Demand vs Supply
It’s a pretty rare phenomenon to not be able to get a ticket to an A-League game, but today there are many disappointed Sydney FC members and supporters. There are ten teams; nine have stadiums with capacities in excess of 20,000, and only one club with a membership waiting list. The hottest tickets will always be the genuine local grudge matches, like Victory v Heart on this weekend and the upcoming Wanderers v Sydney FC game; they are also the games where demand will generally outstrip supply.
While I secured tickets through some fast finger scrolling, clicking and knowing my credit card details off by heart, I am still disappointed by the process. There are likely 5,000 genuine members that were fighting to secure 2,000 tickets. I am a big advocate that all members are equal, but the system presented to secure these prized admissions is not fair or equal in the slightest.
I have followed the social media comments from fans and supporters throughout the day with great interest. There are plenty upset with other members for handing out their access details to non-members, many wanting the game to be moved to a bigger stadium to facilitate equitable access, many expressing disgust on the limitation of tickets available per member to one and then the issues that created with Ticketek’s price gouging on service fees.
I don’t want to dismiss these opinions as I feel they are validly made and I agree with them to varying degrees. But there is a bigger issue and that is making sure that being members matters, that there are genuine benefits and a clear and fair system for securing away tickets – at all away games for your respective club.
This might be an unpopular idea, but I think that it’s time to rewards members for their consistency and dedication. It’s time for A-League Clubs to introduce a credit system for members that attend home and away games. This would enable a more transparent system for securing tickets to the most popular games, like derby games or finals, and will help to unify and organise fans as genuine Club supporters at any game.
Put simply, Clubs should be able to buy away tickets for their members from the home Clubs; and in turn members should be able to buy their away tickets direct from the Club they support. This would enable a genuine credit system to operate. Every time a member attends a home game they should get a credit point in their account. Every time they use their membership card to buy a discounted ticket for someone to come with them to the game, they should earn a credit point. For every new member you refer you should receive credit points. For every away game you attend, you should receive credit points based on the distance required to travel. Every member is eligible and the rules are clear and simple.
Where demand is likely to outstrip availability it would be a matter of a simple ballot. Members register their interest and are then selected by the status of credits. You get 24 hours to pay, and if not your ticket is released down to the next person. You might be disappointed if you don’t secure a ticket, but at least you know it is a fellow loyalist in your place.
The Premier League operates on a similar basis and it works perfectly it encourages membership and members appreciate the perceived equity it creates amongst members. Even in the La Liga, members are able to opt in to return their seats to be resold for a game if they know they won’t be able to attend in advance.
Finals are going to be upon us soon, and it has the potential to be as shambolic as what happened this morning for some supporters. I hope that the FFA and Clubs take some time in the off season to review the ticketing access arrangements for the future, try to work towards creating a fair, transparent process that promotes club culture at the same time.
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