Ticket office yesterday

bingaddick

Came down from Norwich to watch the game yesterday with my son. Our first visit of the season.

We got badly held up in traffic on the way down.

I knew we would be late. Struggled to get through the Blackwall Tunnel. Arrived at the ground at half time.

Strolled up to the main ticket office - shut. Went to the VIP entrance by Bartram's - spoke to a steward who told me that there was no chance of getting into the ground. Naturally I argued and three other stewards turned up who told me the same. One went off to see if she could speak to someone and then told me no one was available. I was happy to pay for tickets.

I walked away to try and blag my way in through one of exit gates. One opened up for somebody else and we went through. As we started to climb the stairs, one of the jobsworth stewards came running up to us and said that we were trespassing and insisted we left.

Finally another steward (I assume somebody more senior) intervened. After showing him my red card, which he took and went away somewhere with it, he returned and said we could go in - I offered to pay but that was declined.

Watched all but two minutes of the second half. Wish I hadn't bothered :-)

I have been to the Valley at half time many times over the years - on one occasion not until the second half had started. I have never been unable to get in. Normally there is one ticket booth open or way back you could pay at the turnstyles.

soapy_jones

bingaddick said:

Came down from Norwich to watch the game yesterday with my son. Our first visit of the season.

We got badly held up in traffic on the way down.

I knew we would be late. Struggled to get through the Blackwall Tunnel. Arrived at the ground at half time.

Strolled up to the main ticket office - shut. Went to the VIP entrance by Bartram's - spoke to a steward who told me that there was no chance of getting into the ground. Naturally I argued and three other stewards turned up who told me the same. One went off to see if she could speak to someone and then told me no one was available. I was happy to pay for tickets.

I walked away to try and blag my way in through one of exit gates. One opened up for somebody else and we went through. As we started to climb the stairs, one of the jobsworth stewards came running up to us and said that we were trespassing and insisted we left.

Finally another steward (I assume somebody more senior) intervened. After showing him my red card, which he took and went away somewhere with it, he returned and said we could go in - I offered to pay but that was declined.

Watched all but two minutes of the second half. Wish I hadn't bothered :-)

I have been to the Valley at half time many times over the years - on one occasion not until the second half had started. I have never been unable to get in. Normally there is one ticket booth open or way back you could pay at the turnstyles.

Security measures. Making sure none of the poor buggers can get out!

ME14addick

You really should make a complaint to the club, even though they probably won't listen. They should make allowances for people caught up in traffic. It seems they really don't seem bothered by low attendances if 'customer' service is not a priority.

Off_it

"Trespass"?

That's genius is that. You should go to the papers with that story, just to remind them all what a shithouse our club has become - can't even admit paying customers!

bingaddick

@AirmanBrown @PragueAddick do either of you know if any of your press contacts might like this story?

C4FC4L1f3

There was large queues before and after the match at the ticket office? Strange to close throughout the game?

mogodon

So you get charged £3 a ticket if you turn up within two hours of KO and the club has no mechanism to sell tickets to latecomers. Wonderful. And clearly the new start promised by the regime does not extend to trying to get stewards to act in a way not associated with traffic wardens.

Airman Brown

bingaddick said:

@AirmanBrown @PragueAddick do either of you know if any of your press contacts might like this story?

Not convinced it's a story for the media, to be honest. I agree the club should have handled it better, but I don't think it's news.

The_President

Especially as they eventually let you in for free !

Stig

bingaddick said:

Came down from Norwich to watch the game yesterday with my son. Our first visit of the season.

We got badly held up in traffic on the way down.

I knew we would be late. Struggled to get through the Blackwall Tunnel. Arrived at the ground at half time.

Strolled up to the main ticket office - shut. Went to the VIP entrance by Bartram's - spoke to a steward who told me that there was no chance of getting into the ground. Naturally I argued and three other stewards turned up who told me the same. One went off to see if she could speak to someone and then told me no one was available. I was happy to pay for tickets.

I walked away to try and blag my way in through one of exit gates. One opened up for somebody else and we went through. As we started to climb the stairs, one of the jobsworth stewards came running up to us and said that we were trespassing and insisted we left.

Finally another steward (I assume somebody more senior) intervened. After showing him my red card, which he took and went away somewhere with it, he returned and said we could go in - I offered to pay but that was declined.

Watched all but two minutes of the second half. Wish I hadn't bothered :-)

I have been to the Valley at half time many times over the years - on one occasion not until the second half had started. I have never been unable to get in. Normally there is one ticket booth open or way back you could pay at the turnstyles.

Blimey Bing, if I were you I'd take a long holiday but don't tell anyone where you're going. Otherwise you could get a night time call from the secret police and wind up in a club sponsored gulag.

guinnessaddick

The_President said:

Especially as they eventually let you in for free !

Just in time to see 2 AFC goals.

bingaddick

Airman Brown said:

bingaddick said:

@AirmanBrown @PragueAddick do either of you know if any of your press contacts might like this story?

Not convinced it's a story for the media, to be honest. I agree the club should have handled it better, but I don't think it's news.

Fair enough. I wasn't planning to. Just reacting to some others comments.

bingaddick

The_President said:

Especially as they eventually let you in for free !

The point I think is that with falling attendances and a punter - me happy to pay - they couldn't/wouldn't take my money, then threatened me for "trespassing" and finally they let me in for free.

To me they could struggled to have handled it any worse.

My son has some significant mental health issues. That is not the clubs fault, nor was me being late, which was compounded by his mental issues as he became unstable on the journey which is why we left so late. I just expected there to be a ticket office open at half time.

The_President

i know Bing.
I remember the days when they used to open the big gates behind the covered end at half time and we used to bunk in for free.

bingaddick

The_President said:

i know Bing.
I remember the days when they used to open the big gates behind the covered end at half time and we used to bunk in for free.

Me too buddy. The last time I was that late was against Stoke in the Championship when Pardew was manager (our first season out of the prem). I went on a whim - knowing I would be very late but you know what it's like - it's my club and even watching them for half a game was worth the struggle (I had a work commitment which held me up.)

I arrived after the start of the second half - bought a ticket and saw us win the game with a late goal.

Oh for a game like that yesterday

The_President

bingaddick said:

The_President said:

i know Bing.
I remember the days when they used to open the big gates behind the covered end at half time and we used to bunk in for free.

Me too buddy. The last time I was that late was against Stoke in the Championship when Pardew was manager (our first season out of the prem). I went on a whim - knowing I would be very late but you know what it's like - it's my club and even watching them for half a game was worth the struggle (I had a work commitment which held me up.)

I arrived after the start of the second half - bought a ticket and saw us win the game with a late goal.

Oh for a game like that yesterday

I remember that game - didnt we pulverise them, and ended with LLoyd Sam scoring ?

I also remember turning up for Colchester at home just 15 mins before the end and also having trouble with stewarding.

bingaddick

Yes. It was certainly late on. From memory we didn't play particularly well and the Pullis managed Stoke were muscle and bustle.

I sat there thinking I will hate the journey back to Norfolk if we don't get a result. Our form had dipped (and after this game fell further).

Lloyd Sam scored and we held on.

harveys_gardener

Bing, if you go to a restaurant late there may be people inside but the kitchen is closed. At a cinema the film may still be screening but why would you not want to enjoy the whole show? Katrien is only protecting your customer experience.

ForeverAddickted

PWR

I always thought that working for the club, at the club meant that you got to see the games once they kicked off, i.e. I'd always presume that the Ticket Office would close shortly after the match starts so those working can go watch themselves?

The_President

ForeverAddickted said:

PWR

I always thought that working for the club, at the club meant that you got to see the games once they kicked off, i.e. I'd always presume that the Ticket Office would close shortly after the match starts so those working can go watch themselves?

Would have thought they would have left one on rota until at least H/T.

ForeverAddickted

The_President said:

ForeverAddickted said:

PWR

I always thought that working for the club, at the club meant that you got to see the games once they kicked off, i.e. I'd always presume that the Ticket Office would close shortly after the match starts so those working can go watch themselves?

Would have thought they would have left one on rota until at least H/T.

I guess but everyone had plenty of time prior to the match to get a ticket...

Granted in the OP's case he got stuck in traffic trying to get to the Valley prior to the match but thats no one's fault, thats just "shit happens", like you yourself say though (and like what happened years ago), unless there is a large group of people waiting to take advantage why not discreetly open the gates shortly after the second half begins.

If one or two people take advantage of seeing a free match they might be willing to pay next time if they see its worth it

StigThundercock

bing, the correlation between your attendance at the game and Charlton giving it away is perfect but you're not to blame for the outcome. Blame for that piss weak farrago lies at the door of the obese obelisk Russell Slade and his failure to act.
Not getting in to a match cos you arrived late would be unique indeed.
Grumpy stewards at Loftus Road once let me in gratis to a pre-season friendly come player's testimonial when I'd been held up on the Tube. I was perfectly happy to pay as it was for a player's benefit not QPR's but there was never an issue they wouldn't let me in, they just couldn't be arsed to open the till. Good to hear that Latrine's policy of only recruiting new staff of lower standard than herself is being maintained diligently. Clots.