Beesotted contributor Billy Taylor scours the internet after the tickets to Brentford’s FA Cup match sold out to dig up Brentford fans’ thoughts and gossip from Twitter, Facebook, the Griffin Park Grapevine (GPG) and more.
Brentfords allocation of tickets for their match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge has sold out after only 2.5 days on sale. Problem? Not normally. Except for this match, the tickets sold out even before the end of the season ticket sale – meaning that season ticket holders with lesser TAP points and club members did not even get a chance to get their hands on any tickets.
You would think Brentford fans would be delighted with the news – highlighting the potential support that the club can pull in if we were ever to have continued success. However, many Bees fans are LIVID at the way the club decided to sell the tickets – offering season ticket holders the opportunity to buy two tickets in order of those with the highest points – feeling that those fans with less points and a ‘mere ‘ membership would have no chance of getting a ticket for this match.
However, as some Bees fans who were unable to get tickets felt snubbed, other Bees fans felt that the the way the tickets were allocated were fair as it rewarded Season Ticket holders who attended more away matches.
IDONTBEELIEVEIT: Same, I shell out £450 for an ST, and do occasionally like to go with someone! So taking the Mrs (or even mates who support/(are fond of) the Bees) is rather welcome (and impossible during the season as there’s never any nearby seats available). I consider that reasonable for virtually never missing a home match (and doing some aways). So I’m strongly in favour of two per person (unless the allocation is tiny and accept that’s an no win situation) if that’s at the expense of someone paying £20 and going to the odd game then so be it.
A view amongst a section of the fan base was that season ticket holders should have priority for purchasing tickets – with the TAP points system being abandoned. Once again there are contrasting thoughts on this matter.
The debate was around whether it was wise to allow season ticket holders two tickets. 6000 tickets distributed amongst 5500 season ticket holders was seen as being the crux of the problem.
With the news that the away end has sold out at Stamford Bridge some supporters are unwilling to accept defeat and have already made plans to go in behind enemy lines.
OSTERLEYBEE: So, looks like I will not be able to get a ticket. Anyone know if there is a family stand or somewhere fairly safe for me and my son to sit in the home end (sitting on hand obviously until Jota scores the winner in the last minute )
GEE BEE: There on general sale from Chelsea tomorrow with 4 per person allowance.
So as 6000 Brentford fans prepare to travel across West London to take over Stamford Bridge, many loyal Brentford fans will be left sitting on their hands in the home end or left to listen on Bees Player in the comfort of their living rooms.
The week has shown how far the club has come – with the ability to pull on a huge support within a short space of time. But it also highlights the problems that come with success.
Regardless, no matter whether Bees fan are in the stadium or back at home on Saturday 28th of January, you can be rest assured they will be dreaming of FA cup glory.
Billy Taylor
@BillyTbeesfan
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Not a problem the Mathew Harding stand will have plenty of bees in it
I am a season ticket holder and also travel away on a regular basis, will be leaving early tomorrow for the trip to Wigan and feel that the points system is the best way to give certain fans priority, but not sure I should have been given 2 tickets. Yes we deserve a ‘bonus’ but there will, no doubt, be part-time supporters who are mates getting tickets ahead of members and regular attendees
Hi, I agree you do deserve a bonus, but I’m not sure how that should be rewarded, it’s difficult I know. However I’m a season ticket holder, and have been for years, but I can’t get to every game because of work commitments, but I’m happy to pay the club because I’m a supporter. I’m sad to miss out on our ‘day’ and it’s a little disappointing that part time supporters, ‘mates’ wives & girlfriends get priority through the ‘2’ ticket system – heyho, I suppose that’s what ‘Bees Player’ was invented for! Still disappointed though
Struggling to see how most “proper loyal” fans who don’t have season tickets also don’t have mates with season tickets who could have used their extra ticket option?
Also not sure that “most Bees are livid” about the arrangements – do we really need Breitbart style deliberate misinterpretation of facts here?
To be fair with 6k tickets on sale with 5.5k season ticket holders … and even more members .. we would think that most bees would be livid as many bees fans (regardless of whether they go regularly or not) would have not got tickets. whether they would ‘qualify’ is not the point here. if you look online, there are fans who hardly go at all but are still livid that they did not get ticket.
so the phrase is not qualifying whether these fans are right to be livid. it’s merely emphasising the fact that many bees are livid … so maybe we’ll change that from most to many …
I would suggest “some” rather than “many” but that’s not such a good story.
Anyway it looks like one of the “some” is the bloke who runs the grumblewhine, which is always entertaining LOL
I had the opportunity to purchase tickets as both my son and I are season ticket holders. My daughter who is 21 and who I rarely see expressed an interest to come along. However, when I attempted to buy online I could not add the additional ticket and my sons together. This meant that I would have to buy the ticket for my daughter and I on my season ticket number and then get my sons sepretely, of course the danger of this would be the tickets not being together. This would not be ideal for a 10 year old! I emailed the club, but have still had no reply three days later! Plus we have now missed the opportunity to go along. Not happy……..
have you set up the friends & family option within your BFC account?
So as a member with 1500+ points should it mean that a first time season ticket holder get priority ?
Have learnt this lesson about friends and family from past experience – on a 1 ticket per person, the 4 ST holders in the family couldn’t sit anywhere near each other. Now 3 of us are linked, so this time I could buy 4 tickets for 4 ST holders using the f&f link. Just hope there aren’t any ST holders out there who bought one they don’t need with a view to selling on