Family Enclosure/ST Holders

[SPARKSY]

I'm a ST holder of some 35 years. My daughter is 9 years old and a Junior Gunner.
In previous seasons, when I have bought her a ticket I have been allowed to switch my seat from the East Stand, to one in the Family Enclosure to sit next to her. There is no financial benefit just a straight swap.
Obviously, no sane parent would allow one so young to go alone to a game, so it was a sensible solution. I mean, haven't parents taken their kids to football since 1886??
Anyway, it seems the wonders that run that organisation (I wont call it a club) don't allow this anymore as "its a new club policy".
No answer for me, when I asked what I should do now or "Would you allow your young daughter to go alone"? Only that I could buy another 2 red memberships so we could go together. Hello, I ve just spunked £1100 on memberships!
Was really fucked off at first but now I'm just resigned to it. Not surprised by their attitude tbh but only wish I had known before I renewed. That way I could have saved the cost of not only a JG membership but £1100 on my ST.
Just wondering if anyone else has come across the same problem.

[augie]

It is absolutely f.ucking ridiculous policy, and you do wonder what dickhead came up with the idea

Perhaps you should email the club telling them that you are accepting their decision but will expect the stwards to bear responsibility if your daughter gets upset for whatever reason during a game, and you will also expect the stewards to bring her to and from the toilet as and when needed. We'll see how quickly they will backpeddle then

[DB10GOONER]

This club just gets more fucking ludicrous with every season.

Are there no small scale hat makers we can sue so we can leave our fans in peace?

[OneBardGooner]

jeeezusss H...I mean what kind of company are Arsene FC - The motto is Victory Through Harmony - Once a most apt Motto on the Crest & Badge - NOT any fuckking more.

I wou=uld be tempted to go to the press/papers/radio - they love a 'story' anything that will put this business that once was Our Club - in a bad light - I would never have suggested that before, ever, but now!? - I really am beginning to hate the every last one of the cunnts.

Disgusting.

There is no way any sensible parent is going to let their child/ren go alone in the gorund..FFS what kind of people are thye - Write to Gazidis (yeah Beezlebub himslef) and ask if he would let his kids alone to the mercy of whomever is aorund?



Arsenal the once Caring, Family Club - Now a Business Who Cares Only About Profit.

[SPARKSY]

Subject: RE: - FAO Beverley Douglas

Thank you for your Email regarding relocation into the Family Enclosure to sit with your daughter, for the game v Southampton, to be played on 10th September 2016.

Please be advised that Season Ticket Holders; Gold Members who previously requested relocation to the Family Enclosure with their Junior Gunners children can no longer do so. In the past and on the rare occasion when requested, this facility was allowed on a discretionary basis only.

The Family Enclosure is the area of the ground where our concessionary members purchase their tickets; up to two additional members are allowed to sit in that area if accompanied by a Junior Gunners member. When you purchased your General Admission Gold Season Tickets, you did so according to the terms and conditions of a General Season Ticket. Unfortunately nowhere in the General Admissions Season Ticket terms and conditions does it stipulate you can relocate to the Family Enclosure with your Junior Gunners members. Season Ticket Holders purchase as to the terms and conditions of that membership; a permanent seat in the stadium, renewable each season to retain same seats. The only variation to those terms and conditions are for Season Ticket Holders who sit in a specific area of the stadium, who would be re-allocated to another seat for Champions League fixtures.

As stated above, until recently, we afforded General Admission Gold members the opportunity to relocate to the Family Enclosure discretionarily, however, as the Junior Gunners membership base increases, likewise with our Senior Citizen memberships, these are all contributing factors as to why the Family Enclosure terms and conditions are now being adhered to. There is also a section within the Family Enclosure that is Season Ticket based and these Season Tickets are sold out. When the Junior Gunner is no longer eligible to sit within this area the season ticket holders are offered other seats within the General Admission area of the stadium. Due to continuing pressure from our Red Members to sit with their Junior Gunner members we are unable to grant Season Ticket Holders relocation into the Family Enclosure, as there is not sufficient availability to suffice our concession Silver and Red level members. I am sure you understand this from our perspective.

I am sorry that my response is not more positive.

Yours sincerely on Behalf of Beverley


Make of this what you will.
A very corporate reply and none of the common sense that is required. Doesn't really answer the issue of children having to sit alone.
If not the FE, why can't parents/kids move to another part of the ground?
There is no advantage over anyone else so I fail to understand the logic.

[Ed Hunter The Gooner]

WTF??????

I am not an expert by any means about this but seriously WTF? How is it possible that they don't let parents sit with their kids if they're junior gooners ffs! I haven't heard ever anything like this, seriously. How the hell they can expect that adults should leave their kids alone in 60k capacity stadium?

[Perryashburtongroves]

Utter contempt and total disregard for the supporters yet again from this joke of a club. It's not a club any more, we're not fans any more. It might as well just be a Japanese or Chinese bank and we might as well just be called customers or clients or some other patronising rubbish. What a fucking ridiculous decision from them. Which total dickhead come up with this stupid idea?

In terms of action, were the changes to this policy made clear to you before you made the decision to renew your season ticket and renew your daughter's membership? If not, why has it been changed without the paying public being informed? That's not a fair and reasonable exchange of money for services. Secondly, if this was just an ad-hoc, unfofficial thing which went on before, why was it allowed? At any point, did anyone inform you that what you were doing wasn't wholly allowed? If not, then why were you allowed to keep doing something which wasn't allowed? Why did they happily let you engage in something against the terms of your ST when it could have landed you in trouble? Thirdly, I think you ask them why they sell memberships to minors when their parent can't actually go to the games with them? Why do they think it is appropriate to make you purchase another membership when you already hold a ST and they have explicitly informed us that we are only meant to have one type of membeship? As another poster has said, if they are happy to sell a ticket to a 9 year old child, who do they think is going to be responsible for them? Do they have a policy which informs us of the age at which an unattended child can attend a game. The government recommend that no child under 12 should be left in their own home by themselves, but Arsenal seem to support the view that a 9 year old can attend a football match on their own. Why is that? As for the bit about the section getting too busy, well so what? Cap it for a bit and stop new members from joining. Do that or change the terms of membership for new members that they can only purchase tickets for certain matches. There are 18 home games a season, so divide them into three sections and limit new members to just one section. That way, the congestion won't be so bad. Perhaps when a member has done 5 years or whatever and been to a certain number of games, the can buy tickets to all games. Same for OAPs.

Anyway, don't let it just rest. Get on to them again and keep asking 'why'. Then, when you get pissed off enough, pick up the phone, call a tabloid newspaper and tell them that the club are ripping fans off and think it's fine for 9 year old girls tondo on their own or are trying to stop parents going to matches with their kids. They'll love that. They always love a good story about greed in football.

[DB10GOONER]

Subject: RE: - FAO Beverley Douglas

Thank you for your Email regarding relocation into the Family Enclosure to sit with your daughter, for the game v Southampton, to be played on 10th September 2016.

Please be advised that Season Ticket Holders; Gold Members who previously requested relocation to the Family Enclosure with their Junior Gunners children can no longer do so. In the past and on the rare occasion when requested, this facility was allowed on a discretionary basis only.

The Family Enclosure is the area of the ground where our concessionary members purchase their tickets; up to two additional members are allowed to sit in that area if accompanied by a Junior Gunners member. When you purchased your General Admission Gold Season Tickets, you did so according to the terms and conditions of a General Season Ticket. Unfortunately nowhere in the General Admissions Season Ticket terms and conditions does it stipulate you can relocate to the Family Enclosure with your Junior Gunners members. Season Ticket Holders purchase as to the terms and conditions of that membership; a permanent seat in the stadium, renewable each season to retain same seats. The only variation to those terms and conditions are for Season Ticket Holders who sit in a specific area of the stadium, who would be re-allocated to another seat for Champions League fixtures.

As stated above, until recently, we afforded General Admission Gold members the opportunity to relocate to the Family Enclosure discretionarily, however, as the Junior Gunners membership base increases, likewise with our Senior Citizen memberships, these are all contributing factors as to why the Family Enclosure terms and conditions are now being adhered to. There is also a section within the Family Enclosure that is Season Ticket based and these Season Tickets are sold out. When the Junior Gunner is no longer eligible to sit within this area the season ticket holders are offered other seats within the General Admission area of the stadium. Due to continuing pressure from our Red Members to sit with their Junior Gunner members we are unable to grant Season Ticket Holders relocation into the Family Enclosure, as there is not sufficient availability to suffice our concession Silver and Red level members. I am sure you understand this from our perspective.

I am sorry that my response is not more positive.

Yours sincerely on Behalf of Beverley



Make of this what you will.
A very corporate reply and none of the common sense that is required. Doesn't really answer the issue of children having to sit alone.
If not the FE, why can't parents/kids move to another part of the ground?
There is no advantage over anyone else so I fail to understand the logic.

What the absolute fuck? That's pure corporate-speak! You should let the papers have this, mate. Lovely headline;

"Corporate Arsenal expect 9 year old child to sit alone surrounded by strangers in a stadium in London!"

[augie]

Absolutely agree 100% with the suggestion that you go to the papers with this - we all agree that AFC is now a business and not a football club, and the one thing that no business wants is bad publicity. The headline stating that AFC expects 9 year old to sit on her own, would provoke outrage amongst the Arsenal fans who wouldn't know about this, and I'm sure it would cause serious backlash in the wider football community.
It's clear that AFC expects individual fans to begrudgingly accept decisions like this without any backlash - no doubt this is partially our own fault cos Gooners can never seem to unite to protest over any one issue As well as the outrage of expecting a 9 year old to sit on their own, this will also be viewed as a money decision and from a club that pisses off away fans all over the country for demanding the highest priced tickets from those away fans

[wilko49er]

Let the daily fail know they love this kind of stuff. Dont forget to mention the value of your house. But seriously, dont let that cooperate bullshit answer lie. That women needs putting in her place. Fuck policy!! You cannot have 9 year old kids attending games on their own. Funny how they draw your attention to rules about seating. Well why did they let you have seperate memberships in the first place? and take your money? Unless i have missed something.
Arsenal the club that cares about your money and bugger all else.

[Basil is a Gooner]

I didnt know this had been withdrawn and have always thought that there needs to be a proper way for parents to sit with their kids at a game - its crazy you can buy a JG seat on its own. Even the young guns enclosure means from age 12 they can sit alone - although this suits some kids my daughter doesnt want to sit there by herself and does actually want to sit with me! Also there phone signal is so bad in the stadium its almost impossible to stay in touch during or after the game to make sure they are ok.

My other gripe is concessional season tickets for oaps - why are you limited to sitting in the FE when you want to continue with your usual seat where you have sat for years with family/friends just because of your age?

[DB10GOONER]

I didnt know this had been withdrawn and have always thought that there needs to be a proper way for parents to sit with their kids at a game - its crazy you can buy a JG seat on its own. Even the young guns enclosure means from age 12 they can sit alone - although this suits some kids my daughter doesnt want to sit there by herself and does actually want to sit with me! Also there phone signal is so bad in the stadium its almost impossible to stay in touch during or after the game to make sure they are ok.

My other gripe is concessional season tickets for oaps - why are you limited to sitting in the FE when you want to continue with your usual seat where you have sat for years with family/friends just because of your age?

There's no way you are an OAP Baz!! I've seen the photos!

[Red Snapper]

I didnt know this had been withdrawn and have always thought that there needs to be a proper way for parents to sit with their kids at a game - its crazy you can buy a JG seat on its own. Even the young guns enclosure means from age 12 they can sit alone - although this suits some kids my daughter doesnt want to sit there by herself and does actually want to sit with me! Also there phone signal is so bad in the stadium its almost impossible to stay in touch during or after the game to make sure they are ok.

My other gripe is concessional season tickets for oaps - why are you limited to sitting in the FE when you want to continue with your usual seat where you have sat for years with family/friends just because of your age?

Probably because the whole stadium would be full of old codgers like me paying as little as 11 or 12 quid for a ticket. A friend of mine who, despite his advanced age, continues to pay full price so he can still sit with his mates and that's fair enough.

[augie]

I am curious to know what, if anything, sparksy has decided to do about this situation

I guess by nature I could be described as militant/argumentative, so I would not just let this lie without taking it to the very highest or lowest level. Bringing it to the tabloids would be an absolute certainty if it was me, but seeing as we have heard nothing about it, I guess it is safe to assume that sparksy didn't go this route.

[goonertom1995]

Absolutely ridiculous!