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The Mail Bag

Points Scam

This season, Everton changed their ticketing system: instead of giving supporters stubs, they rewarded supporters with an amount of points depending on the fixture. But recently it occurred to me that it doesn’t benefit many people at all.

For example, at the start of the season — along with the 200 points I already had from my season ticket, I decided to go to the Sigma game, where the reward was 25 points. That meant that I would have the same amount of points as someone who’d attended 5 away games.

I have never ever attended huge amounts of away games but I get to about 3 a season usually. It meant that I could go down to get away tickets on the same day as a supporter who had been to far more away fixtures than me.

Supporters only get 5 points for away games wherever and whenever they may be. The club didn’t take into consideration where or when the fixture was. You were just given the standard 5 points.

Everton naturally wanted more people to attend less popular fixtures such as the European games. The problem is unless you have 200 points from being a STH you would have to go to numerous fixtures to have any chance of being level on points with them.

I think another reason the club implemented this scheme was so you didn’t have to collect stubs from a specific competition. Another problem is that, despite the fact that all the other away fixtures points and away stubs are mentioned for the Anfield fixture only stubs are mentioned.

Another ridiculous issue is, despite the fact we only sell out once in a blue moon, the points system doesn’t apply to home league games. It seems to me that this is a ridiculous scam misleading many supporters and is totally unfair on many supporters.
Chris Butler, Merseyside Posted 24/01/2010 at 08:29:25

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Alistair Strachan
1 Posted 24/01/2010 at 16:48:58

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Chris - I’m glad someone has raised the issue of the points system as I would like it definitively clarified. Recently, away ticket sales instructions have started to talk about e.g. "230 away points" but, when I called to buy a ticket for Wigan this coming Saturday, I was told I didn’t have enough points and would have to wait until the end of the week. I’m a season holder and have also been to all the home cup games (Europa and FA cup) but only one away league match (Bolton) — when I phoned for that ticket, the guy in the office let me buy one the first day they were on sale... so HE obviously thought I had enough points credit!!

Can anyone elucidate for me??!!

Ray Robinson
2 Posted 24/01/2010 at 17:33:58

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I knew that someone would eventually raise the issue of the points award but as far as I am aware, it’s not that much different from last season, Chris. By stubs, I assume you mean away credits as the club operated without the old stubs system last season — no different from this.

When the club announce 230 away points, I admit that it’s poorly worded but it basically means season ticket holder plus 6 away credits (same as last season). So Alistair, you shouldn’t have got a Wigan ticket with one away credit unless the sale had gone down from 230 to 200 (i.e, season ticket holders). Thereafter, before going on general sale, away matches are normally offered first to non-season ticket holders who have some home credits. Don’t see anything wrong with that.

I do have slight issues with some of the away points allocation. For instance, those who went to Portsmouth for a 12:45 ko should perhaps have got more than those who went to (say) Bolton but to complain about that would be churlish as the whole system would get too complicated.

The home points allocation is, as you suggest, designed to get people into matches. For the less attractive Europa Cup and FA Cup matches, there are more points awarded than for the (say) Chelsea home match as the latter is likely to sell out anyway. Again, what’s wrong with that? It doesn’t deprive the fanatic of a chance to go to an away match — all it does is entice people to the home match. A "special offer" if you like to boost home attendances — what’s wrong with that? The club showing some business acumen for once!

All-in-all, despite some imperfections, it is a reasonably fair system. I’m slightly disappointed that I don’t qualify for the away Derby match as I’ve only been to 5 aways so why should I get a ticket ahead of someone who’s been to all the away matches?

I don’t have a problem with the points system. A "scam" it is not.

Chris Butler
3 Posted 24/01/2010 at 18:11:00

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Ray, when I said credits, I meant stubs. But, if you attended all the European home games, you would still not be entitled to get your ticket for Sporting LIsbon any quicker than a STH that had attended none.

I have been down to get tickets like Alastair and told I was unable to purchase a ticket. When I mentioned the points scheme it took her 5 minutes to eventually find out I was right. Ray, that is the problem I have with it.

I think that the club should mention that points will not be counted for certian fixtures and it will be judged on credits. If I was you, Ray I’d give it a go for the derby tickets, mate, as they usually go to a few credits down.

Andy Callan
4 Posted 25/01/2010 at 13:20:40

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What they have proposed is to give STH points based on how shite the team is (in a decimal value), how many pasties are bought per capita in a week in Doncaster, and increase this by the amount of shits my cats have in the same week.

What they’ll do then is take that number and divide it by the amount of trophies won in the last 10 years (1). You will then have that number of points to get tickets for the FA Cup we’re now fuckin’ out of.

Then Everton will take the amount of bullshit spouted in the next Shareholder meeting (by the Board), divide that by how much we wasted on Bily, and multiply it by the chance-ratio of Everton ever being about to run any ’scheme’ successfully ever again — or 0 in English.

You’ll than be able to calculate the number of points you have by climbing up the main stand to get a special ticket-lottery-draw number, ripping it up then chucking it after setting it on fire and jumping off head-first.

Easy — I don’t know why people moan.

Andy Callan
5 Posted 25/01/2010 at 13:28:40

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That should have said 15+ years - obviously.

But you get me point anyway.......

Duncan McDine
6 Posted 25/01/2010 at 21:15:05

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I’m looking forward to recieving my quarterly loyalty-points rewards... Buy-one-get-on-free on chang beer!

Dennis Stevens
7 Posted 25/01/2010 at 23:40:06

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In principle, it’s a good idea & no doubt it will be run better in successive seasons.

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