Club Announcement

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SeasideSid

Well-known member
Now that we have been placed into tier 4, another lockdown, for the foreseeable - (I am not sure when it’s set to be reviewed) surely the club now needs to come out and make a statement on season tickets?

I know Accrington offered a 50% refund to season ticket holders a few months back and Preston announced a number of options on refunds months ago, yet there has been nothing from Blackpool with 0 communication since stopping sales at 4K.

I am all for supporting the club financially and showing support to Simon Sadler after everything he has done and continues to do in these uncertain times, but as a family with 4 season tickets (3 adults, 1 child) it is not needed for the current ifollow offering!
 
Surely it would be sensible to wait to see if the season is suspended and for how long? At the moment nothing has changed. I have 2 adult tickets and live 170 miles away. When we bought them we knew it was likely we not see them this season and that ifollow was the alternative
 
I agree, some communication would be good, if they said the club would be in financial trouble if partial refunds were to be made, then I think most people would take it on the chin.
What has happened with the Premier league bail out?
 
I believe, listening to Andy Holt on the Seasiders Podcast, that some money was given and some still to come - someone correct me if that is wrong.

When the options came at the end of last season I left my money in for all 4 season tickets. Prestons idea had a number of options for a full refund or keep your money in the club which pays for your season ticket the following year - I think something needs to come for the first half of the season at least.
 
Along the lines of- we are finishing the season early and will offer part refunds to all season ticket holders. Those who dont want refunding place a tick in the box on the enclosed form.
 
There's only me now with a ticket so ifollow not bad at just under £12. It's still more than non st holders. In years gone by I'd be paying over £40 a game to watch on ifollow. That's not right.
 
Well, it was made clear as far as I remember that there were no refunds if you bought one and please correct me if I am wrong.
I personally don't want a refund on that basis and if you could afford to buy it on those terms surely whether its 1 or 6 how can you now complain about it.
 
I don’t remember that being stated at the time Simon, could be wrong. Season tickets are always non refundable however refunds were offered last year. I see your point but it looked like fans were to be allowed back by October.. luckily I am not one but some supporters would have been in full time employment at the time and could well be unemployed now.. so for those reasons I disagree with “if you could afford one on those terms” comment.
 
SeasideSid said:
I don’t remember that being stated at the time Simon, could be wrong. Season tickets are always non refundable however refunds were offered last year. I see your point but it looked like fans were to be allowed back by October.. luckily I am not one but some supporters would have been in full time employment at the time and could well be unemployed now.. so for those reasons I disagree with “if you could afford one on those terms” comment.
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Good points. Circumstances may now have changed for many. On that basis the club should reconsider. When STs went on sale in the summer there was a much more optimistic feeling about when we could return. But the club covered all eventualities and I expect it will stick to the terms and conditions it clearly stated at the point of sale.
 
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I agree Tim, I think most would leave the money in but as stated above, I am sure there will be some who could do with the money now compared to August when season tickets were purchased.
 
This is a tough one.

The club is struggling financially insofar as we know it lost £ 4 million last year . Luckily SS was able to cover it.

Some argue that the club should have given the refund option.

Because the club makes a loss any refunds would have been directly out of SS pocket. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that. He has done more than we could ever have wished for .

The club have thanked those who bought and expressed their gratitude. The board made it clear SS was overwhelmed with the support.

At the end of the day those that bought season tickets signed up to the terms which were clear and unambiguous. It was a commitment made by both sides.
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
I know that but equally I don't think many thought we'd not get to any game this season - which now seems to be the case
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Correct the club wouldn't have sold them in the first place if they knew what they knew now.
So all this we new what we where buying into is total horseshit the 4k would have expected to see some games by now even if the grounds had been limited numbers.

I expect Sadler to do the right thing and the easiest way would be to give us a big discount on next year's ST so still money in the till for those who bought one.
 
On the one hand, the club lost £4m last year. On the other hand, how has the hedge fund done over the same period? Has it also lost money or has it prospered? HFs can do better in falling markets and currencies as that is what they are designed for - to hedge against adverse conditions. So it could be a balanced situation overall. But that’s SS’s concern and none of the fans’ business, I suppose.
 
I’m sure many fans were happy to part with money to miss a handful of games early on but guarantee access for the majority of the season - from October onwards as was first thought. I know the club don’t have a crystal ball and could not predict the current situation, but neither do us fans. It currently costs me £35 a match, whereas someone who didn’t commit to the club can watch the same game for £10. Loyalty works both ways.

I am not saying I would take the refund, but I am sure some would who are in a much more poorer place than 4 months ago.
 
clappers said:
After all the cash we’ve spent getting rid of Grayson and backing Critchley I’m more than happy for my cash to be remain in the club to try and offset the undoubted losses from this year.
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But that's just your view should the other 3999 think the same or for someone like me who has lost money this year think one business is more important than mine?
 
Simonized said:
Well, it was made clear as far as I remember that there were no refunds if you bought one and please correct me if I am wrong.
I personally don't want a refund on that basis and if you could afford to buy it on those terms surely whether its 1 or 6 how can you now complain about it.
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You are correct those were the terms at the time. However as others have said most who renewed expected to return by now at worst. I personally left last season’s in and would do the same now, that doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone. Some people’s circumstances have changed dramatically and I being only a 2 ticket holder don’t feel any differently but multiple tickets is a lot of money. So a second chance may be a good thing.
 
I feel there could be a big effect on next season sales,I hope the hedge fund has done really well and Simon can encourage as many fans as possible to renew next season assuming we start ok .
 
Victorsponge said:
Simonized is correct, we were told when purchasing there would be no refunds but we would have access to Ifollow.
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That statement was made because the club would have thought fans would be back and lose a few games not now where it's increasingly looking like we won't.
 
Nobody would have been bothered of missing the first few games at the start of the season. Missing all of them is a different matter.

It is all well and good saying we’ve had Ifollow, but we have also been charged £39 more than than those who didn’t purchase a season ticket to watch the same amount of games. £117 for the 3 adult season tickets I hold, nearly half of another season ticket!
 
SeasideSid said:
Nobody would have been bothered of missing the first few games at the start of the season. Missing all of them is a different matter.

It is all well and good saying we’ve had Ifollow, but we have also been charged £39 more than than those who didn’t purchase a season ticket to watch the same amount of games. £117 for the 3 adult season tickets I hold, nearly half of another season ticket!
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Ifollow is utter shite and everyone I know watches it for free on their Kodi sticks anyway.
 
In Simon l trust. For those who bought season tickets the Ts & Cs were clear and were not restricted to when and if we get back to watching any home games this season, but we all hoped it would have been sooner rather than later. It hasn’t worked out as we would have liked but we are in the middle of a pandemic with rising cases, rising hospitalisation cases and even more concerning rising deaths.

Cometh the day I’m sure our much vaunted owner who has invested his own money into the infrastructure of the club from top to bottom will look after those committed and loyal season ticket holders one way or another.
 
It was a leap of faith to buy a season ticket this season in the midst if a pandemic. At least I got one game in, and we won.

Personally, we can afford it so I wouldn't ask for a refund for our tickets but I understand that circumstances may have changed dramatically for some and maybe those should be treated differently. Not my decision on who might qualify for that and I wouldn't like to call it either.
 
Wizaard said:
It was a leap of faith to buy a season ticket this season in the midst if a pandemic. At least I got one game in, and we won.

Personally, we can afford it so I wouldn't ask for a refund for our tickets but I understand that circumstances may have changed dramatically for some and maybe those should be treated differently. Not my decision on who might qualify for that and I wouldn't like to call it either.
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Although I, like you wizz, wouldn’t ask for a refund. I don’t think they can discriminate on who was offered one. How would it work? What would be the criteria? Who would make the decision? No I don’t think it’s a good idea, either everyone should have the chance or no one.
 
Goforgoal said:
Although I, like you wizz, wouldn’t ask for a refund. I don’t think they can discriminate on who was offered one. How would it work? What would be the criteria? Who would make the decision? No I don’t think it’s a good idea, either everyone should have the chance or no one.
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That's why knocking off something for next season or giving out vouchers to spend at the club be beer or club shop etc then the club would only lose out on costs.
 
Preston had multiple options I seem to remember. Full refund, leave the money in the club, leave the money in the club but it secures your season ticket for the following season etc - similar to what we did last season which would be the best thing to do
 
SeasideSid said:
Preston had multiple options I seem to remember. Full refund, leave the money in the club, leave the money in the club but it secures your season ticket for the following season etc - similar to what we did last season which would be the best thing to do
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That seems like the best option. I’m sure SS will be aware and there’s nothing to suggest so far that he won’t come up with something fair considering the circumstances.
 
When I got mine (and working in the NHS) I honestly didn't expect to see maybe more then 3/4 games this season, certainly non this year (I had a ticket for the Swindon game, but was in Turkey watching it by the Pool). I think that being the case, I expect the club to possibly knock say £40/50 off next seasons ticket (obviously for the 4000 who got one this season). I fully expect a few who didn't to get one next season after what looks like a whole season not being in the ground. Say 3000 take up the discounted season tickets, 1500 buy a full priced one, and the rest pay on the gate, the club possibly wont be too much out of pocket (tho this all depends on how we are actually doing, and how we finish this season).

That being said, if they don't offer a discount, I expect ill still be getting one next season regardless, and after the discount I got on it last season, its basically cost me the less then watching all the games on ifollow (which I would have done anyway, so im lucky that im not really out of pocket)
 
I’m (relatively)happy with I follow for my season ticket money and happy to support the club and expect no refund.
However I only have the one and feel genuinely sorry for those who committed to the club and bought multiple tickets, particularly those who’s employment circumstances have changed.Those would be the ones I would prioritise for some form of compo.
 
I think the point here is pretty simple. Those who are happy for the club to keep their money (presumably as a gesture of support) should be entitled to do so. But we are in unprecedented economic times through nobody's fault. There's something not right about one party 'benefiting' over another in this sort of thing and the 'right' thing for the club to do is offer some sort of gesture to ST holders. Let's not forget, we're talking about a town and population that is driven by the leisure and service industry. A sector that has been absolutely hammered by this situation. A couple of hundred quid, might be a massive boost to some people.

Let me add, my views are not a dig at the club. I see this all round the country now; businesses being hit for rent etc. when they are literally not allowed to operate and have no chance of creating cashflow. There's something not right about that.
 
I also wonder if clubs could individually / collectively agree to extend ST's to cover away games on iFollow for the remaining part of the season

There should be some form of incentive for committing to a ST and at the moment there is none ( assuming no return this season ) - indeed there is a surcharge applied even before you turn to look at multiple purchases in one household
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
I also wonder if clubs could individually / collectively agree to extend ST's to cover away games on iFollow for the remaining part of the season

There should be some form of incentive for committing to a ST and at the moment there is none ( assuming no return this season ) - indeed there is a surcharge applied even before you turn to look at multiple purchases in one household
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THIS. Best idea I've heard.
 
TwelveAngryMen said:
I also wonder if clubs could individually / collectively agree to extend ST's to cover away games on iFollow for the remaining part of the season

There should be some form of incentive for committing to a ST and at the moment there is none ( assuming no return this season ) - indeed there is a surcharge applied even before you turn to look at multiple purchases in one household
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A very good shout Tim. Something so little would no doubt please some supporters - only needs to be 4 games max to cover the additional cost of the season ticket compared to ifollow.
 
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