Early Bird Catches The Worm ?

[Guest Harry May]

Got up this morning at 0400 , rode over to Ashton Gate faster than I should have to arrive at 0445. I was about 15 th in the queue . Bearing in mind that I wanted to get 10 of the most expensive tickets at £46 each, I thought I would stand a very good chance of getting excellent seats.

When I got served at the appropiate kiosk , I was told what seats were available - Block M14 . Row 14 .

Quickly checked the seating plan to find these were near the corner flag. Hang on a minute - I am 15 th in the queue - the people infront did n't buy all the seats on the side of the pitch . On the official site it says there is 8,000 of the most expensive tickets available , something does n't add up.

When I queried it , basically I was told that what I was being offered ,was all that was available. What, by the corner flag and 14 rows back ?

I overheard people in the next kiosk having exactly the same conversation.

It says on the official site , first come first served with the best tickets available first. I do n't think so.

I am glad we are going to the Millstad , I am pleased that I was able to get tickets.

But I am more than p155ed off with the quality of tickets offered.

Where did all the best seats go ?

Caldicot Red.

[Guest Champagne Football]

Hmmm found this as well.. Brighton Fan

Sounds as if they have either been sold off already or that they aren't distributing the tickets as advertised, half way line going around.

Quite possibly they have been reserved for player's families, directors etc? Well there was no mention of this anywhere else and if it's the case we should have been told.

Something is a bit fishy and it's not the chippy down the road.

[Guest stevey2005]

hmm that is strange especially as you were one of the first people there unless 400 people got there before 4am which i cant c that being possible maybe you should post something to steve lansdown about this

[Guest stevey2005]

hmm that is strange especially as you were one of the first people there unless 400 people got there before 4am which i cant c that being possible maybe you should post something to steve lansdown about this

[Guest N1 Jim]

That don't make much sense Harry but fair play and owe you a few pints 4 that.

There can't be many forms of industry or entertainment where this could happen but will still be a great day.

Did u stare out the Millwall hoardes on yr way back over the bridge?

[bristolcityup]

Hmm, yeah that's really funny Tarquin., think i'l buy mine on the internet!

[Guest stevey2005]

yeh same ere knowin my luck though il just have purchased the tickets wen the site crashes

[Chris]

I've just got back and apparently there aren't many of the expensive seats left, according to the stewards.

I was able to choose which area I wanted to sit in. Each booth is selling a different area. Ie, £32 upper tier behind goal. £32 lower tier side etc etc.

It may be that the steward pointed you to the wrong queue, as there were booths selling tickets for £46 side view.

[Guest bcfcsols]

This is exactly what worrites me abotu the first come first served basis - its not as fair as it should be

[Guest stevey2005]

for the side view do we get 1 side of the stadium and brighton fans get the other??

[mightyreds89]

No we get half each not a side each!

[Guest N1 Jim]

Same thing has happened to the Brighton fans. First in the q (£46) got tkts by the corner flag!

Sounds like it's a free for all with no priority or anything.

Their best site is northstandchat

[Taz]

I thought that I was down there early - somewhere between 0730 and 0800 but joined the queue past the corner in the Winterstoke Road car park. Eventually got round to the ticket booth at about 1100, well worth the wait

[wesco]

ok well this is what I reckon has happened. The football leaque will obviously take some seats and so will City so they have the £46 half way line seats and the rest go out to the fans

[Guest Neo]

ok well this is what I reckon has happened. The football leaque will obviously take some seats and so will City so they have the £46 half way line seats and the rest go out to the fans

Wesco or Godzilla; your picture.

I know it's Godzilla in middle; who's wesco and who's the other one.

[Guest Harry May]

Wesco, the guy in the next kiosk was even more angry that I was . Richard Gould was down by the ticket booths at the time and the bloke had a word with him. RG said near enough what you just mentioned - they have to leave seats for the FA and sponsers. Then they also give a quite a few to the players ( which is what you expect ) - it's just pees me off that they said seats would be available from the half way line on a first come first serve basis, and we've ended up by the bleeding corner flag.

Caldicot Red.

[Chris]

Wesco, the guy in the next kiosk was even more angry that I was . Richard Gould was down by the ticket booths at the time and the bloke had a word with him. RG said near enough what you just mentioned - they have to leave seats for the FA and sponsers. Then they also give a quite a few to the players ( which is what you expect ) - it's just pees me off that they said seats would be available from the half way line on a first come first serve basis, and we've ended up by the bleeding corner flag.

Caldicot Red.

Harry

I know you are very disappointed not getting the tickets you wanted. But can I just say we sat in M18 for the LDV and the view is excellent from behind the goal. You'll also be in line with the big screen.

[Guest Champagne Football]

Wesco, the guy in the next kiosk was even more angry that I was . Richard Gould was down by the ticket booths at the time and the bloke had a word with him. RG said near enough what you just mentioned - they have to leave seats for the FA and sponsers. Then they also give a quite a few to the players ( which is what you expect ) - it's just pees me off that they said seats would be available from the half way line on a first come first serve basis, and we've ended up by the bleeding corner flag.

Caldicot Red.

Some Brighton fans are claiming that they are seated in M11. This means that your block could well be one nearest the away fans. Maybe the club should have sold tickets in the West Stand first.

This must also mean the stadium is segragated pretty strangely and that we will get all of the West Stand and South Stand... almost diagonal.

[Stylus]

Very queer, like Brighton!

[Guest behind_the_dugout]

Same thing happened to us....

Apparently "priority status" for us oiks means, after corporate hospitality (better revenue generation), Nationwide flunkies and players guests etc. Still can't see how that adds up to a couple of 1000 tickets though.

Disgusted......but going to Cardiff.

[Guest Harry May]

Exactly - which begs the question , how many £46 tickets were available today to oridinary fans ? I feel really let down by the club. Why say they will be sold on first come first served basis from the half way line ? They should have said, you will be sold tickets from the corner flag.It stinks.

Caldicot Red.

[Guest lilciderhed]

Wesco, the guy in the next kiosk was even more angry that I was . Richard Gould was down by the ticket booths at the time and the bloke had a word with him. RG said near enough what you just mentioned - they have to leave seats for the FA and sponsers. Then they also give a quite a few to the players ( which is what you expect ) - it's just pees me off that they said seats would be available from the half way line on a first come first serve basis, and we've ended up by the bleeding corner flag.

Caldicot Red.

I think that was my Dad's mate, he got his seats in the end.

[The Man In Black]

They are a nightmare when they sell the tickets for these games. Last year when getting tickets for the LDV I asked for four. This is how the conversation panned out, I remember it exactly:

"I can give you three in this block, the other person will have to be in this block" (about two blocks to the right)

"Can't I have four together?" eyeing the huge wad of tickets next to his hand with an elastic band round them

"No, you have to have what you're offered"

"But what are all those?" pointing at the wad near his hand

"Those are unsold tickets."

"So why can't I have four of them?"

"I have to sell this block first. So, you want these three and the next one of that block then?"

"Not really, I'm going with my dad and my brother, and I'm taking a girl who has never been to a football game before. I don't want her sitting on her own, and I don't think either of the other two will want to sit on there own. Look, I'm willing to wait here until you've sold those three"

He had a glance around as if he was doing something illegal... "OK, don't tell anyone I did this, I'm not meant to. I'll sell you four tickets in the next block"

Unbelievable, and by the sounds of it it isn't much better this year. My one reservation about the online ticket system is if that produces two tickets in different places, then I'm screwed.... so here's hoping

p.s. the girl I mentioned going for her first time: she was, and it was my girlfriend. She now goes to every game she can with me. Just goes to prove that a big event and some 'extra' fans can bring new supporters to the club

[Guest WestburyRed]

As its says on the site, only 28% of City's allocation are actually alongside the pitch, all the rest are in the corner and behind the goal. So the chances of getting a side ticket are virtually non-existant.

[Guest lilciderhed]

I think that was my Dad's mate, he got his seats in the end.

Sorry just found out he didnt get his seats!

My mum said he did, but Dad a reliable source, said he never.

[Guest Harry May]

I would take the middle as being from the half way line. I was 15th in the queue and got tickets by the corner flag. It does n't add up.

Caldicot Red.

[Guest WestburyRed]

I would take the middle as being from the half way line. I was 15th in the queue and got tickets by the corner flag. It does n't add up.

Caldicot Red.

But there are bordering on 7000+ tickets that aren't available to City or Brighton, so the "middle" area appears to be virtually non-existent.

[Guest Bawno]

Pesonally I think that is out of order. You pay £46 to get the best seats in the house and their crap! Maybe the City kiosks work opposite! Maybe if you go back and ask for the cheapest seats you'll have the best seats!

My mate told me today after he bought £46 tickets that they are right behind the goal net. Sounds rubbish!!!

[Wardie]

damn straight i'll just be glad to have a ticket

[Guest claloudav]

well i am in a bit of a problem too, i am clasified as the 'general public' and on monday morning i will be doing my work experience, so i am going to try and buy them online (if the system doen't crash before i get the chance) but i will have to wait till about 4pm on monday, 10,000 tickets have already gone not to add the mystery of the seats you were on about harry, and last time i bought them online for the hartlepool game when i went to pick them up they had no record of my purchase on their list, so this involved me waiting an agonising half hour for the ticket office to sort out this problem and if i would of left my house later then this could of resolved me missing part of the match. with tickets expected to sell out by wednesday i will either end up wiotha really crap view, right next to the aggrevating brighton fans or right at the very top whioch doesnt help becuase heights make me feel bad. apart from that I'm sure it will be a gerta match

[Guest O_Faz]

As Tom says, From pretty much anywhere you sit inside that ground you get an excellent view. Even with a view round the corner flag you won't be disappointed.

You have my gaurantee

[Taz]

I would take the middle as being from the half way line. I was 15th in the queue and got tickets by the corner flag. It does n't add up.

Caldicot Red.

Me and the small group that were waiting this morning thought that we must have been within the first thousand or so there, and the two tickets that I got are along the side of the pitch on the top tier, and I walked away from the ticket booth at 1100 ish

[Guest Old Dazzler]

I suspect that the 28% of tickets allocated means 28% of the tickets actually being sold by the club to priority people. Otherwise the figures just don't add up as the total allocation (nearly 34,000) is bound to use up a big proportion of the side seats.

I assume that the vast majority of side seats will go on general sale on monday.

[Guest Mickey Bells left foot]

i joined the queue just before 8:30 finally got to the ticket office at 1:10pm. i got 3 tickets at £46 behind the goal.

p.s NEO was about 10-15 people behind me everytime i saw him he had a ciggy in his hand, but what i want to know is how did he get his tickets a good 30-45mins before i did you cheeky bugger

[Nogbad the Bad]

Next to you, in M13 Harry.

Not overjoyed after arriving at 6.45 a.m., about 300 in the queue, now seems like its close to a Brighton block as well.

Didn't help that i was accosted by Radio Bristol at ten past seven and me and another bloke were forcibly questioned 'on air', funny how the other blokes around us suddenly had mobile phone calls to make as he approached.

Looks like Brighton might have been allocated the seats i hoped to get. The window said the tickets were side view but it sure looks like corner to me.

Anyway, getting up at that time i think i deserved better, and you certainly did.

[Guest Harry May]

Nogbad , we got 10 seats in row 14 - what row are are you in ?

Caldicot Red.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Nogbad , we got 10 seats in row 14 - what row are are you in ?

Caldicot Red.

Family of 4 in Row 9, Harry.

I'm getting used to the idea now, the view's still going to be good and better than i had last year. Now i'm wondering whether we're going to "do a Walsall" on them and we'll be on cloud 9 after 20 minutes or they're going to repeat their tedious but ultimately effective Swindon 'performance' on us and it's going to be a miserable day to rank alongside the worst.

With City it could be either, but hopefully Roberts will be our David Kelly.

[Guest Harry May]

The thing with Brighton is that the C/Ds are solid - Cullip in particular. I think they are going to play a very defensive game and try to catch us on the break. Could be nailbiting .

You never know , we might score from a corner and Tinns could chuck his shirt in to the crowd. Being sat by the corner flag we might even catch it. That is why the corners were sold to season ticket holders ( who got up at 0400 on saturday) .

I am still trying to convince myself that I have n't been shafted by the club I love.

But obviously I have , because nobody can answer the simple question - how many £46 tickets with side-view were made available to priority applicants ( season ticket holders ) on saturday ? Easy enough question is n't it ?

Caldicot Red.

[NATCHER]

The "priority" applications were not the best seats - but I think that was out of the clubs hands and they could only sell what they had been given. It's the system the ticketing agency uses.

I was told by someone who looked to be in charge , that Sky had told City how to sell the tickets.