Off the field operations

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Just my tuppence worth. I doubt that the club is going to piss off their "customers" by saying that if you don't go to 70% of games we'll take your season ticket off you, especially if some of those tickets belong to kids - who could be long term season tickets holders going on 20, 30, 40 years. Maybe the wording may not be the best and open to different interpretations but can't see people behind the scenes at the club going out of their way to alienate fans especially as Bruce seems to be going about running the club the right way

You would think so mate but given they have went out their way to draft and write this into the terms and conditions of next year's season tickets, then you have to assume they mean what they say. Otherwise they wouldn't go to the trouble to add new lines into official documentation, that is used to hold you to account and gives them permission to refuse access.

It really doesn't look good.
 
Who's the folk at RAWA these days? Is it Becs and GG? They would be able to raise this really well. We will then get to the true meaning and intention of this newly added term and condition.
 
Who's the folk at RAWA these days? Is it Becs and GG? They would be able to raise this really well. We will then get to the true meaning and intention of this newly added term and condition.
Becs and GG are 2 for sure RAWA members otr not sure if there is anyone else or not
 
It’s a poor move by the club, for the reasons stated above. Tbh, I’m quite surprised it’s been communicated this way as we seemed to have got a lot better since David Bruce came in. I can understand (in theory) the desire to implement such a move, but the execution as described currently is very poor. As others have mentioned, why not just give fans an opportunity to let the club sell their ticket for the odd game if it won’t be used? Will keep ST holders happy whilst earning extra revenue. Understand why people are miffed.
 
GG has raised it otr and sent communication to the club from what I read of the thread over there.

Good. I remember when he was on here for a bit and said he was doing it. Sure I seen Becs at some point saying that too. I definitely trust them to raise it properly.
 
GG has raised it otr and sent communication to the club from what I read of the thread over there.

That's good, now people can stop going on about what they think they see and wait for clarification.

It seems clear, to me anyway, that the 70% doesn't refer to the cut-off point for having your SC snatched.
 
GG saying RAWA have had a lot of emails about this issue and @becs saying the matter will be raised.

Personally, I've missed enough matches this season to be affected by the 70% if it does apply to adults as have mobility issues (knackered my knee).

Let's see what they come back with.

Hope you're doing ok mate. Initially with the short version on the terms it looked like it was kids. But the actual full terms look like it applies to all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lucky19672
Hope you're doing ok mate. Initially with the short version on the terms it looked like it was kids. But the actual full terms look like it applies to all.
Aye, little flex in my right knee, the area above the kneecap. Managed 35 minutes on Saturday but with not being able to extend leg it was not practical. Did it about 4 weeks ago, then aggravated it carrying a coffin last week.

My reading of the 70% was that there was no specifics, so they could apply it as they wished.

Let's see what comes back. It's never straightforward with this bloody club.
 
Aye, little flex in my right knee, the area above the kneecap. Managed 35 minutes on Saturday but with not being able to extend leg it was not practical. Did it about 4 weeks ago, then aggravated it carrying a coffin last week.

My reading of the 70% was that there was no specifics, so they could apply it as they wished.

Let's see what comes back. It's never straightforward with this bloody club.

The 70% doesn't apply to SCs mate.

'Persistent non-use of SCs' is another matter, all kinds of issues are being affected, not all evident.
For example, if 40,000 tickets are 'sold' including the SCs, the club have to provide adequate police, stewards, etc for that number. I believe it costs around £50/60k per game for police, I've no idea about stewards, medical staff, etc.

If 40,000 are expected the club may have to open parts of the ground that are then left virtually empty. That incurs extra expense and also spreads out the crowd which is affecting the atmosphere. People complained when they believed the club were sitting on their hands and doing nothing to improve matters. Now they're opening the Founders, transforming the BCB, upgrading hospitality and trying new ideas that's being knocked as well. They may not get it right, first time every time, but at least we're becoming better even if it needs adjustments.

Everyone seems to want the away fans to be moved, I certainly do. It's a constant complaint and big issue but it may well be that the amount of 'ghost Scs' dotted around the ground is preventing the club allocating an area in the lower bowl. The atmosphere is becoming embarrassing to be honest and it used to be one of the few things we had any pride in.

I've never missed Roker Park more than I did on Tuesday night :(
 
Last edited:
As I live in Fife, Scotland, my SC is only used for half of our home games.

I've absolutely no concerns that it would be cancelled if I don't show up.

It's just a T&Cs clause in case of anyone seriously stepping out of line ...

... but some will grab the chance to attack the club and repeat it endlessly.
IMO the statement mentions bonuses and benefits etc and then states the 70 per cent after that it mentions removal for persistent offenders and my guess is this will be for the people who are purchasing kids tickets to get bonus points for away games and big cup games but are not attending with kids. This unfortunately can make people like @Prehab26 uneasy. For me I think it is too easy to jump at the negative without realising the wording is there for a reason and I am not expecting it to affect the genuine fans who take their kids as this would be totally detrimental to what the club have been building.
 
While I'm on, I was talking to a couple of lads on Tuesday about the changes 'Dell' wanted to make.

These were pretty much what we're seeing now with the club shop, badge, ticketing, hospitality, AOL, Sheepfolds, etc.

When I was home I had a look at all the messages on my old laptop, from that time and something I'd totally forgotten about was there.

It was plans for shifting the traffic away from the SOL post-match. As Sunderland has it's 'back to the sea' traffic only needs to move West, North and South. The favoured plan was to make the dual carriageway, to the Hylton Grange Interchange, entirely one-way. That's clearly beneficial to Durham, Boro, Newcastle etc, but, even for coastal places like Seaham, South Shields, etc, only adds ten minutes to the journey. It would also allow branch buses and away coaches out to the A19 etc.

On Saturdays there are very few people coming into Sunderland post match so that side of Wessington Way, etc, is virtually empty. There was also something involving the QA bridge and the Spire bridge but I can't recall what that was.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Blond Bombshell
IMO the statement mentions bonuses and benefits etc and then states the 70 per cent after that it mentions removal for persistent offenders and my guess is this will be for the people who are purchasing kids tickets to get bonus points for away games and big cup games but are not attending with kids. This unfortunately can make people like @Prehab26 uneasy. For me I think it is too easy to jump at the negative without realising the wording is there for a reason and I am not expecting it to affect the genuine fans who take their kids as this would be totally detrimental to what the club have been building.

There are all kinds of actual laws, in the UK, that are rarely, if ever, enacted.

It's simply covering all the bases and only intended as a deterrent, not a punishment.

If the club sells SCs, without all these clauses, they can't do anything if there are problems with big cup games, playoffs, etc.

Anyway, it'll all calm down and people can find summat else to complain about.
 
There are all kinds of actual laws, in the UK, that are rarely, if ever, enacted.

It's simply covering all the bases and only intended as a deterrent, not a punishment.

If the club sells SCs, without all these clauses, they can't do anything if there are problems with big cup games, playoffs, etc.

Anyway, it'll all calm down and people can find summat else to complain about.

Aye, a storm in a tea cup as my mam used to say.
 
Aye, little flex in my right knee, the area above the kneecap. Managed 35 minutes on Saturday but with not being able to extend leg it was not practical. Did it about 4 weeks ago, then aggravated it carrying a coffin last week.

My reading of the 70% was that there was no specifics, so they could apply it as they wished.

Let's see what comes back. It's never straightforward with this bloody club.
Early leavers excuse alert <laugh>
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gordon Armstrong
The 70% doesn't apply to SCs mate.

'Persistent non-use of SCs' is another matter, all kinds of issues are being affected, not all evident.
For example, if 40,000 tickets are 'sold' including the SCs, the club have to provide adequate police, stewards, etc for that number. I believe it costs around £50/60k per game for police, I've no idea about stewards, medical staff, etc.

If 40,000 are expected the club may have to open parts of the ground that are then left virtually empty. That incurs extra expense and also spreads out the crowd which is affecting the atmosphere. People complained when they believed the club were sitting on their hands and doing nothing to improve matters. Now they're opening the Founders, transforming the BCB, upgrading hospitality and trying new ideas that's being knocked as well. They may not get it right, first time every time, but at least we're becoming better even if it needs adjustments.

Everyone seems to want the away fans to be moved, I certainly do. It's a constant complaint and big issue but it may well be that the amount of 'ghost Scs' dotted around the ground is preventing the club allocating an area in the lower bowl. The atmosphere is becoming embarrassing to be honest and it used to be one of the few things we had any pride in.

I've never missed Roker Park more than I did on Tuesday night :(
37,000 seemed like 27,000 to me... me and the lad rocked up at 7.35 and the crowd was sparse... at kickoff there were still plenty of gaps around the ground. Still load of early leavers on 97 minutes. Why?