Other clubs seem able to offer this.
If it wasn't for my season ticket, I'd be somewhere other than top field next season.
Ticketing 2022/23
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ChelseaChrisUK
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Ticketing 2022/23
Very disappointed to see no pay at the gate again this season.
Other clubs seem able to offer this.
If it wasn't for my season ticket, I'd be somewhere other than top field next season.
Other clubs seem able to offer this.
If it wasn't for my season ticket, I'd be somewhere other than top field next season.
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But have you read the explanation of why the Club has adopted this policy? https://hitchintownfc.club/why-all-ticket/?
Or have you read it and don't like what you read?
Either way, it is the way forward.
Would you like to be the one to take thousands of pounds of cash to the bank every week and pay for the privilege of paying it in?
Would you like to be the one who has the vulnerability of carrying all that money from A to B, with the possibility of an opportunist waiting to relieve you of it?
Would you like to be the one continually having to go to the bank and obtaining hundreds of pounds of change? Have you been in a bank lately?
Would you like to be involved in massive queues again rather than step straight through the turnstiles?
Would you like to be sitting in a turnstile at 2:59, collecting cash, running out of change and incurring the wrath of all those who have bowled out of the pub at 2:57 still expecting to get in the ground for kick off?
Money from online sales goes straight in the bank, the Club has a clear real time idea of roughly how many they can expect, people for the most part walk straight in now and just scan their ticket. It has been tremendously successful and still safest in times when Covid still hasn't gone away, and the only people who have not benefited from it are the small percentage who have opted out, be this most likely through principle or stubbornness. Of these, most are capable of ordering their own tickets, so it would suggest those reasons. Attendances last season suggest that this amount of people is negligible. The Club can also then easily control any imposed ground capacities that they might be required to enforce - a necessary need during Covid, and if we ever reach the First Round Proper of the FA Cup again.......
As a final point, not having to handle cash actually protects all volunteers and they can operate in a more secure environment.
What I don't understand is your rationale here. You say if it weren't for your season ticket you'd be somewhere else other than Top Field this season. But you have a Season Ticket? Doesn't add up?
For a club trying to run match days with an absolutely minimal amount of dedicated volunteer capacity, we don't do too badly.
We do respect that there are other views, but the Club does ask that folks respect the changes that it felt it necessary to make (based on volunteer capacity) and support those few heroic volunteers who are there game in, game out, to make sure everyone gets into and out of the ground safely and smoothly.
Time to wake up and smell the coffee?
Or have you read it and don't like what you read?
Either way, it is the way forward.
Would you like to be the one to take thousands of pounds of cash to the bank every week and pay for the privilege of paying it in?
Would you like to be the one who has the vulnerability of carrying all that money from A to B, with the possibility of an opportunist waiting to relieve you of it?
Would you like to be the one continually having to go to the bank and obtaining hundreds of pounds of change? Have you been in a bank lately?
Would you like to be involved in massive queues again rather than step straight through the turnstiles?
Would you like to be sitting in a turnstile at 2:59, collecting cash, running out of change and incurring the wrath of all those who have bowled out of the pub at 2:57 still expecting to get in the ground for kick off?
Money from online sales goes straight in the bank, the Club has a clear real time idea of roughly how many they can expect, people for the most part walk straight in now and just scan their ticket. It has been tremendously successful and still safest in times when Covid still hasn't gone away, and the only people who have not benefited from it are the small percentage who have opted out, be this most likely through principle or stubbornness. Of these, most are capable of ordering their own tickets, so it would suggest those reasons. Attendances last season suggest that this amount of people is negligible. The Club can also then easily control any imposed ground capacities that they might be required to enforce - a necessary need during Covid, and if we ever reach the First Round Proper of the FA Cup again.......
As a final point, not having to handle cash actually protects all volunteers and they can operate in a more secure environment.
What I don't understand is your rationale here. You say if it weren't for your season ticket you'd be somewhere else other than Top Field this season. But you have a Season Ticket? Doesn't add up?
For a club trying to run match days with an absolutely minimal amount of dedicated volunteer capacity, we don't do too badly.
We do respect that there are other views, but the Club does ask that folks respect the changes that it felt it necessary to make (based on volunteer capacity) and support those few heroic volunteers who are there game in, game out, to make sure everyone gets into and out of the ground safely and smoothly.
Time to wake up and smell the coffee?
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
It is an interesting one. I wrote my reply as a volunteer supporter, admittedly with all the direct experiences of the past three seasons and not handling cash entries.
Was in Norway and Denmark a couple of weeks ago. Hardly spent any cash. They are in places almost cashless. I think Sweden are cashless. They seem to get along just fine......they've adapted.
Was in Norway and Denmark a couple of weeks ago. Hardly spent any cash. They are in places almost cashless. I think Sweden are cashless. They seem to get along just fine......they've adapted.
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
Did the Bermonsey Beer mile on Saturday. Not one of the 6 bar's visited took cash. Strictly card only. That's the way it's heading. Like it or not.
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
One thing I would like to see is the option to take card payments on the turnstile for those supporters or casual visitors that still don’t or can’t use online banking!
If it only puts another 10 or so on the gate it must be worth it?
Just saying before I’m shot down!
If it only puts another 10 or so on the gate it must be worth it?
Just saying before I’m shot down!
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
I have some sympathy with this point, Steve. Paying by card on the day works OK at a lot of Step 2 grounds and still eliminates the security / cash handling concerns.Steve wrote: ↑Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:45 pm One thing I would like to see is the option to take card payments on the turnstile for those supporters or casual visitors that still don’t or can’t use online banking!
If it only puts another 10 or so on the gate it must be worth it?
Just saying before I’m shot down!
But in general I am quite happy to pay by card for everything.
Governments can just as easily devalue cash as credit - some of the stuff on that poster is weapons grade tin foil hat stuff!
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
Absolutely agree Colin. I am happy with removing the need to carry cash. I don’t get the advanced ticket thing at non league level at all but clearly it has worked at Hitchin. I was in Copenhagen a couple of weeks ago, and it was amazing how few places took cash.
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
I can see both sides of the argument but I'm with the club on this.
Having been the steward outside the ground for the Leatherhead FA Cup game a few years ago I witnessed the chaos caused by supporters who hadn't brought their tickets in advance and failed to heed the clubs advise of get in the ground early.
At 2:55pm the queue was back to Bearton Avenue and there were still people coming out of the clubhouse complaining about having to queue and their annoyance being made worse by those who had brought tickets in advance being ushered past the queue and into the ground with one scan of a barcode. It was that simple.
We even had one person come on here complaining how the club got it wrong and how would the club do it differently with hindsight. The club had done nothing wrong and said person with hindsight should have turned up a bit earlier as advised by the club or brought his ticket in advance.
The kick-off did get delayed by 15 mins but there were still supporters queuing to get in when the game started.
The next round against Solihull Moors was all ticket and I manned one of the gates. It was so easy, just scan someone's phone or printed sheet and they were in. No long queues where I was stationed at the Bedford Road side gate and everyone was happy.
So I can see the benefit of the ticket in advance system. I may not be totally convinced by it but it works, makes the volunteers jobs easier and safer, and crowd numbers have increased not decreased so it is not putting the masses off coming to games.
I get Steve's point about being able to pay by card at the turnstile for the casual visitor or ground hopper although the worry would be that we would slowly descend into more and more just turning up without a ticket in advance. The club does have a policy on how to deal with this situation and casual visitors / ground hoppers subject to having a debit card do not get turned away but are given access to a computer to set up an account so they can purchase their ticket. It takes time but the correct outcome is achieved.
I can understand the system won't please everyone. There is still something romantic about queuing at the turnstile and handing over cash but we live in the 21st century and have to move with the times.
I now look at clubs that don't offer advance ticketing as behind the times.
Hitchin may be a step 3 non-league club but are pulling in crowds which higher level clubs would be pleased with. I wonder if we went back to pay at the gate whether the attendances would go down as people may not want to queue like they used too especially in poor weather conditions.
Having been the steward outside the ground for the Leatherhead FA Cup game a few years ago I witnessed the chaos caused by supporters who hadn't brought their tickets in advance and failed to heed the clubs advise of get in the ground early.
At 2:55pm the queue was back to Bearton Avenue and there were still people coming out of the clubhouse complaining about having to queue and their annoyance being made worse by those who had brought tickets in advance being ushered past the queue and into the ground with one scan of a barcode. It was that simple.
We even had one person come on here complaining how the club got it wrong and how would the club do it differently with hindsight. The club had done nothing wrong and said person with hindsight should have turned up a bit earlier as advised by the club or brought his ticket in advance.
The kick-off did get delayed by 15 mins but there were still supporters queuing to get in when the game started.
The next round against Solihull Moors was all ticket and I manned one of the gates. It was so easy, just scan someone's phone or printed sheet and they were in. No long queues where I was stationed at the Bedford Road side gate and everyone was happy.
So I can see the benefit of the ticket in advance system. I may not be totally convinced by it but it works, makes the volunteers jobs easier and safer, and crowd numbers have increased not decreased so it is not putting the masses off coming to games.
I get Steve's point about being able to pay by card at the turnstile for the casual visitor or ground hopper although the worry would be that we would slowly descend into more and more just turning up without a ticket in advance. The club does have a policy on how to deal with this situation and casual visitors / ground hoppers subject to having a debit card do not get turned away but are given access to a computer to set up an account so they can purchase their ticket. It takes time but the correct outcome is achieved.
I can understand the system won't please everyone. There is still something romantic about queuing at the turnstile and handing over cash but we live in the 21st century and have to move with the times.
I now look at clubs that don't offer advance ticketing as behind the times.
Hitchin may be a step 3 non-league club but are pulling in crowds which higher level clubs would be pleased with. I wonder if we went back to pay at the gate whether the attendances would go down as people may not want to queue like they used too especially in poor weather conditions.
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
There is this car park in Letchworth near the wynd. With this car park there were three ways of paying. Cash, card and over the App.
During COVID they removed the cash option and recently they have just removed the card option. Only way of paying was via an app.
I felt completely heat broken and sad as there were numerous elderly people completely stumped. No way of paying, having to return to their cars and drive away. Seeing the disappointment was hard as many would then have to park in another car park further away from their shops.
There is still an older generation who live in this world and therefore we must do all we can to assist them to live life to the full and make their lives easier. Often the older community feel pushed out of society as it is because of their age and when places make things completely cashless and card-less, it makes it even more difficult.
This isn’t just the elderly that have these problems, it can include Disabled people as well.
Like Steve said, I hope there could be a way at the very least to introduce a card machine. A contactless payment takes seconds, maybe the same amount of time it takes to scan a barcode?
During COVID they removed the cash option and recently they have just removed the card option. Only way of paying was via an app.
I felt completely heat broken and sad as there were numerous elderly people completely stumped. No way of paying, having to return to their cars and drive away. Seeing the disappointment was hard as many would then have to park in another car park further away from their shops.
There is still an older generation who live in this world and therefore we must do all we can to assist them to live life to the full and make their lives easier. Often the older community feel pushed out of society as it is because of their age and when places make things completely cashless and card-less, it makes it even more difficult.
This isn’t just the elderly that have these problems, it can include Disabled people as well.
Like Steve said, I hope there could be a way at the very least to introduce a card machine. A contactless payment takes seconds, maybe the same amount of time it takes to scan a barcode?
Re: Ticketing 2022/23
The debate goes on.
So you're sitting in the turnstile at two minutes to three, taking card payments, person comes up and presents their debit/credit card, and either the internet goes down, the server fails or the card fails. Behind that person there is a massive queue of people who haven't bought tickets in advance and have just bowled out the pub/bar. Your card machine now isn't working.
You're the turnstile operator. You're now getting abuse. What happens then?
So you're sitting in the turnstile at two minutes to three, taking card payments, person comes up and presents their debit/credit card, and either the internet goes down, the server fails or the card fails. Behind that person there is a massive queue of people who haven't bought tickets in advance and have just bowled out the pub/bar. Your card machine now isn't working.
You're the turnstile operator. You're now getting abuse. What happens then?