Getting on the Block Booking

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Originally Posted by dynamo kerry

wait- is your system exclusively for away BB tickets? If so - carry on- seems perfectly fair to me.

I also travel home for home games and doubt I could afford away as well (I know I can't)

My main thing is to keep better track of home BB tickets and ensure that the waiting list moves a little faster as opposed to BB changing hands through other means.


Apart from people thinking myself ES and BT are against block booking entirely({which we're not) this is an excellent debate...

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Thanks DK, as you point out the topic of this thread is getting more people on the BB list (thereby imo ensuring a fairer distribution of whatever the BB allocation is for home games and possibly away games too) but it's been hijacked slightly by a debate on the fairest distribution method for away games which I would have thought should be in another thread entirely?

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

since the emails went out last friday the sites including this one have loads of regular travellers who usually got their tickets throught the FAI missed out - they appear to be getting sorted now with sprares from other supporters but you can also see the ones who never travelled before eg querying how do i fill in the form ?what form is this ?.

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I don't recall to many regulars missing out on Paris. These are people who bbed with the FAI and got their away tickets from the FAI.

Galah - who is out the WL and travelled quite a bit. Who else?

I suspect many of the others are those who you'll find travelled with 747 or got their away tickets elsewhere.

I know a number of people travelling and all got tickets from the FAI.

Any away ticket scheme would have to assume home attendance and be limited to the bbers and WL.

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Originally Posted by Greenforever

While your ideas sound great, you keep complicating things by wanting to categrise games

A midweek game suits me far better than a weekend game, im the exception to this rule il admit

Would you class Malta in Sept as a low profile game - it would attract a load of holiday makers who may rarely go to matches

One point per game for ALL away games inc friendlies is simple and fair

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Fair enough, no point in getting too hung up over the points system. A category system to me works better, but you can see the merits of a one point system. The crux of the matter is we both think a points system is the way to go.

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Originally Posted by Greenforever

On a separate note do you have tickets for the French games yet?

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I won't be traveling away unfortunately. Same seats as the last few years in the lower Cusack for the home game.

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Originally Posted by Junior

I agree with a lot of your points and some kind of points system would definteily seem the right way to go.

However, you keep saying this or that would be too complicated - keep it simple. By doing that you, unfortunately you wont necessarily make it any fairer and you certainly wont get rid of the regular debate of "how I havent got a ticket and such and such has got one" Basically prioritising regular away travellers for away tickets would work well for you but by ignoring regular home attendance and occasional away attendance you are putting the likes of me at an immediate disadvantage.

The fact that everyones slate would need to be wiped clean will also wrangle with some - though I doubt there is anyway around this.

Consultation with other FA's should definitely be sought.

Finally, as an aside - Would anyone else be disappointed if we moved to a Member Swipe Card system? - I like collecting my ticket stubs!!:D

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[QUOTE=Junior;1264365]Scenario: A few high demand games with low number of tickets and the fans who are succesful in the first ballot will automatically be ahead of the other fans (because they have been awarded a point) for the 2nd game and future games and so on and so on.......

Sorry Im just being a pain in the Ar$e now arent I?[/QUOTE]

YES :)

Next competative away game is Set 2010 - assuming SA 2010 will have no ticket issues - Every body has 9 months to prove the number of points they are due.

If this wasnt the case ( which it would be ) a high demand glamourous game with low tickets could see a mixture of regulars/first timers - but as the games progress the regulars will still be getting tickets and the first timers/non regulars will be dropping out so their points remain the same

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Originally Posted by gspain

I don't recall to many regulars missing out on Paris. These are people who bbed with the FAI and got their away tickets from the FAI.

Galah - who is out the WL and travelled quite a bit. Who else?

I suspect many of the others are those who you'll find travelled with 747 or got their away tickets elsewhere.

I know a number of people travelling and all got tickets from the FAI.

Any away ticket scheme would have to assume home attendance and be limited to the bbers and WL.

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Galah is now sorted through the fai

There are plenty of tickets floating around for Paris at this stage

One thing that is coming out from all this is that the FAI should be holding regular fan focus groups.

I have no objection to a points system but home games would have to be included to some extent. How about a very simple "away games count double" - 2 points for every away game and 1 point for every home game. Those going to home games (especially the unattractive friendlies) make up a large percentage of the hardcore support and keep the FAI afloat financially. The extra effort of going to away games should be rewarded though so double the points.

I haven't missed a competitive home game since 1983 (and I think I only missed about 3 home friendlies). In the last 10/12 years (since I've had the resources to do it) I've racked up a fair few away games as well but, to me, the home games are just as important as the away games (none of them are easy from here in New York).

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Originally Posted by EastTerracer

Those going to home games (especially the unattractive friendlies) make up a large percentage of the hardcore support and keep the FAI afloat financially.

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So in effect everyone on the block booking just gets one points - as as we have already established block bookers do not turn down tickets for fear of being dropped from the list. This system is ridiculous as when for instance the France away game comes up you've someone on the waiting list who gets to two or three away games a campaign spending a fortune being superseded by a block booker who goes to all home games (say five/six home games a year based on the old Lansdowne setup with all the home friendlies). The waiting lister would love to be going to home games and getting points.

Home and away should be treated separately.

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Originally Posted by Bluetonic

So in effect everyone on the block booking just gets one points - as as we have already established block bookers do not turn down tickets for fear of being dropped from the list. This system is ridiculous as when for instance the France away game comes up you've someone on the waiting list who gets to two or three away games a campaign spending a fortune being superseded by a block booker who goes to all home games (say five/six home games a year based on the old Lansdowne setup with all the home friendlies). The waiting lister would love to be going to home games and getting points.

Home and away should be treated separately.

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Three away games would get more points than 5 home games so I don't see your point. Another alternative is to reduce the weighting for home friendlies then - this would definitely give the edge to those who travel abroad over home game only types.

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Originally Posted by EastTerracer

Three away games would get more points than 5 home games so I don't see your point. Another alternative is to reduce the weighting for home friendlies then - this would definitely give the edge to those who travel abroad over home game only types.

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It seems to me you never see my points.

Someone who goes to one away and all the homes will get priority of someone who goes to three away, this shouldn't be the case. No person should be punished because the FAI can not cater for their need for a home ticket, no person should be awarded points for going to home games.

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Originally Posted by Greenforever

Galah is now sorted through the fai

There are plenty of tickets floating around for Paris at this stage

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but he initally got rejected did he not

Babysis also got rejected, i will check the other threads if I have time. I appreciate all may not have got their tickets through the FAI but certainly some have .

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

but he initally got rejected did he not

Babysis also got rejected, i will check the other threads if I have time. I appreciate all may not have got their tickets through the FAI but certainly some have .

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Yes but after contacting them he got sorted, remember the ticket office have had to deal with thousands of applications over a very short period of time and from the various posts anyone who emailed the ticket office poining out their travel record seems to have been sorted.

The system is far from perfect but I personally think the staff in the ticket office have bent over backwards trying to sort people out, I know I have received a number of emails from them which were sent very late in the evening.

Hopefully babysis is sorted, if not i should be able to do something for her

Seleccted quotes from YBIG

I think Im still in shock. In all my away matches in 7 years I have never travelled without a ticket and always bought from the FAI. I got my rejection email at 6.36 so if there had have been 8500 instead of 8000, I really wonder if I would have been successful. I applied just after the glitch was sorted with the booking as well. It wouldn't take my first few attempts. Desperately looking for 2 spares... Please PM

Cyprus through FAI, The others through 747, Im in a state of shock here, Thanks for the pms lads


I defo think that because my address was US that had something to do with it. Don't think they bothered to look at my booking history however, since I have only missed 1 away match this campaign and 1 the previous.

i went to 3 away games got all my tickets thru the FAI and got rejected i am also a BB and now i hear people getting tickets who havent been to 1 what the fupp is going on here Delaney is a fuppen bacstard something has to be done

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

Seleccted quotes from YBIG

I think Im still in shock. In all my away matches in 7 years I have never travelled without a ticket and always bought from the FAI. I got my rejection email at 6.36 so if there had have been 8500 instead of 8000, I really wonder if I would have been successful. I applied just after the glitch was sorted with the booking as well. It wouldn't take my first few attempts. Desperately looking for 2 spares... Please PM

Cyprus through FAI, The others through 747, Im in a state of shock here, Thanks for the pms lads


I defo think that because my address was US that had something to do with it. Don't think they bothered to look at my booking history however, since I have only missed 1 away match this campaign and 1 the previous.

i went to 3 away games got all my tickets thru the FAI and got rejected i am also a BB and now i hear people getting tickets who havent been to 1 what the fupp is going on here Delaney is a fuppen bacstard something has to be done

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I can't comment on any of the above without knowing the facts.

However anyone who is a bber or on the WL in their own name and has been buying away tickets from the FAI using the correct reference number etc who has been refused should still contact the ticket office and query the rejection.

yeah to be fair to them, i never filled in BB number (or waiting list number as it is) because was in work at the time and didnt have it handy but the application only had "if known" beside it so presumed would still be safe without it as all my details on record. Seems like they filtered by block blocker number and allocated on that.

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Originally Posted by galah

yeah to be fair to them, i never filled in BB number (or waiting list number as it is) because was in work at the time and didnt have it handy but the application only had "if known" beside it so presumed would still be safe without it as all my details on record. Seems like they filtered by block blocker number and allocated on that.

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I reckon you have it spot on

Unlike the last ticket scramble they made no reference to a lottery and seem to have taken into account your past record where you included the details by way of BB / WL numbers.

Also with the sheer volume of applications some errors are likely to be made.

I dont believe too many of the posters who say

"I know a lad, never been to a match got 4 tickets" as they say paper never refused ink

On Ybig a couple of people have been exposed as not being the 100% genuine people they calim to be

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Originally Posted by Bluetonic

It seems to me you never see my points.

Someone who goes to one away and all the homes will get priority of someone who goes to three away, this shouldn't be the case. No person should be punished because the FAI can not cater for their need for a home ticket, no person should be awarded points for going to home games.

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I cant speak for EastTerracer but I fully see your points (and those of the others) but I still maintain that you cant simply exclude Home Games completely.

This suits you personally but in my opinion it is not a fair reflection of a supporters support for the team which should include home and away games.

I think the 1pt for Home games and 2pts for away games suggested would be a simple mechanism that at least tries to reflect both angles.

How many people would go to away games but not home ones? And why?

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Originally Posted by Schumi

How many people would go to away games but not home ones? And why?

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cant get tickets for home games

cant afford home games and away games

****ed off with FAI

based in mainland europe

Prefer the away games for atmosphere, new location, pi$$ up with the lads..., cant afford to do both, cant afford time work of for both and so on and so on...

Plenty of reasons for it - couldnt estimate how many though.