FA Cup ticket arrangements

Airman Brown

I think the decision to shut the east stand for this game is bonkers, especially as they will probably have to open some of the executive boxes and therefore staff emergency exit routes anyway.

It is something that has never happened for an FA Cup fixture before, is not usual even for a pre-season friendly, and sends a clear signal to the fans that it is not a proper match so they needn't bother coming.

PopIcon

I say shut all the stands and we'll squeeze in the Jimmy Seed together.

Badger

But why would the club want to shut the east stand?

Henry Irving

Maybe they think they will save on (some of) the cost of staff and stewards in the East.

Seems to be acknowledging the reality that 9k will be enough home seats.

Plus it will look better on TV.

Just hope it's not the new owners first home game.

Brendan_O_Connell

Madness, absolute madness. Surely it would be easier to close both tiers in the covered end, although this may be very unpopular.

Dansk_Red

The television camera is in the East Stand therefore will give the impression that the ground is fuller. They do this at Wembly where they shut the upper tier of the stand the main cameras are situated. I think it is wrong as I allways sit in the east stand for cup games as it makes a change from my normal seat in the upper west.

Airman Brown

Potentially to save the wages of the pitch perimeter gate stewards, the vomitory stewards and the catering staff. Say 20 people at £60 including on-costs, that's £1,200. However, the stewarding, at least, would be deductible from the receipts before the gate money is shared, so in practice you only save 45 per cent of that. Treating all the casual staff as allowable expenses, let's say the net benefit to Charlton from closure is £540.

They can also save staff time on cleaning the stand afterwards, but that is not a cash saving of itself.

Let's say 200 people decide not to go as they can't sit where they usually do, which is quite likely in my opinion. The prices are £10 and £5, including VAT, so the average net revenue per ticket is maybe £6.50. Charlton keep 45 per cent of that, which is about £3. Overall, on these figures the club makes a loss on closing the east stand and also suffers a potential reputational damage from loss of goodwill.

These numbers might not be accurate and you can scale them up and down as you wish, but you can see the club's decision is probably based on the assumption that everyone who prefers the east will move, which in my opinion is not valid. They are giving those people a reason to stay away.

I should probably add that you can apply these arguments to the north and west upper too (and they don't have pitch perimeter gate stewards). In the past we took the view that providing a view from the same side of the pitch was probably a reasonable compromise as the crowd would be too sparse spread across five home areas (plus quadrants). However, it's in the public domain that the club responded to supporters' feedback over shutting the whole of the north a few years ago.

seth plum

Just read this and pissed off. The East Stand is my stand, my seat is my seat FFS.
I also take into account the analysis from Airman, and balance it against how we will look on the telly, and I get more pissed off about this.
Open the blimmin thing as usual, sheesh!

Hartleypete

Could it be that if South sells out they could give East to away supporters, knowing home areas wont sell out?

Gumbo

Wow why so precious about a seat!!!! It's only 1 game

seth plum

Gumbo said:

Wow why so precious about a seat!!!! It's only 1 game

I like my vantage point, and as a man in touch with his feelings I realise I feel pissed off.

Henry Irving

Hartleypete said:

Could it be that if South sells out they could give East to away supporters, knowing home areas wont sell out?

Doubt the JIMMY SEED Stand will sell out but if it does perhaps it sets a precedent for the 4th round v Man Utd : - )

Henry Irving

Gumbo said:

Wow why so precious about a seat!!!! It's only 1 game

Agree.

For one game it is not a big deal imo.

I sit in the East and won't be going but that because I'm away nothing to do with which stand is open.

But others may not see it that way

Airman Brown

Hartleypete said:

Could it be that if South sells out they could give East to away supporters, knowing home areas wont sell out?

Oxford are entitled to an allocation in the east stand if they can sell it, subject to police approval. The cost and hassle of segregating that allocation would be more significant.

However, I can't personally imagine them bringing 3,400.

Airman Brown

Gumbo said:

Wow why so precious about a seat!!!! It's only 1 game

I think it's more to do with the fact that people already have a decision to take about the game. There are four home matches in 16 days. If they are undecided you're giving them a reason not to go. But there will also be some people who are precious about it and if together that makes a nonsense of the business case for closing it then why do it?

seth plum

Henry Irving said:

Gumbo said:

Wow why so precious about a seat!!!! It's only 1 game

But others may not see it that way

Yep

Huskaris

So not only do I have to watch us lose to a far inferior (at least in league terms) opposition, but I can't do so from the comfort of my own seat and will have to sit with the riff raff in the covered end?

Shame on you Charlton, shame on you!

On a serious note, I'll obviously be there, but the fact I will be bringing a lot of friends who support other clubs but like Charlton a lot means that I will get the piss taken out of me for the fact that we close an entire section

Airman Brown

Oxford United fans have been allocated 3200 covered seats in the Jimmy Seed South Stand. Whilst this match is not all ticket, we strongly advise supporters planning to travel to this game to buy in advance to ease congestion on the day of the game.

Read more at http://www.oufc.co.uk/tickets/away/#SxboY51rzduGDUYJ.99

Valiantphil

There will be 8000 there. It's a non-event.

DeeBee

Airman Brown starting an anti-board decision thread shock horror

Uboat

Does anyone else find the phrase 'vomitory stewards' funny?

Airman Brown

DeeBee said:

Airman Brown starting an anti-board decision thread shock horror

Do you really imagine that the board are involved or remotely interested in this issue? They have no involvement in the day to day running of the club.

Kap10

Uboat said:

Does anyone else find the phrase 'vomitory stewards' funny?

it did raise a snigger

Clem_Snide

Valiantphil said:

There will be 8000 there. It's a non-event.

Only if Oxford bring 3000+.

Personally think we will struggle for 4000 home fans.

RedChaser

Airman Brown said:

I think the decision to shut the east stand for this game is bonkers, especially as they will probably have to open some of the executive boxes and therefore staff emergency exit routes anyway.

It is something that has never happened for an FA Cup fixture before, is not usual even for a pre-season friendly, and sends a clear signal to the fans that it is not a proper match so they needn't bother coming.

They don't sing anyway or the West come to that matter :-0
Edit: Close the East and West, pack out the North Upper, Lower and Quads and let's have a knees up :0)

Cardinal Sin

Not sure what the fuss is about. The club often close stands when tiny crowds are expected and when the first-team aren't on duty. As an East Stand season ticket holder, it also gives me an added excuse not to bother. F A Cup my arse.

LargeAddick

As I posted in another thread - I was in two minds about going, as were my parents and a couple of friends, but it us now unlikely any of us will go. I like my seat in the East Stand, I've sat in the same seat since the stand opened, and I hate the view from the North Lower and the West Lower ain't much better. Plus why squeeze everyone in like sardines. Then you will get people wanting four/five seats together and they won't be able to get them. They may then even decide not to go. It also sends out the wrong message, we only expect a low crowd, we're not taking it seriously, the team won't take it seriously, why bother even coming.

Bedsaddick

Why should anybody pay any money to the club at the moment when it's only going to help Jiminez and his steadily mounting debt and not to securing contracts.

Bedsaddick

Valiantphil said:

There will be 8000 there. It's a non-event.

Try 5k if that .

boogica

Just goes to show the club is a total shambles , shut the west upper and north upper like we normally do, our great club is becoming a laughing stock and the clowns who own us dont give a shit.

DeeBee

boogica said:

Just goes to show the club is a total shambles , shut the west upper and north upper like we normally do, our great club is becoming a laughing stock and the clowns who own us dont give a shit.

Bit of an overreaction to closing a stand you'd think we released Solly