Seems to be a variety of things other clubs do. West Ham do the same as us but go back two seasons instead of 1/1.5 and also offer credits for home cup games. City and Brighton do points based on everything including season tickets/home games and I believe until recently they had no time limit on this giving older fans an advantage. I think lots of clubs give differing amount of points depending on the game. So using our fixtures as an example Millwall on a Saturday is worth one but Sheffield on a Tuesday is worth three. Not a fan of this idea personally as it encourages points hoarding even more. Ultimately you're never going to please everyone but I think we've got it about right. I personally believe away priority should be based on away attendance only (put the miles in and you get the reward) and I agree with the time limit too. As although it's harsh for people who might have to drop out for a year or two due to work/family etc it means there's always an opportunity for people to get up the ladder. The only thing I'd like to see us do differently is to not lump members all together regardless of attendance. A member who's done 5 aways should get priority over a member who's done none - could even put away game numbers as the main criteria. So instead of: STH with 10 STH with 9 STH with 8 You could have: STH with 10 Members with 10 STH with 9 Members with 9
Forgot to mention that another thing some clubs do is put a percentage of each allocation aside for a ballot. Think West Ham do 10% and United's is even higher, 20% maybe.
Appreciate the detailed response - as you say you can’t satisfy everyone and agree that at least with our method there’s at least an opportunity to climb the ladder quickly. I too would like there to be differentiators at member sale based on away games attended but I can see why the club don’t as it might put people off buying membership knowing they could end up fairly low down in the pecking order for key games.
2 fresh blocks gone on sale for Sheffield United now and on general sale. Just incase anyone fancies a midweek trip to Yorkshire
Can anyone remember if we were held back at Millwall two years ago? Looking to book travel at 7 from Victoria but not sure if that'll be enough time if we are.
Just had this email. Forgot I'd entered for this when buying my ticket tbh and now don't know what to do. I absolutely hate coach journeys and struggle with anything more than a couple of hours, never done anything remotely this far so leaning towards saying 'thanks but no thanks'. On the other hand, it would mean I have saved myself £150, which is both a significant amount of dough and also could potentially be used for going to Blackburn... "Hello, I am getting in touch from Press Box PR on behalf of Midnite, Southampton's official training kit partner for the 2025/26 season. You recently entered The Midnite Express competition, and I am pleased to share some great news: you (and your group) have been selected to enjoy complimentary luxury coach travel to and from the game against Sheffield United on Tuesday, September 30th. Not only will you be travelling in comfort, but you will also be joined by legendary Southampton guests, making the journey even more memorable. To confirm your place, please reply to this email at your earliest convenience. Just as a quick reminder, you will need to already have a ticket for the match at Bramall Lane, and unfortunately, anyone under the age of 25 will not be eligible to travel on the coach. We may ask for proof of identity, age, or eligibility at any stage, and reserve the right to withhold the prize if these requirements are not met."
Sounds worth it for the one-off novelty. See if it's any good and save a wad of cash. And if it isn't, then at least it was free and you'll never do it again!
"anyone under the age of 25 will not be eligible to travel on the coach." Without wanting to generalise, looking at the state and behaviour of some of the younger groups who use the Saints travel coaches in recent years, it's hardly a surprise
Not even sure what a luxury coach is tbh. Probably just going to be recliner seats with more leg room init?
Wonder who the 'legendary Southampton guests' are? Got a feeling that might be stretching the legendary word there somehow. Perhaps Franny and Beatts?
Bristol City on sale to all STH tomorrow morning. That's 6/9 so far which have reached all STH, which will become 7/10 with Blackburn. Then it's the 3 london games which I doubt will get anywhere near that level.
