Club's Offer to Premium Seats Holders and Season Tickets Holders

[Houghton Bee]

The simplest way to do it is what I said a few days ago.

Defer all 2020/2021 STs to 2021/2022. If the Club increases the price for next season then all you have to do is pay the extra on top.

Then, for season 2021/2022, the current ST holders are given the right to purchase their seat for any game/s we can attend this season. Whether it's October 2020 or February 2021. We buy online at set prices for each stand we can have access to. West & East - £20/£15/£10. North £25/£18/£10. South £35. (I'm guessing at admittance prices..... just examples).

This way, it protects your ST money. The Club doesn't have to refund in full or arrange iFollow codes. The Club receives slightly more per game than they would've if it was just ST prices. It simplifies it all.

You then have the opportunity to buy any iFollow match passes that you wish to pay for at £10 per match. Saves the Club having to issue codes and replying to emails saying they don't work etc etc etc.

The idea that if you want a full refund you lose your seat for 2021/2022 AND go to the bottom of the queue for STs!! Is a joke. Let's hope that option isn't included.......

It's a workable option for some no doubt. For those of us struggling financially it's not really viable to pay a second time especially as there is no guarantee we can use the ticket in full next season either. Not to mention other changes in personal circumstances that may mean a 21-22 season ticket isn't feasible when we get to it, I can only speak for myself of course but I don't want to commit to a season ticket for the following season this far in advance when so much can change (and we still havent had the fun of Brexit further damaging the economy and jobs yet, of course).

I dont see why a pro rata refund for the games we cant attend is such a big ask tbh, I'm sure many would donate or accept ifollow passes at what is a higher rate than the £10 they seem to normally charge (although now this has news has broken plenty will have lost the goodwill they may have previously had towards the club, certainly I have). Maybe it's part to do with that shambles of a ticketing system.

 

[jimmycisabee]

Pro rata refunds is the way to go simple.

 

[cheshirebee]

If the club simply defers all STs to next season then they won't be earning any money from STHers this season. I would be surprised if there would be wholesale objection to them attempting to do so, just not this rather radical approach. For example, I would expect a substantial take-up of iFollow, and the club is right to attempt to protect some income by offering that as a default but allowing those that don't want it to opt-out without an impact on their right to keep their ST seat.

Not sure if you are responding to WP and my posts this morning but if you are, the defer option we have mentioned would mean that the club keep the cash they currently have but offset it against next seasons ST payments.

 

[Banana]

Not sure if you are responding to WP and my posts this morning but if you are, the defer option we have mentioned would mean that the club keep the cash they currently have but offset it against next seasons ST payments.

Yes, so they have no recognisable income for this season as it will all be deferred to next season.

 

[Andy_Mc_is_God]

Worst case scenario for the club is losing a significant portion of its hard core support due to mistreating them. The prawn sandwich brigade won't care. But should our ascent to football's top table come to a shuddering halt and we suffer a few seasons of battling against relegation or worse, how many season ticket holders will there be?

I don't watch iFollow as I don't have the technology to make it viable. Brentford on the TV is never a fun experience and so I've grown used to not seeing us play. The longer my habit replaces the old one of going to Griffin Park, the less likely I will be going to the new ground. Add financial hardship brought on by unemployment and a perception that I've been screwed, it is a perfect storm for me giving up supporting the club in the flesh. I reckon I'm not alone in this.

No, you're not alone Mattingly Bee.

I feel exactly the same as you WRT watching us on TV/streaming.
Call me old-fashioned but professional football is a 'Spectator Sport' and we are as part of the spectacle, atmosphere, occasion (call it what you will) as the players, ground, ref etc. When I'm watching on telly and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when the players run out onto the pitch I'll change my opinion but I can't see that happening anytime soon. It leaves me cold.
IMO the 2020/2021 season should have been postponed until it could have been resumed properly with spectators attending normally.
That way all STH's could have deferred their tickets and everyone (members, GAST's and PST's) would be on a level playing field.
We all know the reason why this didn't happen is because TV and betting ruling the roost, we are just cannon fodder for want of a better phrase.

All I can say is thank heavens that we're experiencing salad days in the Championship thanks to the lovely Mr. Bmenha and on a solid financial footing with broad, sunlit uplands ahead of us.
Imagine if this had happened in the mid-70's?
And spare a thought for likes of Grimsby, Carlisle and Sarfend.
In the dog days in Div 4 with all the normal expenditure but no attendance money, no chance of TV money, no big transfer fees and STH's in the 100's.
God only knows how many are going to fold.

 

[cheshirebee]

Yes, so they have no recognisable income for this season as it will all be deferred to next season.

Maybe we’re at cross purposes here, but they have this seasons income and in the suggested defer option can keep it. Next seasons ST income would be adversely effected but at least time for the club to plan for this and mitigate.

 

[beesbees_bfc]

Yes, so they no have recognisable income for this season as it will all be deferred to next season.

from an accounting treatment perspective you’re correct but they would have the money so no cash flow issues there and may just mean they need to adapt how they record and utilise the huge sums of transfer money we have coming in to ensure the income appears to have a level of stability (probably needed for FFP too).

Away from the accounting treatment of income, I think the deferral would address another risk that has been highlighted in a number of the recent posts, people’s habits changing.

Already football, and even Brentford, feels more abstract and distant than it has in the 25+ years I’ve been attending due to it not being part of my weekend routine anymore and the thought of jumping on the train, meeting mates in a pub, attending the match not being a regular part of my life has gone from being completely unthinkable 6/7 months ago to feeling like the ‘norm’ now.

If we assume my experience isn’t unique, and many people’s finances are squeezed more than ever before, it’s not inconceivable to think that in a years time (no life football for 18 months) many people who’ve attended week in week out for decades (even more so those with less tenure) will not renew a season ticket as its not their routine any more and can survive without it meaning a significant reduction in season tickets just when the club need it most (new stadium etc).

However, if STs are deferred and, therefore, already paid for, most people would attend meaning, before they have to pay for the following seasons tickets, the ‘habit’ is reestablished and Brentford every week ya become their norm again.

 

[Ealing Bee]

Re ths iFollow offer as "compensation" it has now been decided that all non-televised Carabao ties untl the end of the 4th Round will be available to stream on iFollow:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54144049

 

[Ejvind]

Re ths iFollow offer as "compensation" it has now been decided that all non-televised Carabao ties untl the end of the 4th Round will be available to stream on iFollow:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54144049

I'm pretty sure these still wouldn't be included in any offer - ST is for League Games, obviously, and Carabao Cup ties are bought separately. For instance the Southampton game this Wednesday you have to pay a tenner for.

Nothing wrong with that as a note, just pointing it out.

 

[badgerbee]

I'm pretty sure these still wouldn't be included in any offer - ST is for League Games, obviously, and Carabao Cup ties are bought separately. For instance the Southampton game this Wednesday you have to pay a tenner for.

Nothing wrong with that as a note, just pointing it out.

Just to clarify even further, my understanding is that the potental iFollow "offer" to ST holders, is for home games only......(unlike the offer at the end of last season, which included away games.....)

 

[Banana]

Just to clarify even further, my understanding is that the potental iFollow "offer" to ST holders, is for home games only......(unlike the offer at the end of last season, which included away games.....)

It includes midweek away games. So about 30 games in total.

 

[nocoat]

My mate just made a good point. He bought ST after ST as they Kept promising that would get him to front of queue for new ground. So they are actually saying seven years of buying a ST means f*** all if you can’t afford to write off 500 quid for this years. So it’s even ruder the more you think of it !

 

[Banana]

My mate just made a good point. He bought ST after ST as they Kept promising that would get him to front of queue for new ground. So they are actually saying seven years of buying a ST means **** all if you can’t afford to write off 500 quid for this years. So it’s even ruder the more you think of it !

Yeah, that's a very valid point actually.

 

[elw1g08]

Lads,

It's worth noting that the club have tweeted that all season ticket holders will receive a I follow code for Saturday. Its not mentioned anywhere yet. So I don't think we will hear the offers by Saturday.

 

[Ejvind]

Lads,

It's worth noting that the club have tweeted that all season ticket holders will receive a I follow code for Saturday. Its not mentioned anywhere yet. So I don't think we will hear the offers by Saturday.

Possible. They have clarified that using the iFollow code won't prejudice any future refund offers or affect them though.

 

[jimmycisabee]

Possible. They have clarified that using the iFollow code won't prejudice any future refund offers or affect them though.

Have they? Where is this info please.

 

[Ejvind]

Have they? Where is this info please.

Someone asked in a tweet reply. I'll do my best to find it and edit it in, but it was probably about a week ago now!

 

[hobbsy]

BIAS had a productive meeting with the club tonight. Still a few more things to iron out but we are nearly there, thanks to everyone for your support and feedback.

 

[Ashfordbees]

Thanks for the update hobbsy

 

[marvelous007]

BIAS had a productive meeting with the club tonight. Still a few more things to iron out but we are nearly there, thanks to everyone for your support and feedback.

Thank you for the update, even if its only a holding response. I hope you reminded the football club, not only to make decisions on its commercial interests but also in the interests of its wider community, in unprecedented times. After LR is still called the commounity staduim. And our clubs values should not be forgotten.

 

[hobbsy]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1305604826793938945

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1305604828035457029

 

[jimmycisabee]

That's great work by BIAS. Well done.

 

[Ealing Bee]

I'm pretty sure [Carabao Cup games through to the 4th Round] still wouldn't be included in any offer - ST is for League Games, obviously, and Carabao Cup ties are bought separately. For instance the Southampton game this Wednesday you have to pay a tenner for.

This is what the club emailed me when I bought my ST:
"Price based on 23 home League games, plus the pre-season friendly and the first three home cup matches."

 

[Ejvind]

This is what the club emailed me when I bought my ST:
"Price based on 23 home League games, plus the pre-season friendly and the first three home cup matches."

Went and looked through my purchase email and I'm thinking that that little disclaimer applies to PSH pricing being at £44 p/g, rather than GAST pricing? Sorry if I've gotten mixed up somewhere here!

 

[moribee]

Will they be sending out our season tickets. I would like mine.

 

[hobbsy]

Will they be sending out our season tickets. I would like mine.

Yes, they will but they will not be used to access the stadium until operating at full capacity.

 

[moribee]

Yes, they will but they will not be used to access the stadium until operating at full capacity.

Thats good,thankyou. Hanwell for instance offering half price on production

 

[nocoat]

Great work Bias and GPG and shows importance of making feelings clear before official announcements as otherwise the club would be in a more difficult position if they then later wanted to modify their plans to make people not vomit all over them.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

Well done Hobbsy. Hopefully they wake up and see some sense over this potential shambles.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

Will be interesting to see the main point regarding anyone who wants a refund being put to the back of the line when it comes to potentially grabbing a ST for the 21-22 season.

The fact that it looks like there will be less people allowed in to LR then originally thought makes it more likely that some will want a full refund. So for me the club has to offer you a way of keeping that seat or still having the same time access to get a ST next year. Even if thats by paying a small deposit for next years ST out of the refund you get.

Or as a few have said deferring your ST till next season. Again a small deposit would be more then reasonable to keep it.

 

[Banana]

Will be interesting to see the main point regarding anyone who wants a refund being put to the back of the line when it comes to potentially grabbing a ST for the 21-22 season.

The fact that it looks like there will be less people allowed in to LR then originally thought makes it more likely that some will want a full refund. So for me the club has to offer you a way of keeping that seat or still having the same time access to get a ST next year. Even if thats by paying a small deposit for next years ST out of the refund you get.

Or as a few have said deferring your ST till next season. Again a small deposit would be more then reasonable to keep it.

With the emphasis on "small". Yes.

 

[Isleworth_Bee]

With the emphasis on "small". Yes.

Yes. Everyone will be different and they will need to realise the financial constraints a lot of people are under atm.

 

[wanderer paul]

Great work Bias and GPG and shows importance of making feelings clear before official announcements as otherwise the club would be in a more difficult position if they then later wanted to modify their plans to make people not vomit all over them.

A Mouthy lot. Why can’t these posters and supporters just allow the Club to do what they want eh?

 

[bubb]

Will be interesting to see the main point regarding anyone who wants a refund being put to the back of the line when it comes to potentially grabbing a ST for the 21-22 season.

The fact that it looks like there will be less people allowed in to LR then originally thought makes it more likely that some will want a full refund. So for me the club has to offer you a way of keeping that seat or still having the same time access to get a ST next year. Even if thats by paying a small deposit for next years ST out of the refund you get.

Or as a few have said deferring your ST till next season. Again a small deposit would be more then reasonable to keep it.

A good suggestion. I would also add the opportunity to see some games this season if/when it happens.

 

[hobbsy]

A Mouthy lot. Why can’t these posters and supporters just allow the Club to do what they want eh?

Yeah let's wait for clubs official announcement

 

[Untouchable]

Yeah let's wait for clubs official announcement

Yep. As I was saying...

And for those waiting for the official announcement, I’m glad we didn’t have that attitude 20 years ago.

Fan 1 ‘did you hear Noades is going to move us to Woking?’
Fan 2 ‘No - has this been signed and formally announced by the club’
Fan 1 ‘Not yet but unless we do something now, the club will die or end up in the conference’
Fan 2 ‘in that case I’ll wait for the official announcement. As you were.’

 

[Bixer]

A good suggestion. I would also add the opportunity to see some games this season if/when it happens.

That's the tough bit. I have zero interest in trying to get iFollow work and so I'd be most inclined to just refund/defer my ST until next year as long as I wasn't put to the back of any queues, but then similarly I don't want to do that knowing I'll then have absolutely no chance of attending any of the games this season.

Everyone keeps their ST and is given pro rata refunds for all the games they're not allowed to go to still makes the most sense to me, but then I think that works out as the club having to refund £150,000 for each game and about £3m over the course of the season which isn't chump change, so I can see their dilemma.

 

[Houghton Bee]

Everyone keeps their ST and is given pro rata refunds for all the games they're not allowed to go to still makes the most sense to me, but then I think that works out as the club having to refund £150,000 for each game and about £3m over the course of the season which isn't chump change, so I can see their dilemma.

That figure should (being optimistic) be reduced as the season goes on and restrictions on capacity are eased.

 

[trevalanintravel]

season ticket holders should be refunded by means of a credit towards the 2020/21 season season ticket, for every match that is not available for attendance by the club.

 

[Vid]

What happens with season tickets on the trains if there is no service?

 

[Simon C]

What happens with season tickets on the trains if there is no service?

Rail replacement?

 

[Mattingly Bee]

What happens with season tickets on the trains if there is no service?

You get a bus that takes 4 times as long or you give up and don’t bother making the journey as it’s not essential.

 

[Ealing Bee]

Ealing Bee said:


This is what the club emailed me when I bought my ST:
"Price based on 23 home League games, plus the pre-season friendly and the first three home cup matches."

Went and looked through my purchase email and I'm thinking that that little disclaimer applies to PSH pricing being at £44 p/g, rather than GAST pricing? Sorry if I've gotten mixed up somewhere here!

Tbh I'm not very clued-in on these things, but my ST is a straightfoward General Admission one.

 

[Tomreynolds]

If use my iFollow code for the Huddersfield game will that will mean my season ticket is *active* or something. So then if we are unable to go to any games this season, they’ll refuse to give a refund because I’ve been using the £10 a game iFollow streams all season. I’m 17 so I got a £100 season ticket which is a lot for me so I wanna be careful in case I can’t get my money back because I watched the streams as i’d rather get the £100 back than get the streams free.

Does anyone think Brentford will offer refunds no matter what, if their are no or only a few games open to spectators all season?

 

[Banana]

If use my iFollow code for the Huddersfield game will that will mean my season ticket is *active* or something. So then if we are unable to go to any games this season, they’ll refuse to give a refund because I’ve been using the £10 a game iFollow streams all season. I’m 17 so I got a £100 season ticket which is a lot for me so I wanna be careful in case I can’t get my money back because I watched the streams as i’d rather get the £100 back than get the streams free.

Does anyone think Brentford will offer refunds no matter what, if their are no or only a few games open to spectators all season?

The club responded earlier on this

You can use your iFollow code for Huddersfield without impacting which of the 2, 3 or 4 mysterious options you can choose from that they are yet to offer you.

 

[hanworthbee]

I’ve got four codes now..I guess you can get one for every st holder even if you are in the same house

 

[Mattingly Bee]

The club responded earlier on this

You can use your iFollow code for Huddersfield without impacting which of the 2, 3 or 4 mysterious options you can choose from that they are yet to offer you.

What about options 5 through to 12? Those are relevant here too. You do know about those, don't you?

 

[Tomreynolds]

The club responded earlier on this

You can use your iFollow code for Huddersfield without impacting which of the 2, 3 or 4 mysterious options you can choose from that they are yet to offer you.

Thanks

 

[the beast]

I have been a season ticket holder pretty much every year since 1990 . I have lived in Bristol since 2008 and even when I did not have a season ticket I still regularly attended games.Away games to. With the move to the new stadium my dad And myself decided to go for premier seats( the railway lounge) due to fact that my dad is now into his 70s and now has a few heath problems. The premier Seats option means he still has a few years of being able to go due to the extra leg room ,padded Seat and use of quick easy Toilet facilities etc that the premier seats offer .

The reason I mention the above I am sick of people sayIng that the premier seat holders are all prawn sandwich fans and corporate monkeys and not real fans . I find it really insulting and totally unfair and demeaning that premier seats season ticket holders are spoken about this way . why should we be treated as not real fans and snobs because we chose to watch the team we love just as much as a normal season ticket holder in a bit of extra comfort due to my dads heath . He has been going to Brentford since 1953 and has earned the right to watch football in comfort that he had paid lot for with out been classed as not real fan .

Sorry for the outburst but I have seen many post that very insulting and demeaning that I had to get off my chest .

 

[Kettering Bee]

What happens with season tickets on the trains if there is no service?

I had a rail season ticket for over 30 years. Where there is no replacement service, and no service at all, you get a pro rata refund.