FA Cup Draw

Just wanted to add my congratulations to the team, Simon, Irving and family, and all at the club.

Regarding pay at the gate or tickets…I also am concerned that some of the 200 odd of us who have turned up on a freezing Tuesday night in January etc. for the last few seasons may miss out.

Maybe it’s me getting a bit over excited (steady), but I think we could get up to 2000 there...There is 3 weeks to ramp up the interest.

My main worry though is, what happens if/when we get through to the next round and draw a big club at home?

Here’s a idea - at the next home game we should be able to buy a numbered ticket, or voucher, for one Home match.

Then, if/when we get through, and the match is at Wetherby Road, we know we’re going to get in, and the club will know how many they can let in by paying at the gate.

If we don’t get through (we will I know)..then those additional ‘supporters’ will either have to come to a normal league match….and possibly become regulars, or lose their money.

Any thoughts?

For a really big tie tickets could maybe be sold, er, 'carnet' style - FA cup tickets [other than to season ticket holders] can only be bought as part of a little book of 5 tickets, the other 4 being for non-FA cup games. though I suppose that some people might be uncomfortable with paying all the money upfront.

I think the simple fact regarding tickets is that regardless of if it is ticketed or not those people who are actual supporters of the club will find a way to get to the Hastings (or any following) game. There may be 4,000+ interested in the game but I'm willing to wager that regular Town fans would be willing to make the sacrifices to make sure they are there whatever happens. I live in Newcastle at the moment but there is no way I am missing this, or any subsequent FA cup game for any reason.

On a side note will segregation be in effect for the Hastings game?

Some good points here guys.

At the moment, the club are trying to make the game a pay on the gate affair, but obviously we have to abide by certain stipulations from the FA and other rules. As soon as a firm outcome is known I will post it on our official sites/media feeds.

Regarding segregation, that is also being discussed and we are taking on board what the local authorities/police/Fa etc are saying. Again once info is known I will get it to you guys ASAP.

Kind regards,

Peter

If it is pay at the gate i imagine there will be long queues as there were at the Torquay replay a few years ago. I queued for about an hour i think. It would be a good idea to allow season ticket holders like myself to 'jump the queue' & not have to worry about if they will get in or not. The loyal committed supporters need to be given some sort of priority. I'm sure the club has already considered this but i just thought i mention it anyway.

I’m not too concerned about getting in to the Hastings match if it’s pay at the gate,‘cos like TooManyPies says, the committed supporters will be there early. (I was in the ground before 6.00 p.m. for the Torquay game).

But if the match for the next round is at WR then we could do with knowing asap what we need to do to ensure we get in. (for example – I have a trip arranged, but if the day that the tickets come on sale falls during that period…..then the trip is off....and no, she doesn’t know about it yet).

TFP’s idea about a book of 5 tickets takes my thoughts a step further but he/she makes a good point about the affordability for ordinary fans.

Stating the obvious, but the decision needs to be made before the Hastings match, and preferably before the next home match.

Also, the season ticket holders should take priority..I’m not one.

I also believe the season ticket holders should get priority (and I'm not one either - I'm going to miss too many games to make it economically viable).

I'd council the club to be very careful about any possible voucher scheme, that's to say a scheme where they give people who attend the next home match(es) a voucher to "prove" that they are a supporter. My league club tried that once and so many were photocopied that it became untenable when we needed to exchange them for tickets to a big cup tie. Average gates at the time were 3,500 and they had at least 8,000 vouchers from each match according to those who turned up to claim their cup tickets!

Fair point DG, but I think what I envisaged wasn’t just handing out vouchers.

It would be a bought, numbered ticket, for one home match, with all the safeguards which would normally be in place. You could leave your name, address or a password (I know I’m getting in to it now)

Then when you turn up at the gate, if you have a ticket, but don’t know the required info, you don’t get in.

Incidentally, I would think there should be a maximum number of tickets which can be bought by one person.

Am I getting a bit ahead of myself here?

I think it will be a logistic nightmare and possibly a waste of time to put a ticket system n place for a round 3 match that may even be played away or not played at all, but that said making the tickets available at a home game (if there is a home game before hand) before the game if we get there would be a good idea.

Reminds me of a good few years ago when Scarborough FC drew Chelsea and tickets were made available at the home game before...As you can imagine the queues was huge, however the tickets started to sell out really quickly and when a steward announced all tickets were sold out the queue then dwindled to a handful of fans just going to see the game on the day..Funnily those few including me bought one of the last tickets for the Chelsea game.

Unfortunately I don't have a season ticket either, wasn't sure whether I would get to many games with the kids and wife's work predicament, but has worked out well and I have seen most including away and that unfortunately includes last night's almost bore draw!

Sorry guys, what I mean is to have an official, numbered, ticket printed.

It will have all the normal safeguards against copying etc. which any ticketed match would have.

It will be to admit one person to one Home match,…it won’t say that it’s for a FA cup or league match, or who the opponents are, or the date.

It will go on sale as soon as possible, but definitely before the Hastings match.

I don't know whether the rules state that some of that information has to be on a ticket...it's just a thought.

I'll leave it for now..hopefully Peter will be able to give us some news soon.

I think all the fans should meet on the Christchurch stray at 1.00pm The gun will go off and we all run down to the ground, first come first served. Faultless idea.

Only 500 seats which include, Directors, Officials i.e. F.A. (50), Complimentary (100) 50 each for both sides & then the sponsors!
Could easily add up to 200+ seats for the F.A. Cup game!
We had a crowd of 3,317 for the Torquay Cup replay in 2005 which included segregation!
Hastings are entitled to take up 15% of total tickets issued for the match!
Leeds away Sat 1st Dec 12.30 K.O.!
York possibly away or no game!
Railway away!!!!!!
All ticket match?

You are hitting the nail on the head Big L. An all ticket match will see fans fly through the turnstiles. If its cash on the day the queues will be a nightmare and with so many local teams big and small away or not playing Harrogate Town will be like a magnet.

Ball and Socket wrote:You are hitting the nail on the head Big L. An all ticket match will see fans fly through the turnstiles. If its cash on the day the queues will be a nightmare and with so many local teams big and small away or not playing Harrogate Town will be like a magnet.

Totally agree B&S. There will be a lot of interest from "casual" supporters. And why not? It'll be very good for the club.

Some suggestions:-

1. Temporary turnstiles at the car park gates (the hospital one next to the ground) and at the gates by the current turnstiles. I'm sure you can hire them. But this would mean extra volunteers. Out of interest does anyone know the official capacity of the ground?

2. Tickets or vouchers need some sort of hologram that's unique and easy to read. I know a man ( ) who helped forge his daughter's ID card using a hologram from a video placed upside down so she could get into nightclubs when she was 17 *ahem*. Photocopiers nowadays are very good at reproducing colours and it's surprising what lengths some will go to to beat the system.

I would suggest restricting the entry to "nice" people. But then I'd be standing all on my own..........

And me and Mr and Mrs Weaver (and Simon's brother!) would have the stand to ourselves

Hastings United web site says it is all ticket!

pie and chips wrote:Hastings United web site says it is all ticket!

Please be aware that that is the away ticket allocation - it is easier to sort the away team out them the home team. After having a meeting with Irving Weaver, we are really close to being able to release info. We are just awaiting a few i's to be dotted and t's to be crossed by officialdom!

Kind regards,

Peter

It's a waiting game until the info is released!