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Get your money then treat 'em like shit

By Liam Cassidy :  21/06/2007 :  Comments (8) :
I woke this morning with a letter from Everton FC, my beloved team. For the second year running, its news was to tell me that, after taking my money, the club had now decided it was best to re-locate me. First year I was calmer, I'd reached the age where I classed (along with my two parents) as a 'non-child' and my sister, 15, alone was not enough to allow us to stay in the family enclosure. Seats we'd held for years and had to say goodbye to many friends around us.

So where did we move? The Lower Gwladys. We spent a great season there and watched the blues do well. Then came renewal time... well, of course we had to, even if we finished 20th we had to. For the first time, we got no renewal forms, had to do it all ourselves. Last year, we got two for four of use ? obviously they don't need us all that much!

After we renewed, we all took a sigh or relief. Normally buying with Everton is a shambles, we thought, and yes I know I spoke too soon. You see Everton's supporters motto is as we all know "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum" while the clubs motto is "get the money first then screw about with them". We're moving as the club has decided to build more viewing platforms for the disabled, which I have no real problems with ? except to ease one group of fans, the club has decided to put out another.

I wouldn't even mind as much if I had some warning, this has been in the pipeline for months, but the club gave no warning upon renewal that if successful with planning application they'd have to move us. No, instead they take the money and then tell us the news months afterwards.

Easy option is to relocate, but unfortunately with the family all in work to pay for these tickets and the amount of time that has passed the hope of finding four seats together in a place where the previous owners never gave up because of an inability to see the match has quickly gone.

Heaven forbid the club actually tries to help us with this matter, we've paid and they know we won't leave the club so they can do with us what they want. I must also point out I have a 20% discount for next year, apparently ? no doubt I'll have to fight tooth and nail for it!

Also, to all fans out there, watch out for the club's cost cutting next year. This year, when the Everton website said a PPV match would be on inside the ground to attract people in early, all of a sudden the TVs broke down for the first and only time all year. The same day, there was a large discount on beer, when we ordered it the vendor tried to charge normal price 'til we told him we knew about the discount and had a bit of a go.

I love the club ? I just wish it wasn't unrequited love.

Reader Comments (8)

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Roy Masey
1 Posted 21/06/2007 at 14:54:01
I’m another one of the Lower Gwladys mob whose seat is now going to be used for the new Disabled Viewing area.

Am I happy about it? - not particularly.
Do I understand it? - Yes.

At present the Everton Disabled Fan Club has 120 members but they only get 10 "spots" per match, so have to operate a rota system.

I’m not disabled and can easily move to another part of the ground. I’m even going to ring the guys I sit with, to make sure we all end up in the same place.

Just for the record, the 20% discount applies to this season, so my £424 ticket will now be reduced to £339 or just £17.84 for each home game. In reality I’d probably pay three times that to watch my beloved Blues, so I’m quite happy with the way in which I’ve been treated.

Roy, Glossop
steve lyth
2 Posted 21/06/2007 at 20:42:56
Hey at least you got a letter, I have been re-allocated (removed !)3 times in the last 15 years in the main stand without so much as a bye your leave.
400 of us disenfranchised in the main stand, some with seats for 30yrs !The club Kenshite/Craftiness et al, dont give a shit and never will until its too late.Unrequited love indeed, bunch of thoughtless ......
Ste Birkett
3 Posted 22/06/2007 at 00:41:41
We’ve renewed our 2 Top Balcony tix for the last 2 years and always found it pretty prompt and competently handled. Maybe no-one else wants to be that high?!
matt kay
4 Posted 22/06/2007 at 08:51:56
I had a similar situation a few years ago when EFC lost a load of renewal forms (via our much loved Royal Mail) As i dont live in the merseyside area I didn’t hear the clubs announcements in the ’local’ media etc and therefore lost my seats in the TB that we have had since 1984. EFC didn’t really care that much (i asked "why didn’t you send a letter out to ALL season ticket holders?" answer back too costly and time consuming. As for the current season, yeah my credit card has been charged so the club get my money but again, no season tickets plus carpark pass.
Shafted once more but what do they care? We’ll still go every season rain or shine. Enjoy your holiday DM just make sure you do us proud with your signings when the tan starts to fade.
Steve Claringbold
5 Posted 22/06/2007 at 13:07:01
To be fair lad it’s about time the club sorted out the disabled viewing. It’s just unlucky that you were one of the chosen few that was moved.

On the other hand though, the club could have told you before you renewed that your seats were going to be allocated to this scheme.
nuttytoffee
6 Posted 22/06/2007 at 19:37:39
on a slightly different note but still on the subject of cost cutting, my son wrote off to a couple of players not too long ago [he was 12] asking for their autographs and included a stamped addressed envelope as to not cause the busy players any money or time running to their nearest post office, he then recieves a snotty letter from some bitch at bellefield saying she will not pass the letters to the players [only 3 of them] as it would cost the club too much to supply the players with the photos [which he never asked for] or the paper for them to reply to him on. She then suggested that he no longer writes to the players and instead waits outside the ground on match days in the hope of catching a glimpse of one!!!!!!!!!
Dont you just love the public relations ay?
Andrew Edwards
7 Posted 23/06/2007 at 10:50:49
Footballer’s need to learn a lesson or two from Tennis players, as a follower of both sports the fan realtionships both sports have could not be further apart. I was at the Liverpool Tennis tourament last week and it was great to see all the tennis players chatting and signing autographs after there matches. Bjorn Borg was reported to have signed 4000 autographs in the space of 5 days, different sport I know but a fantastic attitude all the same. Hopefully things may change, my friends a sparky and has been working on the new training ground, he’s a red but said the complex looks fantastic, one of the things he mentioned was that there is a room dedicated for players to sign club merchandise and other promotional stuff, hopefully a change for the better.
Alan Humphreys
8 Posted 23/06/2007 at 13:17:00
I’m sure everyone has their own tale.

I had some bloke ring me up a few years ago, the club were apparently looking for extra revenue for the youth set up. To be fair he was obviously working from a script but then, and I did warn him, he used Rooney as an example. Needless, to say the conversation came to an abrupt end.

Just remember the love affair we have with this club is one way...

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