Season Ticket Holders Being Forced to Move

[instInCT]

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.a...40814/?UserKey=

[Hearach]

so the prawn sandwich brigade are being given priority over the fans? I wouldn't be happy if I was asked to move from my seat. Can they not make hospitality area a bit smaller?

[Johnboy]

so the prawn sandwich brigade are being given priority over the fans? I wouldn't be happy if I was asked to move from my seat. Can they not make hospitality area a bit smaller?

My thoughts entirely.

[Georgeios]

Never mind that, its nice to see the main stand have been contacted about ST already, or am i just missing something... I'm hoping to take my 5 year old Nephew to games next year so Im going to have to move from Section G, however i have a deal with a couple of folk that if hes not with me i can crash up there, has anyone else been contacted Re ST's?

[kencar]

How did the human race survive so long before without Health & Safety regs???

Why wasn't this an issue the previous 5 seasons in the SPL?

If pished up away hospitality fans can't behave then why should our season ticket holders suffer

Edited May 18, 2010 by kencar

[old caley girl]

How did the human race survive so long before without Health & Safety regs???

Why wasn't this an issue the previous 5 seasons in the SPL?

If pished up away hospitality fans can't behave then why should our season ticket holders suffer

Agree entirely.

[MissICT]

How did the human race survive so long before without Health & Safety regs???

Why wasn't this an issue the previous 5 seasons in the SPL?

If pished up away hospitality fans can't behave then why should our season ticket holders suffer

Agree entirely.

Ditto

[DornochCaley]

I'm raging at this. Just another example of the normal fans being shat on. F*cking typical of the modern game! I hope these lads tell the club where to stick their season tickets.

[Jay_7]

I think the bigger issue here is that the club are entirely unwilling to move fans to create an area for good atmosphere...

[MissICT]

Why should the season ticket holders be forced to move? They have supported the club through the thick and thin, year after year. So I can?t understand why these loyal fans should give up their seats for people who turn up every now and then mainly because it?s free. The club should be looking after the fans that have continuously pushed their money in to the club every year.

[BornCaley]

corporate money will always win over fan money anyday.

Shame really as the club/board have been ace in recent weeks IMO

[donald]

Why the feck can't the away team hospitality guests just sit in the away fans end of the ground with their fellow fans?

[Bush]

I understand the negative comments that have been posted above but there needs to be some balance based on actual facts.

According to the article (which seems to be the only source of information at present), nobody is being FORCED to move seats, they are being ASKED/CONSULTED about moving seats.

The club obviously have to react to the issue that has been identified by the police / safety advisors / spl rules (or whatever it is) and effectively segregate the corporate punters from the home support. This is not easy, but the suggestions noted above have the following drawbacks:-

- Whilst reducing the area for hospitality would perhaps have the segregative effect, it would obviously impinge on the potential corporate revenue stream - something that the club are obviously looking to avoid. EVery pound is a prisoner in the current climate and they need to try to grab all available.

- Making "away" corporate punters sit in the away stand would potentially separate them from their hosts, thereby defeating the purpose of the hospitality in the first place.

This is not a straight forward or easy issue to resolve and I, personally, think the club should not be criticised for communicating with the fans thay may be affected to see if a solution can be reached. In fact, they should be commended for at least trying to see if they can reach a solution (which must obviously have the agreement of the affected fans) where they can have their cake and eat it!

That said, if the FACTS ultimately transpire to be different from those currently available, I reserve the right to change my view!!!!

Edited May 18, 2010 by Bush

[Croylo]

Contentious issue I know but to me a season ticket is just that for one season and there should be no guarantee that you will get the same seat again anyway. It is not outragous treatment by the club they are doing there best to accomodate everybody. if the people involved don't want to move and the club forces them or just refuses to sell them a ticket then, maybe it would be unfair, but just asking people nicely should not bring forward a tirade of abuse or for that matter the need to involve the P&J.

[Scotty]

Maybe we could stick all the corporate customers in that nice wee West Stand and build one of those little light rail thingumyjigs like they have at Whin Park to whisk them to the main stand at HT/FT ..... added benefit is that it could also drop TB off at the dugout if his knee is still bothering him

PS - joking !!!!

Seriously though, I am a bit on the fence with this one !!!! It seems from reading the article that some fans are being asked to move so the club can comply with demands put on them from Police/SPL or others. I am guessing from the article that it is the lower portion of the upper seating area in the main stand and only some of them are being asked to move so the club can have a row or two between hospitality bods and 'normal' fans (?). If that is he case then it may be a necessary evil, if the club move these guys and then fill it up with more hospitality bods then its a slap in the face.

However, 'asking' - as is being done here - is in stark contrast to a relocation (or attempted relocation) that happened when the family enclosure was established. If memory serves me correctly, some fans in the main stand were told they were required to move and when that wasnt received very well, it was achieved in a more underhand way by removing family discounts for kids tickets in the main stand. I know one or two posters were affected by this so am sure someone will be along to correct me if I am wrong.

As I said, I am a bit on the fence ..... If I were still a season ticket holder and the club asked me to move from my former seat above the tunnel that I held since we moved into the TCS until my emigration - and then passed on to Big Stew's dad who sits there to this day - I would be shouting long and loud. However, at the end of the day, I would move if the club could provide me with a suitable alternative location that didnt have a vastly inferior view and also provided that the rest of our group who specifically bought tickets together could be housed together.

This seems to be a situation where no-one can win. The club seem to need to do this and the supporters dont want to move as they are comfortable sitting in a seat they have enjoyed for years ..... I can see both sides of the argument but no solution that will keep everyone happy ..... other than my choo-choo suggestion ......

[CaleyD]

I managed to resist my instinctive reaction of flying off on one with this and posting before doing a bit of homework.

From reading the article and a couple of other conversations I have had with people today, none of those being asked to move have any real issue. It's all a bit "Well, we're not happy and having to move is a pain, but we understand the reason and the club are doing their best to sort us out with a suitable alternative"

It also seems that it's not so much segregation of hospitality but setting things up so they are all together. At the moment those in hospitality are dotted about a bit and visiting hospitality can find themselves in among a sea of home fans....obviously not an ideal situation, especially when incidents such as the one at the last game occur when a Dundee fan in hospitality had to be removed from the stadium. Apologies were given and those involved left willingly, but I can understand the club not wanting to take that risk in the SPL where number of visitors in hospitality can be higher and "flash points" more common.

If they can get all the hospitality together in one spot it makes it easier for them to keep an eye on things and ensure everyone's safety.

As much as the idea of the "prawn sandwich brigade" being given priority at the expensive of the "normal" fan can stick in the throat, I actually think the club are doing this for the right reason and no any bias or favouritism towards hospitality punters.

All in all, a bit of a non-story and the P&J are perhaps guilty of a little sensationalism to fill a few column inches during the close season.

[Jinkystan]

so the prawn sandwich brigade are being given priority over the fans? I wouldn't be happy if I was asked to move from my seat. Can they not make hospitality area a bit smaller?

I am a season ticket holder (me plus my son) in the family section. Even though I have these tickets, me and a number of friends often book up hospitality for key games - we were at the hospitality for the final game of this season and last season - plus one of the few tables at the last partick thistle game (we were match sponsors as no-one else would pay up for the privilege) - please don't generalise all hospitality as "prawn sandwich brigade" as me and my group of friends pay for this hospitality ourselves.

I witnessed the Dundee fan being "asked" to leave and to be honest he was totally out of order in his comments given that he was sitting in a home section.

As stated many times in this thread, hospitality is a vital part of the clubs income (we were 75 quid a head for the Dundee game) - why must people think that just because people are sitting in the hospitality, they are any less of a fan than anyone else ... or are any less entitled to be there.

[Alex MacLeod]

Having had the displeasure of sitting close to hospitality area I wouldn't wish it on anyone. A few seasons ago me and missus were given seats in front of a load of drunken morons who dished out nothing but abuse to the home fans nearby. Needless to say we moved at half time.

Expanding on Scotty's tongue in cheek comments perhaps a hospitality suite could be built on the west side and retain the Kingsmill as a membership club for home fans.

[Jinkystan]

Having had the displeasure of sitting close to hospitality area I wouldn't wish it on anyone. A few seasons ago me and missus were given seats in front of a load of drunken morons who dished out nothing but abuse to the home fans nearby. Needless to say we moved at half time.

Expanding on Scotty's tongue in cheek comments perhaps a hospitality suite could be built on the west side and retain the Kingsmill as a membership club for home fans.

Yeah - I can probably understand this point of view as people do tend to drink a lot before the game in hospitality not me of course

[BornCaley]

I dont remember this being an issue during the 5 seasons we were in the SPL...Whats changed?

[TopSix]

I'm also trying to work out why this has become an issue. I would assume that having a kingsmills' membership would generate more money than sellling tables for food.

[Scotty]

I dont remember this being an issue during the 5 seasons we were in the SPL...Whats changed?

sounds to me like the actions of one (or more) person(s) forced the hand of those who perhaps turned a blind eye to the 'segregation' rule beforehand and now we are back in the SPL (who are somewhat anal about their own and everyone else's rules and recommendations) it wont be possible to overlook this any more.

[GMD11UK]

Sketchy details aboot regular fans being "done over" Must be old firm based then!!

i would guess this is why they are holding off on season tix details as they are trying to sort out what areas they have to sell!

all the club have to do is just say you cant renew your season ticket for that section and move you! harsh but thats life!!

[Govan Jaggie]

The company I work for use Iprix for Corporate stuff. We take Rangers fans and away fans (me included as I don't like or follow any of them) and sit in seats in the main stand surrounded by the unwashed. The away fans just realise that they have to sit and be sensible. This includes Celtic fans on old firm days. If these people are being invited as guest to ICT and are away fans they have to act their age and keep their mouths shut for 90 mins. If they cant, then don't bother attending. I have certainly refused seats for your games as I wouldn't manage and would prefer to be with the real fans.

[ictrmd]

Got a phone call from the Stadium earlier to say that my seat won't be available for next season as they are doing away with them for stewarding. It's a seat at the top of the aisle in the North stand so presumably others will be in the same situation. Oh and this apparently came from the safety officer(?)

Luckily there was a spare seat just along and still beside my mates. Not too impressed at having to move as I've sat there since the stand was built and enjoyed the extra legroom. Never mind..