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I am not a loyal fan !

Discussion in 'Gillingham' started by alwaysright, Jun 9, 2021.

  1. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    I'm not sure if I am a 'loyal' fan !!
    Paul Scally has drafted an open letter to Season Ticket Holders ( on the Official Site.) .... it's a 'sob' story that you can look for yourself................... and it doesn't contain any information regarding ticket prices for 2021/22 (( not that this affects me - because, for the second consecutive time, I have a two year ST. ))

    The letter comments on a 'new' ticket system ( We've heard that one several times before. )

    The main part of the letter refers to Mr. Scally pleading (understandably ), to STH, not to ask for any refund ( or part thereof ), on ST purchased for 2019/20, and 2020 - 2021..... pointing out that He gave STH the games on ifollow for free ( 'saving' us £230 ! )...... and, basically - the Club cannot afford to repay any money, to which, each STH is legally entitled..... I have already made my position clear - I am an idiot - I have spent far too much of my money on GFC, and still not learned !.... I will not be asking for any refund - but -

    Mr. Scally continues to use terms and tactics that are likely to 'disenchant' STH..... by suggesting that STH who have voiced their concerns ( about the Club's prolonged silence ), in various forums - daring to accuse these STH as '' so-called'' fans
    Mr. Scally has pleaded to STH to refrain from seeking any compensation - but has made no reference of any gesture of goodwill - perhaps against future purchases ( as at least a partial 'refund' of each individual total. )

    Mr. Scally announces the intended inception of a ''1893 Club'' This is to be some sort of 'elite' club, to provide benefits for its' most loyal fans...... I thought that this 'club' was going to include all STH of the last 2 seasons (or at least the STH who will tell Mr. Scally that they will NOT seek any aforementioned 'refund'. )......... it would seem that I am NOT always right !
    The 1893 Club is open to all loyal fan - as long as you pay another £100 for the privilege in membership fee. Mr. Scally mentions that membership will provide benefits - but gives NO specifics............

    ....... and all these years, I thought that being a Season Ticket Holder allowed me to dare to call myself a 'loyal fan, and had been continually told by Mr. Scally that as a STH, I was given priority access to any 'benefit.'
    .... It will be interesting to see how much blood that Mr. Scally can expect to get from this stone --- he's already doing a good job of extracting urine out of me !
     
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    Last edited: Jun 10, 2021
  2. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    I've re-read the last 2 paragraphs of Scally's letter - and I am no less 'outraged.'

    I wanted to be clear that as a 'FULL' paying STH, I am not considered loyal enough for 'automatic' membership of the 1893 Club...... and have access to all the privileges ( despite paying £ Hundreds - nay, THOUSANDS of ££££ over many seasons ) -- YET -- as a NON season ticket holder (( or not even a match day ticket customer - or even anyone who supports GFC !! )), I would be allowed to join the 1893 Club for a 'mere' £100 ( with no other financial commitment ), and have privileges that any '' fortune-paying season ticket holder'' would be excluded - because he or she didn't fork out even more money..... well, Mr. Scally, I don't know about 'fork out' - more likely to be '' fork off. ''
     
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    Last edited: Jun 9, 2021
  3. brb

    brb CR250

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    You need to be smarter than the average bear these days mate, had you thought, that if you ask for a refund, as you are entitled, it may make you an unloyal supporter but...

    Then you spend £100 of that refund becoming an 1893 Club member, and become a loyal supporter again! <laugh><laugh><laugh>

     
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  4. gioblues

    gioblues Well-Known Member

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    If you do not want a refund you will become a bronze member (free) and receive a new shirt.
     
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  5. brb

    brb CR250

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    Have to say in the fairness of balance @alwaysright I was having a read on twitter, and it 'appears' the season ticket holders on there are happy with the arrangements.

    I don't have an ST anymore, so it's not really for me to say.
     
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  6. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    'Fairness' - I must read brb's dictionary - I'm fairly sure it doesn't refer to Gills' STH!..... anyway -
    I spend too much time on forums - so I don't do Twitter ( and I'm banned from Facebook - even WITHOUT ever posting thereon !!! ) If Mr. Scally wants to send a message to STH ( or, indeed to loyal fans ), he needs to be clear on the Official site - and not resort to the forums ,about which he often makes heavy criticism - giving no consideration for empathy ( not my word - but used by another STH ), and the viewpoint of supporters.

    In Scally's letter to STH ( on the Official Site ), it makes NO mention as to the specific details of the privileges of membership of the 1893 Club. It actually states that details are being finalised..... What is this nonsense of a free shirt ( old or new ?? ) If Scally was giving anything away - he'd be shouting about it in great big letters !.... If it's true, I may have to check - before I part with more of my unloyal commitment to GFC. ...

    I want to be fair to Mr. Scally - but - he has rarely shown fairness to ( in particular ), STH......and I really haven't got the stomach to rake up all the examples I could quote - a lot of them are well documented in this forum....... but, none of that matters - I will always support The Gills, and keep on buying a season ticket - or two each season..... I can't say fairer than that.
     
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  7. brb

    brb CR250

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    From what I can gather via reading twitter, a lot of supporters are selecting option A? Now that means nowt to me, but from what I gather you get a free, I assume new design shirt, and membership to the club, I think I saw the word bronze, but don't hold me to that or my brass balls if I'm wrong. <laugh>

    Oh one last thing, when I say fairness, I'm not suggesting anything is fair, it is a phrase meant in the term of balanced opinion, highlighting different thoughts. But at this moment I'll shut up, because I'm digging my hole deeper. ;)
     
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  8. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    Option A done ( I am still an idiot )
     
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  9. The Gills PegLeg

    The Gills PegLeg Up yer Harris

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    It's a difficult situation it has to be said. I don't envy Scally for having to make the decision on this front. I see it from both sides, the business probably would have failed last season without sth cash, but of course sth's have paid for a service they haven't received. Compromise has to be found somewhere, not sure what this supporter club malarkey is actually going to offer but I must confess it seems odd not to offer it to sth's anyway. Just seems some sort of way to get another £100 out of fans for not an awful lot.
     
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  10. gioblues

    gioblues Well-Known Member

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    Yes really don't know what this £100 will offer, season ticket holders should always get first dibs on cup matches. Does seem like it is a gift to the club
     
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  11. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    kill the golden goose - and then bite the hand of who feeds you !

    gioblues - you are exactly right.
    I am not suggesting that a non STH fan doesn't love GFC any less than a STH - but - Mr.Scally has, thus far, recognised that STH have chosen to commit their money in advance of any opportunity to watch a game ( or to refrain from attending matches, for whatever reason .)
    Mr. Scally, in his letter to STH, admitted that the money paid, upfront by STH have greatly helped in the pandemic
    Mr. Scally has ( quite fairly to STH ), always promised that STH would receive priority for certain privileges - primarily for tickets to high profile matches....

    Now, it would seem that as a STH ( of two consecutive 2 year season tickets ), I will not receive the level of preference that I have have 'enjoyed' - NOT - without forking out another £100....... And ,there is NO suggestion that anyone merely paying for membership of the 1893 Club ( and nothing else ), won't get priority for tickets etc instead of me - if I chose NOT to keep on giving more - life-saving money..........

    I might say that I'm an idiot - but that doesn't give Mr.Scally the right to treat me as such........ and this is how he treats those of us who he says have given much working capital - when there were no other revenue streams.
     
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  12. brb

    brb CR250

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    Interesting debate around the 1893 Club, although I'm none the wiser to what the actual benefit of it is, so I hear the frustrations.

    Anyway, I'm going to have a bit of a stab in the dark to try and understand what's going on. Didn't someone else of a Gills fan club use to charge a membership fee?

    Now I have to be careful what I say here, in case my memory is playing tricks on me, but I thought there use to be an unofficial supporters club, I'm sure some stil remember from old the ownership of domain names and how that boiled.....am I right in what I'm thinking?

    They charged a fee, I've no idea how much, but it gave you certain privilages through the season, maybe discounted travel or entry to a members only bar, you know the sort of stuff (If I'm wrong, I apologise in advance).

    Now on that basis, I would say I see no reason why the Chairman can't run something similar, and it's up to the punters if they want to buy in. Me personally, no chance, I want to know exactly what I'm getting for my £100 before I start departing with that sort of beer money.
     
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  13. alwaysright

    alwaysright @ Very Angry Camel

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    The elephant in the room - I do realise that it might only be a small elephant - but it's still in the room !

    I am sure that most, if not all of you ( especially STH ), have read the Chairman's letter - and probably responded... I have already said that I went for Option A.
    It didn't escape my notice that, Mr. Scally made no mention regarding the options he would offer to - any other idiot besides me, who have purchased a 2 year season ticket - which covers the upcoming season......... if fans are not permitted to attend live games!
    You may think that come 19 July, everything will be ''back to normal.''...... Try telling that to the current variants ( let alone any future mutations ), that are producing infection rates that are quite alarming....... who knows if there won't be another lockdown.

    Obviously, I am hoping ( and hopefully confident ), that at least a small number of fans will be allowed admission into live games - and, provided that I am deemed loyal enough by merely paying for 4 years of season tickets - in advance -- and not penalised for not joining the 1893 Club, that I might receive 'priority' access to games - ahead of the rest of you plebs<laugh>

    Under the circumstances, I think that the very least that Mr. Scally should offer to my super-stupid group, is to ''roll-over'' the difference between any ifollow 'privilege' v actual price paid for my 2nd year ticket - towards the cost in 2022/23.
     
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