It matters precisely because you're saying it's misleading to say they should join up to avoid the fee, when joining up meant they avoided the fee. Edit: IF people didn't pay the fee that's an entirely different matter.
I've seen one response from the trading standards that asks the fan to get in touch with the Premier League.
The Premier League know the score, but they're not interested in whether the selling of passes were misleading or not, it's not their problem.
The issue the club had last season, was that they claimed that prices would go up if you didn't sign up by a certain date, but they didn't go up after that date, so they were warned that they had misled customers and shouldn't do it again. This time it's different, as the price did go up after the date specified and people benefited from being able to pick a better seat, or being able to sign up in the cheapest zone (which subsequently sold out), there's only really potentially a case if there were people signing up later without paying the higher price. I actually know someone who got their memberships for £5 a month, as a result of the way the club worded it's family guarantee. We're shocking at the legal aspects of these things.
The charging for membership was offered as an incentive for signing before a particular date, but in the event people didn't get charged after that date either, which is something that trading standards can look at.
I like the idea of throwing dummies on the pitch. Problem is... half of us can't get involved as we won't be there! A protest that everyone can get involved in should take place outside the Allams house - a mass meet at the Beech Tree, coordinate and then protest march?
Had confirmation the protests will publicised/discussed during Sky Sports' broadcast of our game against Leicester: (Simon Thomas will be presenting our game).
Two types of protests doing the rounds on social media: The first is a walk out on the 19th minute. Second is sitting in after the game and not moving. Have either of these come from the Trust or are people making these up themselves? Is it possibly the Trust put something out about the protests because if we end up having several smaller groups of people doing different protests, it's not going to be as effective. I love the idea of sitting in afterwards by the way. Sky will be filming up to 2:45-3:00 and they are presenting on-site this season on Saturdays.
The actual wording in the 'earn your stripes' booklet is 'a joining fee MAY apply'; the adding of the 'May' means it is then discretionary and the club can choose whether to charge it or not.
That's the key. I was under the impression they'd said more than that. If all they've said is 'may' then there'll be no case to answer and it explains the response one fan on Twitter has received which says as much. If they have said that a joining fee 'will' apply then that's exactly what they did before and had their wrists slapped for.
How did they able to get the £5 pass? I spent a hell of a long time arguing with them that each of my group should pay individually what they paid last year as we all paid separately (me and 2 nephews) but they weren't having it and in the end my sister just gave in and paid it. This was after my sister initially being told her kid's pass would be the same as last year only to later find they'd hadn't actually renewed it and being told they shouldn't have told her that.
They managed to prove that the kids they took weren't paid for by them, so the people buying their tickets got no benefit from the drop in adult prices and the only way they could pay no more than last season (as per the family guarantee) was if they continued to pay £60 each.
That's exactly what I'd been telling them but they wouldn't have it. I shall be going back to them now. Thanks.
