The Ticketing Boomerang
Can somebody somewhere please explain to me why Everton FC cannot seemingly organise anything to do with ticketing in a clear, fair and effective way?When you look back over the years there have beem numerous instance of problems and in nearly all instances these problems were caused by bad judgement, stupidity or incompetence.
We all remember some of them, many more have been forgotten, although the 1995 Cup Final queueing fiasco will always linger in the memory. You actually wonder what would happen if we were successful on a big scale again.
Anyone remember the Leyton Orient FA Cup Tie ( in 2002 I think, all those Smith seasons seem the same to me! ) when the Club made it all ticket for some god forsaken reason? This limited the capacity to 36,000, but thousands more turned up, but could not get in because of this restriction and 5000 empty seats were left inside Goodison!
Moving to more recent times are told we have a new system that is 'state of the art' where you can swipe your ticket or plastic season card and stroll in and yet many of these cards don't work and have to be over-rdden on the gate. The added insult is that us fans are then told to 'go and sort it out' by a steward who has 'done us a favour' and let us in. Excuse me, but isn't the failure of the system or cards down to the Club to sort out? The card even tells you that it is the property of Everton FC etc, etc! We are threatened with not being allowed in next time even though we have paid our money and been sold a faulty product. The Customer Service is an utter joke.
This season started badly and it just gets worse. Pre-season friendly at Palace, kick off 3pm. A crowd of around 10,000 turned up and should have got in easy enough, but no! Palace weren't expecting more than 800 from Everton ( a figure given to them by Everton apparently ) yet a couple of thousand turned up ( not so surprising when you see how many Blues are in and around London now ) and many did not get in till 3.30pm.
Since then we have had the great Metallist Ticket Mystery where 5,000 tickets simply vanished and a live TV audience had to wait half an hour for Everton to get everybody in.
We've also had the Sheffield Wednesday debacle where we couldn't get anything like enough tickets when a 40,000 capacity stadium was packed to the rafters with 16,000 fans!
Anybody ringing Everton's ticket office sits in a 45 minute queue racking up the charges and then gets cut off just as they get to be next to be dealt with.
The on-line service is prone to failure at the drop of a hat.
It has been admitted by a woman in the ticket office that they keep names of people interested in away tickets for Cup ties in a brown envelope and might contact you if they have some tickets.... if they remember.... if they can find the envelope! 21st Century technology there!
Now we have the absolutely scandalous treatment of 200 fans who paid out a lot of money in good faith and have been jettisoned with a week to go as 200 match tickets are now suddenly 'unavailable' . And yet overpriced tickets are openly available on Merseyside despite the fact that Orders from this country can only be collected in Germany on the day of the game. I have friends in Germany and sure some have been mailed over, but where have these other tickets come from? .It just makes you wonder!
When added to the fact that the Club only obtained 2,700 tickets when they could and should have pushed for a lot more, we have been let down big time yet again. If this Club is ever seriously successful again, would you trust these people to organise anything? Stranded at airports, ticketless at the 11th hour, messed about, blamed by them when their equipment fails, forced to queue up and buy a ticket for a second time.... it's all happened in the last couple of seasons. And meantime the declaration that we are the 'People's Club' flutters mockingly above us. You couldn't make it up could you?
The Club's defence is that it's impossible to keep everybody happy all the time with thousands of tickets and the supply is often beyond their control. True to some degree, but hang on a minute. Every season Everton FC knows it will have ticketing to organise. This is no great shock, no sudden surprise. It's what Entertainment Venues all round the world do. It's basic stuff. In May they knew there would be European games to organise. They had all Summer to recruit a few extra staff, review their procedures and personnel, upgrade computers etc. The Club is a multi-million pound business. Cost is not an accetable excuse really, is it? Invest properly, gain the rewards from a more efficient business. Do nothing and be caught with your pants down and piss off your customers.
Sadly it was all predictable when the Club took till August to even set up the Evertonia scheme - too late for the first game v Wigan. Why? Nothing about it had changed from last season. Sheer laziness. Incidentally, 3 months later and we still haven't even received our cards in this house!!
I'll be in Nuremberg, luckily for me I have contacts over there, but I feel so embarrassed for those 200 and I really don't think the Club gives a toss at the end of the day. On the pitch we're going places. Off it? Well you don't need me to tell you, do you? It's time something changed.
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Its been going on for many many years.
I’ve watched Everton for 48 years and my Dad,God rest him, used to say about Evertons organisation skills was
"The only thing you can gaurantee about Everton is they’ll always let you down"
It is no way to run a business. Everton should put their tickets on weel in advance and let people have chance to make arrangements. What also pissed me off when I rang the box ofice for updates I had to listen to a pre-recorded message about tickets for pre-season friendlies that had been and gone. Piiss poor Everton
I rang nurnber direct for my tickets and their organisation and customer service skills were fantastic.
Next time you buy a ticket at the park end see if the rep even says hello or thanks you for spending you well earned money on tickets....IT WONT HAPPEN
The club just appears to sit there and wait until the last minute to arrange anything and then wonder why it all goes bosoms up? I don’t leave my Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve, I know it’s going to happen so I prepare in advance.
I am one of those 200 (perhaps we should wear a T shirt ) but I have not seen nor heard anything in my dealings with Everton Travel (and they are a seperate company from EFC) that suggests that they are nothing other than unfortunate pawns in EFC’s inability to handle basic day to day workings of a football club.
It seems like EFC are taken by surprise everytime there’s a game - ’oh, panic panic, people will want tickets, better set up a stall outside then and take their money’.
I don’t know why they don’t just give us cloackroom tickets and tear them in half as we go through the turnstile!
We should count our blessings though, just imagine if the team played football (yes, I know, open the floodgates for abuse) the way the management of the club ’manage’, we would be the only team in the Conference North playing in a 50,000 seat stadium.
We tried to book our staff party at goodison last year and the cash to pay for the party up front. I called initially to enquire about the availability and was advised to "call back later when Ian is in". I called back later and was again met with the most unhelpful div this side of the atlantic who advised me that they couldn’t help me.
My Colleague rang again two days later, money still in hand and had to stay on the phone for over an hour and twenty minutes for them to organise accpteance of payment and to confirm the booking.
Compare this to a year previous when we booked at anfirld, the whole thing was done and dusted within ten minutes.
There is something definately wrong with the way we are doing things behind the scenes, and it doesn’t bode well for the future-Kirkby for example-when we have such an unproffessional team behind the scenes.
That aside I must give credit to Evertons charity activities, they are always willing to give a lot more support than most teams.
Those who had "bought" tickets yesterday will be distraught, and quite rightly, absolutely fuming.
Wyness then had the audacity to say it was something to do with security issues brought into place following the July 7th bombings! Apparently, there was no time to sell tickets as normal although, following criticism, this is precisely what went on to happen.
If Bk cared about things other than self interest, he would’ve sacked this bullying buffoon long ago.
When I arrived at 2.15 it was sold out, making me miss Gazza’s best game for the blues.........
Nothing changes, the club do not give a fuck about the fans!
Everton Travel were emailed by a certain Gary Wilton (who’s he?) to start taking orders for another 200 people (which we were amongst). This same man then informed everton travel later that they couldn’t have the tickets. This is very reliable information so Ian Ross is actually a liar. The question everybody seems to be asking is Why are we the ’People’s Club’ When the people are treated like shit?
We have now booked with sport options (yesterday) tickets arrived this morning. Quality Company, Quality Service. Any other fans let down can book with them, about 25 seats left (yesterday). Call 0207 976 5600. (Cheaper than the peoples club!) 279 quid with tickets next to the everton section.
I have been a season ticket holder for 20 years and although I miss out on a few away games I never have problems with home games and if i cant make a game then give it someone else!
Also i can tell you from the a reliable source the 200 or so supposedly let down on the everton travel package is not correct, the travel company were hoping to put an extra flight on but couldnt get the tickets for the match from the club (which is wrong) so didnt go ahead these people never had their cards charged and were told it was subject to ticket availability and quite frankly should have got in earlier ... these negative comments which are also appearing in the local and national press are not helpful ...again a shame but i reckon if the club had got 6,000 tickets this would not have been enough ... give them a break heh?
Would you be happier ir we were out of all the cup competitions and hovering near the relegation zone and therefore no demand for tickets from the fair weather fans? all clubs have problems including the shite and manure ... think it goes with success and i would rather have this!
Do you work for everton? Because it seems to me that your giving everton a get out of jail card. Ive been going the match for nearly all my life (season ticket holder) and my dad has been going since 1972 (season ticket holder) so don’t give me that rubbish. Hes been to follow them everywhere, anyway, its not about where you have been, i’m on about the clubs service to us fans. It is about time things were dealt with correctly, EVERTON TRAVEL are not responsible for this fiasco. They have emails from sources (ring them if you wish) that they were being given the extra 200 tickets and to take bookings, why the sudden change? I bet you theyve gone to people in suits mate. If they gurantee 200 tickets then thats a promise, and yet again the’ve crossed the border with us loyal fans. If we continue to let our club get away with errors like this, god help us if we get to the final because its now we should be making clear their inexperiences to deal with such a demand for tickets.
You should be okay as long as you have an Evertonia membership for each ticket.
To be honest I have had no problems getting tickets or in fact booking this years x.mas party. One blip being Metallica.However I do not go to away matches(money).
It is like everything in life you remember more and shout louder when things go wrong,not when they go right.
The problem is are fat mate Wyness and mr pr Ross. When are they going to take a small portion of blame for any of these ticketing fiascos (too many to mention) who are these baboons accountable too ? They get away with it everytime. Do us a favour Fatty and resign, or stop hidding and tell us why you cant organise anything.
Everton are not the complete joke everyone seems to claim, the Kharkiv game was a bit of a joke, but that is what you get when there is a problem in the post and people decide to turn up at Goodison an hour or 2 before kick off to pick up their tickets. I live in Liverpool so I just queu up for my tickets it’s much easier but I know people in Wales who have got tickets with out problems before and they rely on the postal ticketing, the ticketline and the website ticketing.
So get down to Goodison Park (as the song goes) and stand in the queu if you want a ticket because you will get it that way, and if you live too far away, that isn’t the clubs problem, it’s yours!
However when I did speak to them and got them to go into the database to set things up properly they were vaery helpful so it should work ok now.
Also the tracking of last seasons away game attendance isnt accurate, but you cant have everything - wait till we go to a cashless Goodison Park - should speed up buying refreshments which is totally inadequate, if it works
My season ticket card wouldn’t give me access for the Lpool game, steward let me in seeing that my 11 year old son had already gained access.
Sensed that it would not work against Larissa, tried to get in touch with the club, no operators available to speak too, had no intention of spending 2/3 hrs in a queue with 2 young children, due to tickets for Larrisa on sale and Nurnburg.
Guess what, turned up for Larissa game, wouldn’t let me in, again turnstyle operator let me in and handed ticket in on the friday.
Picked up new card on wednesday, was okay for today.
What’s the betting that my son’s card will go wrong sometime this season.
Everton have a history of being unable to treat their customers as valued customers, they appear to treat us a nusiance that needs to be dealt with..........
We have got a lot of tickets for the following Uefa-Cup game of Everton in Nürnberg 8th November to sell.
We have tickets in the south stand an on the long side. On both places everton supporters are welcome.
The prices starts at 60 till 90 euros.
You can order the tickets by telephone and will get them on the matchday in nuernberg by cash at delivery. 100% guaranted!
Call us at: 0049 171 520 32 34
I AM a season ticket holder and contacted Everton Travel on the day that the ticketing information became available so I did everything I could according to the information I had available at the time. I couldnt have got a chance of a ticket any earlier because I didnt have the necessary away stubs.
I have no problem whatsover with priority systems, it’s right and proper and I have never once said that Everton Travel had confirmed tickets. They didnt take any money out of my account and behaved in a professional manner throughout this sorry saga. I can only judge the situation by the way in which I was involved and what I was told.
I tried to book with Everton Travel because I’m old, I’m female and suffer with arthritis and find travelling sometimes uncomfortable, 30 years ago I would have walked to Nuremberg but not now. I’m gutted not to be going but hey ho, I can watch it on the telly.
Mick, I have been a Blue for over 50 years and have followed them all over Europe in the past - these days I need some creature comforts.
To be fair if you look at our cup form of recent years they wont have had too much experience.
Maybe this year they’ll have chance to get it right.
Had a fiver on Vaughan last goal 3-1 today. Happy days.
Wednesday afternoon that Everton had only given them 400 out of the 600
’promised’ tickets and I and a friend were two of those unlucky 200 who were without tickets. I had been continually phoning them earlier on in the week in order to ascertain what the outcome would be and also contacted Everton to get their side of the story. I was only able to speak to a girl in the ticket office who took my details and informed me that someone would contact me - needless to say they didn’t. I for one would like a written statement from both parties as to why this occurred and who was ultimately
responsible. Everton Travel is the official travel partner of the club whom have lost all credibility whether it was their doing or that of Everton. Even those who bookings were honoured will think twice in case next time it is them.
I was also one of the unlucky several thousands whose ticket went missing for the Metallist game and in order to avoid missing the first twenty minutes or so left the queue and watched the first twenty-five minutes in a local pub and then collected my ticket and had to find a seat as mine was already occupied as many had been told to sit anywhere. Everton seem able to cope with the premiership but anything over and above is beyond them to organise.
I was able to source a ticket for Nurnberg via a friend whose friend lives there and had a spare ticket and was able to book a flight with ’Bluekipper’ so no thanks to Everton and Everton Travel I am able to go - the friend with whom I had booked with Everton Travel was not so lucky and won’t be going. If this level of incompetence was being shown on the pitch the board would be looking for a new manager and players. What I find most unbelievable is that the chairman organises events all around the world yet the club he loves couldn’t organise a pissup in a bier kellar. Fortunately others can and have !
If ’it’s all so important Bill, how about getting Everton’s Commercial Dept, Ticketing and Matchday catering Departments by the scruff of the neck and sorting them out? If Wyness is worth over £400k to Everton, if he can’t sort this abysmal state of affairs out, Bill should be questioning why he’s there.
Bill Kenwright: You pay yourself nothing for your role at Everton, yet let others take whopping pay packets for cocking it right up! Sort it out - they are making a even bigger mug out of you than us, and that’s saying something!
How any self-proclaimed True Blue like BK can seriously think 2.000 match tickets is enough to satisfy demand for Evertonians wanting to travel to Germany is a joke. Thousands of our lads have been buying direct from Nuremberg's ticket office but will not be allowed in. FFS Kenwright when will you twats learn? Its your club, Billy Boy, so sort the fucking mess out why don't you.
Kenwright is a con artist and a dreamer who makes me sick. when I ever I set eyes on him Whenever I listen to his bullshit I want to strangle the man. Notice on MOTD how BK hammed it up for the telly when Everton conceeded a goal. Pure theatrics. Pity Kenwright didn't get so emotionally involved when he fucked the Kings Dock project up isn't it?
How must all these Everton fans be feeling today when they hear that the tickets they have bought for the match will be worthless? Nuremberg did offer an extra block of tickets and the club knocked them back ? WHY? So much for being one of the lads hey Billy.
BK doesnt give a toss about genuine supporters ? all he cares about is Kirkby and chasing some imaginary corporate types to fill his imaginary boxes in hisTesco-funded dream. Once again Bill Kenwrights club has let down the real fans and another fiasco has followed all the others we have had over the years.
The sooner this clown and fathead are gone the better. Can you imagine LFC treating its loyal fan base the way we do? No I can't either. The way the club is being run is a joke. It's a "fuck the fans as long as we get their dosh" attitude and it stinks.
Dont worry though BK and KW will be sipping fine Cognac and smoking fat cigars with a nice warm blanket wrapped around thier legs in a cosy directors box while thousands of genuine lads will be battling with the police outside the ground triyng to get in for the game. Bill Kenwright has deserted those supporters he claims he loves. Do me a favour, Kenwright, cut out the bollocks will you. You don't deserve the right to be called an Evertonian after this farce.
Any Evertonian who gets nicked outside Nuremberg's ground on Thursday night while trying to get in will be a result of Kenwright and Wyness not understanding the Everton fanbase and under-estimating the desire of Everton supporters to see this game. Bill Kenwright a real Evertonian ... Don't make me Laugh.
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1 Posted 03/11/2007 at 08:20:09
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