Home and Away Memberships 2023-24

[YellowBelly Red]

Scrapping the loyalty scheme was the worst thing that the club could have done.

Most PL clubs offer tickets through such schemes, so why Forest decided to go down another route, is beyond me.

There is no easy answer, but some transparency would be appreciated. Like others, I see people at away games. that do not have a membership, or even a season ticket. I have been at some away games, to see empty seats, where the corporates couldn't be bothered to turn up.

The commercial side is a joke. Premier League clubs have Megastores, not a "club shop", often duplicated in a city centre location. These are stocked to the hilt, with all the merch and a constant supply of shirts. If our supplier can't supply, then get rid of them and get someone in that can.

 

[Malwood]

I'm reading one post by someone whose ten year old daughter is desperate to attend her first home game but can't get a ticket, and another post by someone who's been a season ticket hoder for twenty years but stopped two seasons ago, and now can't get a ticket.

Two deserving cases. But there's only enough tickets for one of them, so someone has to choose who gets it. And whoever doesn't is going to be disappointed. Given the limited supply and vast demand, I actually think the club have done a decent job of implementing a system.

 

[Larry Lansbury]

Agree on commercial side of things, whether prem football has taken them by surprise but it seems we have always been lacking some what and not fulfilling our commercial potential. The ground development incorporates improvements in club shop but agree need some kind of mega store in the city-as it pulls parents and kids in to spend. Against Arsenal last home match why not have pop up stalls or staff walking round selling scarfs. The lack of stock is dreadful, massive delay in home shirts and then every other shirt then. Been trying to get daughter a children’s shirt-impossible. But this may have been to factors out of our control-was it shipping issues or other global events that effected it?

 

[forestzoe]

Something needs to be done, no doubt. Just wanted to raise something mentioned above though about away loyalty points "going back years". Afaik, and as someone who used to do around 8 or 10 away matches pre covid, the points used to reset every season for non away members and most matches used to get to ST+pts

It was only after grounds re opened after covid that it was decided points rolled over cos it wasnt fair to scrap those accumulated when everything shut suddenly, and that was kept, and rolled, until scrapped and at that point people had higher points totals as they had almost a full season ( to March19/20) plus any accumulated after grounds reopened (from Dec 2020 iirc?)

For Derby away for example prior to this, you needed say 5 away pts if it was October ish and 10 if it was Feb (it was adjusted according to how many away matches had actually occurred til that point, im just giving an eg on figures) and then went down by a point as the different sales windows opened til they all sold. I've known it get to General sale once or twice for Derby but rarely. This was the same for years so those saying people had masses of points are, I believe, mistaken.

Demand was obviously much less, and yes I've done trogs like Tranmere in the cup, Preston away etc, with a 6yo who loved away matches, but by resetting it everyone had a clean slate each season and as demand didn't often outstrip supply it worked well at that point. Just gripes me when I see people claim they had loyalty points going back years when afaik this wasn't the case due to the reset.

Not sure what the solution is tbh, the ballot options above look good but would the club fall down at the 1st hurdle on this lol, history of implementationsuggests probably. After many years travelling the country, to many shitholes! I'm now effectively locked out of any away matches for the foreseeable cos I couldn't get a membership, as are many. A closed shop eventually ages so what, half a dozen or so new members a year as natural attrition occurs? The away end will end up all on zimmerframes and no new blood!

 

[JohhnyM]

Any non-away-members that went to Brighton and Blackburn last season should get some sort of priority this season as I think they’re the only games that got to general sale. Those people put their money where their mouth is, figuratively and actually.

You can’t please everyone but having planted its flag in the away members sand, the club should honour its renewal commitment to those who had them last season and went to the requisite games.

For me the ideal would be points based loyalty over as many years as possible, but I believe that ship has sailed.

As for the 400 club, I do think there should be a “club”. Whether or not 400 is the right number will always be up for debate, but presumably the club did some maths based on how many would be in the cut off, how many they wanted for members, and how many they wanted for corporate, etc.

I have seen Forest at over 60 grounds, more like 70 if you include duplicates / triplicates like Brighton, Derby, Rotherham, etc, suffered League 1 home and away, had away membership for years, and had a ST for many years, so I think I class as loyal, but I don’t begrudge the 400 club their prize.

However the tickets are allocated there will be many pissed off people, so in that regard the club can’t ever win.

 

[Shearstone]

Any non-away-members that went to Brighton and Blackburn last season should get some sort of priority this season as I think they’re the only games that got to general sale. Those people put their money where their mouth is, figuratively and actually.

You can’t please everyone but having planted its flag in the away members sand, the club should honour its renewal commitment to those who had them last season and went to the requisite games.

For me the ideal would be points based loyalty over as many years as possible, but I believe that ship has sailed.

As for the 400 club, I do think there should be a “club”. Whether or not 400 is the right number will always be up for debate, but presumably the club did some maths based on how many would be in the cut off, how many they wanted for members, and how many they wanted for corporate, etc.

I have seen Forest at over 60 grounds, more like 70 if you include duplicates / triplicates like Brighton, Derby, Rotherham, etc, suffered League 1 home and away, had away membership for years, and had a ST for many years, so I think I class as loyal, but I don’t begrudge the 400 club their prize.

However the tickets are allocated there will be many pissed off people, so in that regard the club can’t ever win.

Southampton went to general sale, I know cos I went and we didn't have an away membership. It was also like the 4th Jan so that's why people couldn't make it.

I also went to Blackburn on the official coach, an experience I'm not keen on repeating.

 

[RedRobbo]

Any non-away-members that went to Brighton and Blackburn last season should get some sort of priority this season as I think they’re the only games that got to general sale. Those people put their money where their mouth is, figuratively and actually.

You can’t please everyone but having planted its flag in the away members sand, the club should honour its renewal commitment to those who had them last season and went to the requisite games.

For me the ideal would be points based loyalty over as many years as possible, but I believe that ship has sailed.

As for the 400 club, I do think there should be a “club”. Whether or not 400 is the right number will always be up for debate, but presumably the club did some maths based on how many would be in the cut off, how many they wanted for members, and how many they wanted for corporate, etc.

I have seen Forest at over 60 grounds, more like 70 if you include duplicates / triplicates like Brighton, Derby, Rotherham, etc, suffered League 1 home and away, had away membership for years, and had a ST for many years, so I think I class as loyal, but I don’t begrudge the 400 club their prize.

However the tickets are allocated there will be many pissed off people, so in that regard the club can’t ever win.

Not sure how you differentiate between away members who attended games & those that were unsuccessful in the fortnightly scramble for tickets?

 

[Cloughie1975]

Not sure how you differentiate between away members who attended games & those that were unsuccessful in the fortnightly scramble for tickets?

Exactly-away games actually attended last season can be misleading as many will have tried and often missed out (including me).

 

[football post]

Maybe they can monitor how many of us were on line from 9am constantly refreshing to see if the site had opened early. We all knew the chances of success were minimal but we were back every other Wednesday wasting our time.

Oh the joys of that 2 minute window when you try to get tickets in the basket and your payment accepted. To complete both tasks is quite a feat and a vary rare occurance.

 

[T Francis]

I know for a fact that some the ‘elite 400’ give their details to a friend if they don’t fancy/can’t make
a certain game-simply to preserve their preferential status.
I think the club should issue a clear statement that any ‘fan’ found doing this will have all memberships removed.

Not sure how you can stop this. It’s always been done as far back as I can remember.
I used to do it even in the League one days as an away member, not to preserve status necessarily, just so my mates could get a ticket at an earlier date.
I know demand is much greater in the Prem but it still went on

 

[Haych]

They’ll probably expand the away scheme to 10K this year to really ensure nobody ever gets a ticket.

Home memberships will be sold to the rest of Nottingham to piss everyone off who’s fighting for the few thousand home tickets left.

 

[Rigler]

I'm reading one post by someone whose ten year old daughter is desperate to attend her first home game but can't get a ticket, and another post by someone who's been a season ticket hoder for twenty years but stopped two seasons ago, and now can't get a ticket.

Two deserving cases. But there's only enough tickets for one of them, so someone has to choose who gets it. And whoever doesn't is going to be disappointed. Given the limited supply and vast demand, I actually think the club have done a decent job of implementing a system.

Using that example I would say choose one of them randomly (aka a ballot) and the next time a ticket is available let the other one have it.

 

[JohhnyM]

Exactly-away games actually attended last season can be misleading as many will have tried and often missed out (including me).

Me too, but a line has to be drawn somewhere.

 

[JohhnyM]

Not sure how you differentiate between away members who attended games & those that were unsuccessful in the fortnightly scramble for tickets?

Easy to differentiate - one has purchase history, the other doesn't.

Not saying it's totally fair, just saying they have to have a cut off somewhere.

In a (very small) way I would almost be accepting of not getting the blasted membership next season just to be out of this madness and fortnightly stress. Only ever a fleeting thought though!

 

[RedRobbo]

I note that the club have issued a ‘holding’ message re memberships.
Methinks they may have been reading this thread…

 

[MapperlyMark]

You’re spot on LR - loyalty should be rewarded.
But when I miss out on the 400 ( by a spit ) & then see acquaintances with no history of away travel regularly getting tickets I get thoroughly pissed off!
The system is not fit for purpose - but I won’t hold my breath.

The 400 in itself wasn’t the problem it was the massive cliff edge between 18 and17 games that was dreadfully thought out. Having missed the cut by one game I have never felt so aggrieved with Forest. Other clubs seem to have manageable scheme that reward loyalty but have methods to keep the occasional away supporters happy

 

[Morpeth]

I note that the club have issued a ‘holding’ message re memberships.
Methinks they may have been reading this thread…

Well in that case they need to keep free 3 tickets for random ballot for people who live in Morpeth with a surname beginning with E and a cat named Tigsy.

 

[andover red]

.

They’ll probably expand the away scheme to 10K this year to really ensure nobody ever gets a ticket.

Home memberships will be sold to the rest of Nottingham to piss everyone off who’s fighting for the few thousand home tickets left.

How would 'nobody' get a ticket? There would still the the same number of tickets, so the same number of people would get one, just not always the same people.

I missed the boat to get a membership at all last season and, as a result, had almost no opportunity at all. Now I'm concerned I might be prevented from getting a membership for the foreseeable future and therefore prevented from ever seeing a game.. .

 

[Haych]

.

How would 'nobody' get a ticket? There would still the the same number of tickets, so the same number of people would get one, just not always the same people.

I missed the boat to get a membership at all last season and, as a result, had almost no opportunity at all. Now I'm concerned I might be prevented from getting a membership for the foreseeable future and therefore prevented from ever seeing a game.. .

If/when you get an away membership and have to deal with both TicketMaster and Forest’s incompetence every week you’ll understand.

It’s a shit show.

 

[glosterred]

Southampton went to general sale, I know cos I went and we didn't have an away membership. It was also like the 4th Jan so that's why people couldn't make it.

I also went to Blackburn on the official coach, an experience I'm not keen on repeating.

You can also add United away in the league cup to this list!

Mass tickets sent back by presumably away members ensured I was able to pick one up a ticket (Bronze member) as was a mate who only has booking history (non member)

 

[Haych]

You can also add United away in the league cup to this list!

Mass tickets sent back by presumably away members ensured I was able to pick one up a ticket (Bronze member) as was a mate who only has booking history (non member)

Was a good trip that one, we looked ok until conceding as well.

 

[Shearstone]

You can also add United away in the league cup to this list!

Mass tickets sent back by presumably away members ensured I was able to pick one up a ticket (Bronze member) as was a mate who only has booking history (non member)

Yeah I was at Old Trafford for that game too, bloody trek to an away friendly pub though!

 

[MansfieldRef]

Yeah I was at Old Trafford for that game too, bloody trek to an away friendly pub though!

We ended up over the road at the Se7en Brothers tap room on Wharf road, they even put some greek food on. 2 mins walk from the stadium. Quality beer and food, dead close to the ground.

 

[MansfieldRef]

We ended up over the road at the Se7en Brothers tap room on Wharf road, they even put some greek food on. 2 mins walk from the stadium. Quality beer and food, dead close to the ground.

Was just a little unfortunate that they played the 1st leg on the TVs in there.

 

[glosterred]

Yeah I was at Old Trafford for that game too, bloody trek to an away friendly pub though!

Lime Bar in Salford Quays for us - tbf was a good set up there and would go again should I be fortunate enough to pick up a ticket!