I think the club have shot themselves in the foot with this one. If CARD keep the pressure on and the fun and games planned for the Burnley game can be arranged for the first home game of next season how is the netting going to pan out in the promoted cheap seats in the lower North?
It's ironic, whoring out cheap season tickets one day, but telling fans they can't sit in some of these seats for a game the next.
Essex Al has it right. The club must be seen to be doing something to stop fans getting on the pitch. They did the same with us after the Tennis Ball invasion (funnily enough, also against Burnley). Good luck and keep up the fight, we at Blackpool are watching with interest.
Went on website as others have done, and unable to access the "Buy Tickets" page. Phoned the ticket office and was told that the server is down - they took my membership number and telephone number and will apparently be calling me back when it's up and running again.
Don't know anything about computers/IT - wouldn't the whole website be down if the server is down? Or is the rest of the site run off the Football League server? Either way, too much of a coincidence.
By the way, presume I'm not the only one who feels even more determined to ensure that Katrien & co have the most stressful 7 May possible.
I doubt if the server is down because the system presumably wouldn't be able to look up availability if it was. However, they seem to have broken it because neither Leeds nor season ticket transactions can complete either, based on a test (and I wasn't buying either, before anyone asks!).
If this is true those who have a season tickets in those seats should surely be told they aren't allowed in their seats and have been allocated others. Along with something extra for the inconvenience.
Yeah, food vouchers that get you nothing. We've had this all before!
Oh yeah, forgot, last season. Has anyone who sits there been told yet?
Don't know anything about computers/IT - wouldn't the whole website be down if the server is down? Or is the rest of the site run off the Football League server? Either way, too much of a coincidence.
The system will have multiple servers so they've probably broken the back end database by fiddling with it for whatever reason.
This is what happens when the wrong system is implemented in the wrong way.
Went on website as others have done, and unable to access the "Buy Tickets" page. Phoned the ticket office and was told that the server is down - they took my membership number and telephone number and will apparently be calling me back when it's up and running again.
Don't know anything about computers/IT - wouldn't the whole website be down if the server is down? Or is the rest of the site run off the Football League server? Either way, too much of a coincidence.
By the way, presume I'm not the only one who feels even more determined to ensure that Katrien & co have the most stressful 7 May possible.
I doubt if the server is down because the system presumably wouldn't be able to look up availability if it was. However, they seem to have broken it because neither Leeds nor season ticket transactions can complete either, based on a test (and I wasn't buying either, before anyone asks!).
What actually happens when attempting to purchase a ticket? Is there any form of error, or does it just fail to load?
There are most likely only 2 or 3 systems involved in purchasing a ticket:
- The website; - The provider of seating availability; - The payment processing gateway.
The fact you're browsing the website proves that there's no issues there.
As Airman states, the fact you can view seating availability suggests that the provider of this data is working correctly. The main way of providing availability when external systems are unavailable is via a caching mechanism; which for real time data about the availability of seats would be utterly barmy.
The third part, the payment gateway, is used to transact financial data and as such is probably going to be the most reliable system out of the three. However I don't think Charlton does payment processing real time anyway - I know in previous seasons they've contacted me several days after my tickets had arrived to let me know there was an issue with the payment!
As such it seems quite likely that it's a feeble excuse by the club, and there's actually been manual intervention required to disable ticket purchases for a while.
Don't know anything about computers/IT - wouldn't the whole website be down if the server is down? Or is the rest of the site run off the Football League server? Either way, too much of a coincidence.
The system will have multiple servers so they've probably broken the back end database by fiddling with it for whatever reason.
This is what happens when the wrong system is implemented in the wrong way.
Do you mean they have taken out the USB lead and left it dangling down by the printer?
I guess they are going to also try and people going into the west as they did last match. But if enough of us do it they won't be able to stop us!
They can't close the exit gates for safety reasons. And it would take a lot of stewards to stop us. And they will need more stewards at front of stands so doubt they will have enough spare to block all the exits.
Just to put some perspective into this, what the hell did you think the club were going to do?
The FA are obviously breathing down their necks and most likely wanting to know what security measures the club are putting in place to ensure the game against Burnley is not disrupted.
Do you actually believe they were going to let you all down the front and throw what you like onto the pitch? Do you actually believe they are going to sit back and just let you invade the pitch?
Some of you need a reality check!
Sorry fella, but they are making the situation worse if they go through with this. Moving people from their season ticket seats for starters.
If someone is that determined to get on the pitch then a bit of covering is not going to stop them. Also how is a bit of covering going to stop someone throwing an item on the pitch as well.
I agree, it may well be making the situation worse, but my point was that you can't expect the club to sit back and be seen to do nothing!
There's been plenty of bravado on here over the last week, lets see how many make actually make it onto the pitch!
You're quite right, Al. We're not the kind of supporters who would invade pitches. Or are we? In any case, the panic and disruption caused just by the threat of it is as valuable as if it were actually to happen. Which it might. Or not. Who can tell what might get into irate supporters' heads at the final game of the season?
If I am reading this right, they are going to stop season ticket holders sitting in their usual seats, and they're going to try to make sterile some areas of the stadium.
I expect they will identify pinch points, and have a heavy presence of security at those points.
I have no idea how they intend to communicate this stuff to people. For a start they have to be able to contact each individual season ticket holder personally, I would say by direct telephone conversation, or by letter. Media announcements can't be said to be enough.
For a second, people will arrive with no knowledge about what is going on, genuine punters who have not kept themselves in the loop on all this, and they will have to be dealt with using courtesy, absolute clarity, crystal clear explanation, and an apology.
There is a lot of potential for filming everything, the ground looking like some kind of prison enclosure, specific interactions with staff and stewards and the like.
There is absolutely no need for lawbreaking or belligerence, because what appears to be being planned seems a recipe for disaster even with the most mild of supporters.
If you factor in any other restrictions, such as intensive searching, then it will be a problem exacerbated.
The costs must be racking up.
In other places I have tried to make a case for this game to proceed behind closed doors, and I would like to think the FA, The League, The Safety Authorities, The Police, Burnley, Charlton and the Media could make such a case too.
In one fell swoop such a decision would negate a lot of practical problems surrounding the day, but of course it would be an amazing precedent for a number of reasons.
Someone somewhere is looking at a lesser of two evils scenario, I hope that someone is competent.
Don't think they're going to move people in the Lower West, just won't be selling match tickets there - so you can't buy a ticket with the express intention of trying to get at the Director's Box, and I presume they are keeping their fingers crossed that Lower West season ticket holders are too civilised to try and mount an assault on Katrien and Co.
Lower North I'd be surprised if there's 200 season ticket holders in the front six rows - not a massive operation to move them (although I've no doubt they'll cock it up somehow).
Comments
Up the addicks.
This is what happens when the wrong system is implemented in the wrong way.
There are most likely only 2 or 3 systems involved in purchasing a ticket:
- The website;
- The provider of seating availability;
- The payment processing gateway.
The fact you're browsing the website proves that there's no issues there.
As Airman states, the fact you can view seating availability suggests that the provider of this data is working correctly. The main way of providing availability when external systems are unavailable is via a caching mechanism; which for real time data about the availability of seats would be utterly barmy.
The third part, the payment gateway, is used to transact financial data and as such is probably going to be the most reliable system out of the three. However I don't think Charlton does payment processing real time anyway - I know in previous seasons they've contacted me several days after my tickets had arrived to let me know there was an issue with the payment!
As such it seems quite likely that it's a feeble excuse by the club, and there's actually been manual intervention required to disable ticket purchases for a while.
Wouldn't be surprised if they also block season ticket holders changing their seat for this match too.
They can't close the exit gates for safety reasons. And it would take a lot of stewards to stop us. And they will need more stewards at front of stands so doubt they will have enough spare to block all the exits.
If people want to get in badly enough they will.
I expect they will identify pinch points, and have a heavy presence of security at those points.
I have no idea how they intend to communicate this stuff to people. For a start they have to be able to contact each individual season ticket holder personally, I would say by direct telephone conversation, or by letter. Media announcements can't be said to be enough.
For a second, people will arrive with no knowledge about what is going on, genuine punters who have not kept themselves in the loop on all this, and they will have to be dealt with using courtesy, absolute clarity, crystal clear explanation, and an apology.
There is a lot of potential for filming everything, the ground looking like some kind of prison enclosure, specific interactions with staff and stewards and the like.
There is absolutely no need for lawbreaking or belligerence, because what appears to be being planned seems a recipe for disaster even with the most mild of supporters.
If you factor in any other restrictions, such as intensive searching, then it will be a problem exacerbated.
The costs must be racking up.
In other places I have tried to make a case for this game to proceed behind closed doors, and I would like to think the FA, The League, The Safety Authorities, The Police, Burnley, Charlton and the Media could make such a case too.
In one fell swoop such a decision would negate a lot of practical problems surrounding the day, but of course it would be an amazing precedent for a number of reasons.
Someone somewhere is looking at a lesser of two evils scenario, I hope that someone is competent.
Lower North I'd be surprised if there's 200 season ticket holders in the front six rows - not a massive operation to move them (although I've no doubt they'll cock it up somehow).