The FA Cup Semi Final - Crystal Palace

[Olof's Beard]

I'm a member, have been to almost every game for last few years, even forest this weekend when I expected to be away I managed to get tickets on Sat am when our plans changed. My lad always gets food but that is more money for Compass not necessarily Villa.

We now have a conundrum, because my lad couldn't go to Spurs. He's 17 and had to work that game, which he was already annoyed about, and now it will likely cost him a trip to Wembley. We physically cannot get season tickets. We've been on the list for years, but are no closer to the front. I've had season tickets for years, I've sold the fanzine for Dave as a kid, I've taken all 3 of my kids to matches etc. There is no system that will please all fans. For me it should have been more tiered around games attended over a period of time. I know some ST holders who hardly ever go but buy theirs just for this sort of thing, which feels wrong on the other side.
There is zero chance of getting final tickets for us, so will do all we can to make the semi final, but I have every sympathy with the club for trying to give people a chance.

The website won't work though.

I find it a bit frightening that you have a 17 (SEVENTEEN) year old son to be honest Ozz.

[dave.woodhall]

I'm a member, have been to almost every game for last few years, even forest this weekend when I expected to be away I managed to get tickets on Sat am when our plans changed. My lad always gets food but that is more money for Compass not necessarily Villa.

We now have a conundrum, because my lad couldn't go to Spurs. He's 17 and had to work that game, which he was already annoyed about, and now it will likely cost him a trip to Wembley. We physically cannot get season tickets. We've been on the list for years, but are no closer to the front. I've had season tickets for years, I've sold the fanzine for Dave as a kid, I've taken all 3 of my kids to matches etc. There is no system that will please all fans. For me it should have been more tiered around games attended over a period of time. I know some ST holders who hardly ever go but buy theirs just for this sort of thing, which feels wrong on the other side.
There is zero chance of getting final tickets for us, so will do all we can to make the semi final, but I have every sympathy with the club for trying to give people a chance.

The website won't work though.

I find it a bit frightening that you have a 17 (SEVENTEEN) year old son to be honest Ozzy.

Tell.me about it.

[claret+blue ed]

I wonder would non-season ticket holders have attended the FA cup games if they would have been charged normal everyday matche prices

Do you mean the same non ST's who have paid £94 for CL, £72 for Cat A and £50 for Cat B matches, along with a £40 membership?

Let's not turn this into a 'I'm a better fan than you' competition, we all have different circumstances that mean we can attend varying amounts of games, when maybe we would attend more if we could

I still believe all ST's will get a ticket for the Semi, I actually think that members who have attended all or most of the games, but missed an FA Cup games are the ones who should feel disappointed

[Olof's Beard]

I wonder would non-season ticket holders have attended the FA cup games if they would have been charged normal everyday matche prices

Do you mean the same non ST's who have paid £94 for CL, £72 for Cat A and £50 for Cat B matches, along with a £40 membership?

Let's not turn this into a 'I'm a better fan than you' competition, we all have different circumstances that mean we can attend varying amounts of games, when maybe we would attend more if we could

I still believe all ST's will get a ticket for the Semi, I actually think that members who have attended all or most of the games, but missed an FA Cup games are the ones who should feel disappointed

I love the FA Cup and would have paid league game prices. May not be the same for everyone but I just want to go as often as I can. I have sat on my todd for loads of the games I have been to this season because of the difficulties getting two tickets together or friends in on the same criteria. As others have said, there are many reasons for missing one, isolated game in any competition.

[tomd2103]

Should be Season ticket holders with ALL FA Cup games get 1st dibs, then ST holder -1 FA Cup game, etc.... Then down to members with league plus FA Cup in total number order.
With this criteria, a member who has ONLY attended 3 FA cup games IN TOTAL this season, gets ahead in the queue of someone who has paid almost a grand for a 19 game season ticket. It's not right.

I'm not a season ticket holder anymore, but have to agree with the above.  No way members who may have only been to to the 3 FA Cup games should be ahead of season ticket holders.  There should definitely be some other criteria with members as well (ie. a certain number of league games).

[ozzjim]

I'm a member, have been to almost every game for last few years, even forest this weekend when I expected to be away I managed to get tickets on Sat am when our plans changed. My lad always gets food but that is more money for Compass not necessarily Villa.

We now have a conundrum, because my lad couldn't go to Spurs. He's 17 and had to work that game, which he was already annoyed about, and now it will likely cost him a trip to Wembley. We physically cannot get season tickets. We've been on the list for years, but are no closer to the front. I've had season tickets for years, I've sold the fanzine for Dave as a kid, I've taken all 3 of my kids to matches etc. There is no system that will please all fans. For me it should have been more tiered around games attended over a period of time. I know some ST holders who hardly ever go but buy theirs just for this sort of thing, which feels wrong on the other side.
There is zero chance of getting final tickets for us, so will do all we can to make the semi final, but I have every sympathy with the club for trying to give people a chance.

The website won't work though.

I find it a bit frightening that you have a 17 (SEVENTEEN) year old son to be honest Ozz.

Mate, I know. Blinked add 20 years has gone.

The point I'm trying to make though is it isn't all black and white, it isn't I'm a better fan, more loyal fan etc. I like the Forest requirements, they look a bit fairer to me, but then I'm sure they'll be loads that are disadvantaged. Now we just have deal with it, hope we get tickets even if not together, and then save up for the final if we win lol

[LeeB]

I'm glad I got tickets for West Ham now, I tried for both subsequent games and missed out as I was trying to get a pair to take my daughter rather than taking my season ticket seat.

If I'd have been aware that buying my ticket would count towards any Wembley allocation I'd have bought it anyway. It seems underhand the way they've gone about it.

[AV82EC]

Whatever the criteria, some deserving case would likely miss out and for me it’s pointless trying to put a “value” on the different types of people trying to get tickets. Ultimately we’ll have 38,000 Villa fans giving it laldy and getting behind the team.

That said, clear eligibility criteria for each competition should be published before the start of the season so people can make their decisions on what is do-able and everyone isn’t in any doubt as to what they have to do. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a points system for Euro away games next which seems fair enough.

[chrisw1]

Why is there a queue for the website now referencing Crystal Palace at 9.30 am when tickets don't go on sale until Friday?

[amfy]

I think the problem, more than anything, is that we didn't know.

The statement that attendance at cup matches may be counted in future allocation criteria was meaningless, because ST holders who've been to those games have always been ahead is ST holders who didn't in terms of choice of seats, but a ST holder would still get one. That 'warning' didn't tell us anything would be different this year.

Similarly, even for members, none of them knew that attendance at those particular games was going to be critical, because in the past it has gone on general attendance.

I'd be happy is next year they went all in with a points system, with some extra points for being a ST holder, but nothing that couldn't be overhauled by a member who was there more often. If we properly know up front what we need to achieve, it's completely different.

[Chico Hamilton III]

I’m a member, Southampton on Saturday will be my 20th game this season - including a few European aways …..but didn’t go to any home cup games so I’m in the bottom criteria of “supporters with a previous Aston Villa booking history” same with my son. I imagine there’s no chance that availability will filter down to us.

Not complaining about the allocation, just begging for a spare if anyone can help…..

[Bosco81]

I don’t like the idea that members with 3 FA Cup games are ahead of ST holders, but I sort of get it, and I don’t think it will make much difference, as I think there will be enough tickets to meet the criteria, although it is a worrying precedent.

What I can’t get my head around is that members who have been to 1 game get the same chance of a ticket as members who have been to 20, surely they could have put a few tiers in, 20/15/10 games ?

I’m not going to miss this one, even if it will be a coin toss whether I can get one through the club, I’ll just try and get some through a secondary site.

[Clampy]

I’m a member, Southampton on Saturday will be my 20th game this season - including a few European aways …..but didn’t go to any home cup games so I’m in the bottom criteria of “supporters with a previous Aston Villa booking history” same with my son. I imagine there’s no chance that availability will filter down to us.

Not complaining about the allocation, just begging for a spare if anyone can help…..

Out of interest, do members get a chance at away tickets or have you just built up an away history?

[chrisw1]

Why is there a queue for the website now referencing Crystal Palace at 9.30 am when tickets don't go on sale until Friday?

I think it may have just been a trial run.  I like the random place in a queue system, it's better than the pure chance of fastest finger.

[LeeB]

The thing is this tactic will have the desired effect, people will be scrambling for tickets for cup games next season.