Tickets Sunderland (A) EFL Cup 2- 3

[Infatuated Bees Alter Ego]

Sunderland ticket arrived

 

[LongLostBee]

The view is that the ticket credit would benefit more people, whereas coach take-up is usually relatively small even when subsidised.

Probably increasingly small....as it's getting stupidly priced.
The free ticket will benefit more people but it shouldn't be an either/or imo.
I'm not going to this one personally....but think those sitting on a coach for 6 hours, and then probably another hour or two on top to get home from the coach stop....means they're travelling for 16 hours.
It's a lot easier/nicer for people going point-to-point in their cars on their own terms and need no subsidy.
I think coaches should be free/heavily-subsidised for matches north of Manchester (especially for an evening & cup kickoff!) and would cost a pittance for the club in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Jay Bee]

Probably increasingly small....as it's getting stupidly priced.
The free ticket will benefit more people but it shouldn't be an either/or imo.
I'm not going to this one personally....but think those sitting on a coach for 6 hours, and then probably another hour or two on top to get home from the coach stop....means they're travelling for 16 hours.
It's a lot easier/nicer for people going point-to-point in their cars on their own terms and need no subsidy.
I think coaches should be free/heavily-subsidised for matches north of Manchester (especially for an evening & cup kickoff!) and would cost a pittance for the club in the grand scheme of things.

But it's not stupidly priced if it's subsidised. Hobbsy's point is that even a £10-20 coach, say, doesn't mean we take a thousand extra people. And if it only encourages 50-100, say, was it worth doing? Maybe the money is better off directed to Gen10 or making kids tickets £1 for a future cup game or some wider ticket subsidy like this one.

I will leave strong opinions about subsidised coach travel to those that might actually use it. Like many I am not interested in a club provided coach service even if it were free. I am grateful the club are recognising everyone's support this time with the ticket credit.

 

[Parkgatebee]

Tickets have arrived

 

[Glenisterbee]

I remember going to Carlisle on a number of occasions by train and spoke to a guy I knew who had travelled by coach. About 40 had put their name down but only 19 turned up. I don’t know if the club then had to reimburse the coach company for those who didn’t turn up. Went a few times on the club coaches in the 80s but always preferred the train.

 

[Jay Bee]

I remember going to Carlisle on a number of occasions by train and spoke to a guy I knew who had travelled by coach. About 40 had put their name down but only 19 turned up. I don’t know if the club then had to reimburse the coach company for those who didn’t turn up. Went a few times on the club coaches in the 80s but always preferred the train.

The coach company would have been paid a fixed price for providing X number of coaches, it's not their job to drum up business. The club waste money providing any service that is not needed.

I recall this was mentioned when we did an offer for Sheff U in midweek once with free coach travel, a number didn't turn up or only wanted the do the journey home and there was at least one empty coach (debatable whether the latter is acceptable... if you can afford the train one way and a few hours in the pub did you really need a free coach to encourage you to go...)

 

[Gawain]

I will leave strong opinions about subsidised coach travel to those that might actually use it. Like many I am not interested in a club provided coach service even if it were free. I am grateful the club are recognising everyone's support this time with the ticket credit.

Another aspect of subsidised coach travel is that it's not so attractive to fans who live some distance from the pick-up point*, as many do these days.

* - Brentford/TW8 I assume?

 

[LongLostBee]

Not sure where my original reply has gone but...

I'd always prefer to go by train personally.....but as that's basically impossible on a lot of fixtures, due to the state of the railways, the cost of the railways for working adults, or the kickoff time means there is no direct (or easily feasible) train option, then a coach is basically the only option.

There's no chance I'll be doing a coach that gets back to Brentford at 3am or later and then have to either pay a hefty taxi fare or spend even longer getting home at 4 or 5am via public transport somehow! Then get up for work in an hour...

I think a subsidised coach would be a minor thank you to those nutters prepared to do these marathon slogs north of Manchester in an evening!

 

[Jay Bee]

Another aspect of subsidised coach travel is that it's not so attractive to fans who live some distance from the pick-up point*, as many do these days.

* - Brentford/TW8 I assume?

Not sure where my original reply has gone but...

I'd always prefer to go by train personally.....but as that's basically impossible on a lot of fixtures, due to the state of the railways, the cost of the railways for working adults, or the kickoff time means there is no direct (or easily feasible) train option, then a coach is basically the only option.

There's no chance I'll be doing a coach that gets back to Brentford at 3am or later and then have to either pay a hefty taxi fare or spend even longer getting home at 4 or 5am via public transport somehow! Then get up for work in an hour...

I think a subsidised coach would be a minor thank you to those nutters prepared to do these marathon slogs north of Manchester in an evening!

Yes this is one of the reasons I would not use it. I haven't lived a walk/bus ride from Brentford since I was 18 months old - the very long distance away coaches only really work for those that lively locally or have access to a car they can happily park nearby and return to to get the rest of the way home.
But I'm not demanding that changes, I have other routes to away games that suit what I want to do.

I don't know the number who use these services, or the costs, but subsidising all the coaches would be a big thank you to a particular group of fans and incentive to some more fans to attend (but not the ones where the timing and location doesn't help). It's an option but I suppose giving everyone a free away game next time spreads some of the joy for some of those that have to spend even more than the coach fare for their journey.

 

[ruislip bee]

We went on a coach to the Liverpool cup quarter final in 88. Never ever again - EVER! If we decide to go to an away game these days it's drive ourselves for the greater flexibility.

 

[badgerbee]

We went on a coach to the Liverpool cup quarter final in 88. Never ever again - EVER! If we decide to go to an away game these days it's drive ourselves for the greater flexibility.

Is that because the game was played in '89?
I know the coaches leave early, but that must have been a bloody long wait!!!
Don’t blame you for not using them again!!!

 

[ruislip bee]

Is that because the game was played in '89?
I know the coaches leave early, but that must have been a bloody long wait!!!
Don’t blame you for not using them again!!!

OK season 88/89 smart arse! Anyway the coach, one of about 20 I think, was just full of weirdos. OK some would say that me and @Mark H probably fitted in well but we thought never again! The best away drive we did was Swindon in my literally brand new (company car) that day a Rover 827 Sterling. We were late and drove in off the magic roundabout into the club entrance and for some reason got waived into a directors parking spot. We took it and found our way to the away terrace. We won! We went back to the car fearing it would be clamped but no. Front of the queue straight out and home in just over an hour. Have no idea why it happened other than the brand new posh car!

 

[BaildonBee]

OK season 88/89 smart arse! Anyway the coach, one of about 20 I think, was just full of weirdos. OK some would say that me and @Mark H probably fitted in well but we thought never again! The best away drive we did was Swindon in my literally brand new (company car) that day a Rover 827 Sterling. We were late and drove in off the magic roundabout into the club entrance and for some reason got waived into a directors parking spot. We took it and found our way to the away terrace. We won! We went back to the car fearing it would be clamped but no. Front of the queue straight out and home in just over an hour. Have no idea why it happened other than the brand new posh car!

From memory it was 47 coaches...but it was 1989 which is a big test for my memory these days! (...and I went by train!)

 

[Judio1999]

I wonder when people will receive their credits in their ticket account ??

 

[nocoat]

I wonder when people will receive their credits in their ticket account ??

It said within 7 days i believe