One of the least popular schemes along with gincrease in ticket prices last year was the infamous "Super Hoop" upgrade which for an extra £30 gave you thirty loyalty points. Personally I decided against getting it, aside from it stretching the pocket too far, in an almost moral objection as for those who travel up and down the country every week to be put behind those who had an extra £30 quid to spare and could then pick and choose the "big" away matches to go to sounded plain wrong to me. Now the upper threshold for loyalty points was 160. With 140 to begin with if you had a season ticket and your average trip being 4-5 loyalty points it took a while to reach 160 with the "super hoops" already safe and sound. However now we're further into the season the average joe fan who attends the odd away game is creeping up on 160 or has already past it. So what does the club do? Create an away season ticket. Fine and dandy. What's the problem I hear you say. This is only available to those who have the super hoop upgrade. So basically if you have gone to almost every match in the year you could lose out to a trip to Old Trafford to someone who just has deeper pockets. It's capped at 500 and seeing as the maximum away allocation that's 1 in 6 tickets! I know Im knit picking but as someone who strives to go to every away game I can it pisses me off when I reach the upper threshold only to be knocked back down by someone who has bought the amount of loyalty points for 6 away matches without having to attend any. Rant over. Have a lovely day. Tony Fernandes
Being just a member with 30 points and having had a major operation in the summer has prevented me from any attendance. Now that I am fit I cannot get a sniff at getting any tickets, being stuck on 30 points as the sales never get that low.
Swansea and MK for a start will go to general sale. Closer to home we won't sell out Bolton, Blackburn, Sunderland and maybe Newcastle given it's on TV.
Having read it back it was a bit of a no thinking rant but what I mean is that if you want to introduce an away season ticket at the beginning of the year for everybody that's fine. As Watford said they've been around and they are a good idea. I just think its unfair that the club call it loyalty yet those with bigger pockets can buy it whereas others have to go to every game and even then these guys are still ahead of them. If you're going to make an away season ticket make it available to all not just to a select few.
It's only right as you had to have the upgrade to buy an away ST before the season. I'd be surprised if they didn't scrap the upgrade next season, it was just a piece of Briatore/Paladini marketing genius.
