It is the first away game of the season and no tougher assignment than a trip to the home of the treble winning Premier League and Champions League winners, Manchester City. It’s a nutty kick-off time at 8pm on a Saturday night with supporters from the North East not getting home the same day they left the house.
The added complication to the day for Mags travelling to The Etihad is what is in my opinion, some completely over the top measures to combat what the club believes to be ticket touting and a misuse of the loyalty scheme.
Misuse of the loyalty scheme is a contentious issue without a great deal of hard evidence it is a big issue, given pre-takeover many games went to zero points. I’m fond of describing travelling away to see United play as dependent upon an eco-system of relationships between fans which sustain supporters’ buses that have taken people to away games for decades as well as ensured away ends at the other end of the country have been filled by exiles and provided support to the team in some very lean years.
Ticket touting is wrong. I loathe it and will support measures to stop it. But random ID checks conducted in the draconian style of totalitarian states is way over the top. It is a sledge hammer to crack a nut.
There are big problems with what United has described here and I question if those drafting these diktats have much experience of going to away games and in particular understand the lay-out of The Etihad, the need for segregation, security and associated palaver of standing in a queue in a cramped, fenced-off, dark area, being patted down for security purposes with dogs sniffing out drugs? Away games are the pursuit of the totally committed.
I would urge those employed by United within the Supporters Liaison structure to be at The Etihad, at the entrance to the away end on Saturday night and report back their findings.
We all know the majority of football grounds fill up about 20 minutes before KO. Imagine getting to a turnstile and being prevented from entering despite holding a ticket you have paid good money for and then having to go to a ticket office at the other side of the stadium, perhaps wearing club colours as home fans make their way to their seats? Likely missing a good chunk of the game? It does not make any sense. Imagine if your mobility is limited or you have a health concern? Imagine if you are a woman on your own?
The club is now giving a de-facto instruction to Newcastle United fans travelling to away games to carry forms of ID with them and photographic evidence of who they are but have not said what will suffice. Is it really the case perfectly law-abiding, loyal supporters need to take a current pass-port or driving licence with them to go to a football match?
We are not a country with an ID card system and previous governments have considered and rejected adopting such a regime on grounds of civil liberties.I’m told this has become common practice at festivals and other live events. I’m told that but my lived experience is never having to take a form of ID to a gig or being inconvenienced in the way set out by United in the way described in their release today (17/Aug/23).
I have been going to see Newcastle United play home and away for 50+ years and have not once been asked to prove my identity. I’ve been to dozens of gigs and never been asked to prove who I am.
But here we are in 2023 with supporters who are too often the victims of touts and scammers being treated as though they are the problem.
Darren Eales (Ch Exec) has claimed he wants United to engage with supporters. They are very warm words. But I wonder who the club has engaged with to get these arrangements signed off.
It certainly isn’t anyone from the Newcastle United Supporters Trust (click here) who is on the record as expressing satisfaction with how the system works currently. The Trust is our club’s only democratically constituted, fan-led organisation. NUST has played no part in supporting this.
United picked a bad day to land this given so many of United’s hard-core away support feel victimised and potentially inconvenienced by these measures.
Point me in the direction of any serious fan media who think United’s arrangements for Saturday night or workable or desirable.
Think again United otherwise going to support Newcastle United is going to turn into a ballache for some of the most committed supporters the club has.
Keep On, Keepin’ On …
Michael Martin, @TFMick1892
It’s almost as if our disgusting, autocratic owners get turned on by treating their subjects like shit, eh?
I’ve gone away for 37 years following United, built up loads of loyalty points over the years when folk didn’t want to know and including when scores of games went to zero points (when we were shit). Since then, I’ve had bairns, go away 3-4 times a season and otherwise have been happy to help fellow loyal Mags (friends) with tickets for aways when they’ve not been able to get them.
But now I’m the epitome of evil. And should be grateful for getting onto SJP 20 minutes after kick off for the match. Great, eh. Legacy fan that.
Oh, and I saw the Trust’s tweets on the issue earlier in the week which weren’t entirely consistent with their previous utterances on the issue.
Whilst they seem to be going OTT, there is reported to be a side trade in people getting tickets based on their loyalty points and hence keeping the points up but then giving those tickets to close friends and relations.
Probably less than 15%, but enough.
The current system essentially means I, as a mere member living in London, has no chance to watch my team at away games where previously I have had some sort of a chance. Is that fair?
Let’s see how it pans out as nothing will be perfect. Just hope they sometimes allow members to get away tickets as away games are the best by a good margin sometimes.
you should have an excellent chance to get one for Brighton mate.
The fact that the points for the City game went down to 10 shows it’s more than 15% of tickets were being sold on last season. I bet it was close to 30%.
It was impossible for me to get tickets last season. The lowest it got to was 20 for Brighton and I bet that was because of the train stikes.
Of course I’m biased because I only have 10 points so this new system has worked for me.
I can’t see how this is not going to course significant bother, issues, chew and general confusion. I was at Palace last year and it was am absolute nightmare getting in, with people getting edgier as KO approached. The queues were huge and we just made it in having arrived a good hour before KO. If one of our tickets was rejected for ID checks, it would neither have been safe or even feasible to leave to find a ticket office. Its beyond a joke.
Great point – Man U, Liverpool both spring to mind as difficult to get in and out – a truly baffling decision