbally supported DMD on here. I agree broadly with what SimonGarysJacket says. The membership scheme may have some benefits but they are outweighed by the costs. The question is are we going to do anything about it other than moan. I need a few days to think things through but my initial thoughts are we should. Its the commitment, the what do we ask for and the how do we achieve it that needs some thinking about. My position on the South Stand and West Upper evictions is simple. There should be no moves without consultation with those involved and their general agreement. Not a fait accompli, you're moving, tough, but we'll help you look for another seat. It was wrong for the North East corner and its wrong now. We are all supporters of Hull City and deserve a bit more respect.
It was suggested that they should not move people out of the West Upper until there is an agreement that the away fans can be moved there, but two reasons were put forward for not doing so. Firstly, that if we don't get promoted and crowds are under 20k it won't be opened (obviously we should be pricing the ground to fill it, rather than shutting it, but that was what was put forward). Secondly, that there's going to be massive upheaval implementing the membership scheme ahead of next season and they want it all sorted in one go. (this one I have some sympathy with, the last thing we need is going through all this again ahead of 2017-18 season).
Time to protest again? At least the atmosphere was better when the Allam out songs were sung! I think we played better as well!
This is exactly what everyone was stressing at the FWG meeting and it's obviously very disappointing that it hasn't been presented in that manner. The club have had their hand forced and have rushed things out as a consequence, hopefully this will be rectified when the full launch takes place next week and they will listen to those who are being failed by the new system.
We seem to be solving problems that either don't exist or solving them in the most complicated and unpopular ways possible. How much does it cost to open the West Upper stand with no turnstile operators? Why is it beyond the wit of man for concessionary ticket holders to prove (once a year) that they should receive cheaper ticketing? Who wants away fans above home fans? (is this safe?) I suspect, however, it will be "take it or leave it" from the club and many will leave it
