Empty seats in lower FF - solutions?

[Mibbes Aye]

I bought four STs this season - two adults, one youth, one child. Due to various commitments on Saturday mornings, we don't always know until the last minute whether we can make it - we stay a fair distance away from ER and if anything over-runs on a Sat morning then it becomes problematic.

So far, we've managed one home league game (and that was only three of us), though yesterday was a late call-off and we had thought we were going. Our aim is to get to as many games as possible but I bought the tickets knowing fine well that we wouldn't get to them all.

Not lying - the chance to get priority on Hampden tickets was a sweetener but even saying that, we aren't able to go to the SF!

So yes, our four seats will sometimes, maybe often, not all be filled but that's the way it goes for us. When we can make it we do make it and the seats certainly weren't bought to get first dibs for finals etc. I suspect that is true of a number of ST holders.

[NASAHIBS]

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These tickets are the gateway for kids to become full time fans, we started with two kids and an adult now we are one kid and a youth so shortly we'll have two youths and probably move elsewhere in the ground thus freeing up a couple of kids seats. Where is the problem with that if the tickets are appropriately purchased? We started when ST sales were 7-8k and no one moaned then, even more recently there were overseas fans being congratulated for purchasing STs even though they can't attend, Imo the only games where it will be a problem are the 3 mentioned but do we just stop encouraging the new youngsters?
The same rubbish was spouted about the loyalty scheme and the club succumbed to the vocal minority and scrapped it totally, hopefully they're not so daft this time

Totally agree. I stay on the west coast, and have had a season ticket for years. I have a 5 year old who I want to be part of the future Hibs support and she has also had a season ticket since she was 2. I don't want her to grow up and end up supporting one of the bigot brothers, and the FF season tickets give me the chance to encourage her along. We don't get to all games due to other commitments, but i have always stumped up to put money into the club. and can honestly say have never used the wee ones season ticket status to abuse the ticket situation for semi finals/finals etc which we have been blessed with the last few years. As much as I can, I also let Hibs know if one or both tickets aren't being used so they can re-sell. We should be encouraging the future support and not penalising them (and folk like myself) should we not be able to make 3 games in a row!!

[Billy Whizz]

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Thank you very much for the offer, I really appreciate it but that game is slap bang in the middle of my next trip on the ship. We will be getting to two games during my next leave. Going to be at the Dundee game on the 4th and the St Johnstone game on the 18th. Hopefully be able to meet up with some of you guys in the future though.

No worries

[Dashing Bob S]

If they miss a game - hang em.

Simple as that.

[Swedish hibee]

I used to buy a ST in the FF Lower and some seasons I never used to attend a game. Stopped a few seasons back and the money goes towards the weekend cabin now! I paid an adult price like everyone else, and what I chose to do was up to me. I was hardly denying a fan a ticket and hibs needed the money at the time. There's probably others like me still.

[Keith_M]

Remove the seats?

[Nicho87]

Send them to tynie

[Kaff]

Hopefully the replies of 60, Mibbes, NASA and Swedish show that there are very good reasons to allay the fears of other supporters that there is generally proper use of the FF ticket situation

[Albanian Hibs]

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Aberdeen is a Cat A game but everyone that wanted a seat yesterday got 1 so no need to include that game

No its not. It was a cat b game.

[Johnny Clash]

I just don’t understand why ST holders who can’t make games don’t just send a simple email releasing the seats.

Literally takes seconds.

[NAE NOOKIE]

I understand that some folk buy kids tickets for the FF lower with no intention of bringing their kids to every game, for a load of reasons its not always possible for kids to go. I also get it that some folk pay for an adult season ticket in the full knowledge that they might not make many games, which is a wonderful commitment to the club, good on em'

But the number of empty seats in the FF lower at just about every game this season is a bit of a mystery ... Aberdeen is traditionally one of our biggest games of the season and Saturday was much anticipated, it was also a 3pm kick off and not on the telly, which incidentally has been the case for all of our home games so far this season. From that POV the number of empty seats in the FF was and is surprising .... every dot count this season has shown very few seats left in the FF lower by Friday evening so they are not unsold seats .... it does all seem a bit strange.

For most games its not a big deal because there are enough seats left to fit in everybody who wants to go, even if they do have to go to the south. But that wont be the case for the derby which has been sold out for weeks, in which case there really should be a drive by the club to encourage ST holders who aren't going to let them know the seat will be available ... a simple E Mail or phone call to the club should do it. If 300 seats are made available to Hibs in this way and they are all sold to adults that's £8,400 into the clubs coffers ... or 3 players weekly wages.

If we play the ugly sisters and the Yams twice each at ER this season and that pattern is followed it comes to £50,400 ... not an insignificant sum of money.

[SouthsideHarp_Bhoy]

Should kids tickets not just be made more expensive, or cat B?

I know the argument that we should encourage kids to attend, but the whole problem is them not attending!

Its a tricky one for the club though.

[RoYO!]

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Clearly been purchased by fans who know they will be attending the bigger games and doing an upgrade for each match.

You'd think that, but there will be someone along to *categorically* deny that it happens. As in, fact. End of. Oh ye, how could we be so ridiculous to suggest such a thing!?

Happens every time this thread gets started.

[Phil MaGlass]

I reckon had we actually resold all the seats that were empty on Sat. We would not have had to open the South

[RoYO!]

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I reckon had we actually resold all the seats that were empty on Sat. We would not have had to open the South

And that's just in the north lower! :P

[Keith_M]

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You'd think that, but there will be someone along to *categorically* deny that it happens. As in, fact. End of. Oh ye, how could we be so ridiculous to suggest such a thing!?

Happens every time this thread gets started.

How about we just agree that it's a mixture of reasons the seats are empty then; loads of people whose kids only go occasionally (as some of the parents have stated on here) and some people that buy themselves an adult ticket, and then also spend 25 quid on a kids ticket so they can cash in on it... on the off chance Hibs reach a final.


What we don't want to do is throw the baby out with the bath water, and do away with the cheap seats completely. It seems like these have been a great way to introduce future supporters to Easter Road.

[Swedish hibee]

As the wee band of St Mirren fans showed on the final day of last season, you don't need many to get an atmosphere going. They made more noise than the rest of ER. All I seem to read on net lately is dot count, atmosphere, empty seats.. We are not winning games! And if we don't win the derby (oh god) this place will go into melt down & that will have nothing to do with how many people are in the ground. I don't watch games & worry about the 50 empty seats in the stand, I worry about our passing, defending, strikers not scoring.. Motherwell, St Johnstone fans either don't worry about the size of the gate do they?

[Michael]

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I just don’t understand why ST holders who can’t make games don’t just send a simple email releasing the seats.

Literally takes seconds.

If people aren't doing it, then we probably need an easier way to do it. Maybe a ticket app which could also have the barcode for entry so you don't need the card.

[madhibee_again]

I've said this before, and I'm sure there are many others in a similar situation as me, but I bought a child's season ticket next to my Dad, brother and I so that I could start to bring along my youngest (3) and my eldest - when she shows an interest, which isn't showing currently! They won't be at every game, and at the stages they are at I wouldn't take them to every game, just those that they ask to go along to. A 3 year old sitting in the freezing, cold, wind and rain isn't fun for anyone. But being able to take him and start to get him in the habit of going, begins to get him hooked for the future and means I know I can get a seat beside me.

Where I know 100% the seat won't be used (i.e. the derby) I'll contact the TO and release the seat, but there's times when I won't know until the last minute. I have a feeling many will be in the same boat.

The family stand is always likely to be the one with the most gaps, due to holidays, kids parties, everything else that life throws at kids.

For one season Hibs put in additional checks and different turnstiles for adults and kids, these are no longer there, which would make me think there is no real issue with people buying cheap seats for cup final tickets and the situation described above is more likely.

[Eaststandee]

We could always just ignore the empty seats and claim a sell out every week, that's what big teams do.

[Ronniekirk]

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I just don’t understand why ST holders who can’t make games don’t just send a simple email releasing the seats.

Literally takes seconds.

This for me Did it for the first time last ftiday and will do it for every game i cant go to in Future it really is that simple If a Luddite like me can do it anyone can
However its clear thsts iether not happening or they are being freed up and thete isnt the demand
I think its clear a lot of people have invested in the Club by buying a Season Ticket this year knowing they will hardly use it Maybe hibs need to remind people at point of buying how to free up thier seat If they arent going to be using it
Out of interest does anyone know anyone thst wanted to go on Saturday and and couldnt get a ticket Suspect thier weren't that many
Our support has grown beyond expectation but the Hearts game apart i dont think we are yet at a stage where we. Ould sell out week on week in with a thousand or so supporters regulary unable to get in
I

[Nakedmanoncrack]

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How about we just agree that it's a mixture of reasons the seats are empty then; loads of people whose kids only go occasionally (as some of the parents have stated on here) and some people that buy themselves an adult ticket, and then also spend 25 quid on a kids ticket so they can cash in on it... on the off chance Hibs reach a final.


What we don't want to do is throw the baby out with the bath water, and do away with the cheap seats completely. It seems like these have been a great way to introduce future supporters to Easter Road.

How exactly are they cashing in if we get to a cup final? Who is the cup final ticket for? The adult ST holder is guaranteed a ticket anyway, why would you pay £25 to give yourself a chance of being able to buy a ticket for someone else for a hypothetical cup final? How many people miss out on cup final tickets anyway? I'm a ST holder this season, but for first time in about 8 years, never had any trouble getting tickets for Hampden in those years. If you want one, you get one and witjout throwing away money on kids STs.

[TorMTH]

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What does the Gunge machine look like

I like the idea that the £25 kids ticket is for Cat B games. £25 in this day and age for 19 home league games is absolute peanuts
It’s £75/85 for a kids in the East

You however have a far superior view of the game in the East, as opposed to down the front of the FF

Sent from my P12 using Tapatalk

[Keith_M]

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How exactly are they cashing in if we get to a cup final? Who is the cup final ticket for? The adult ST holder is guaranteed a ticket anyway, why would you pay £25 to give yourself a chance of being able to buy a ticket for someone else for a hypothetical cup final? How many people miss out on cup final tickets anyway? I'm a ST holder this season, but for first time in about 8 years, never had any trouble getting tickets for Hampden in those years. If you want one, you get one and witjout throwing away money on kids STs.

Don't jump on me, bud, I was only summarizing the claim that others have made.


I think the jist of it is that some people are saying that folk are trying to get extra tickets for Cup Finals to then sell them on to others... or something like that.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

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Don't jump on me, bud, I was only summarizing the claim that others have made.


I think the jist of it is that some people are saying that folk are trying to get extra tickets for Cup Finals to then sell them on to others... or something like that.

Not having a go at you, it's a claim we all hear but it's baseless, an elaborate scam that might come off we get to a cup final and there is sufficient demand for people to pay vastly over the odds for a ticket from a fellow supporter. Yet we've only had 8 Scottish Cup, and 10 League cup finals since the war, most of which didn't sell out, I don't know anyone who has ever paid over face value for a cup final ticket, and the only one that it was at all difficult to get a ticket for was 'that' one.

[Onceinawhile]

The stadium wasn't sold out, so who cares if some seats were empty? It's hardly prime seating.

[Johnny Clash]

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If people aren't doing it, then we probably need an easier way to do it. Maybe a ticket app which could also have the barcode for entry so you don't need the card.

Very good idea mate

[Johnny Clash]

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This for me Did it for the first time last ftiday and will do it for every game i cant go to in Future it really is that simple If a Luddite like me can do it anyone can
However its clear thsts iether not happening or they are being freed up and thete isnt the demand
I think its clear a lot of people have invested in the Club by buying a Season Ticket this year knowing they will hardly use it Maybe hibs need to remind people at point of buying how to free up thier seat If they arent going to be using it
Out of interest does anyone know anyone thst wanted to go on Saturday and and couldnt get a ticket Suspect thier weren't that many
Our support has grown beyond expectation but the Hearts game apart i dont think we are yet at a stage where we. Ould sell out week on week in with a thousand or so supporters regulary unable to get in
I

always did think Luddites were cool and got a bad press!

Thing is, even if a game isn’t a complete sell out I think it’s only fair to release my seat in the middle of the East so that some hibby can enjoy the view.

[hailhail22]

I didn't know until late on Saturday that I couldn't go so would of been to late to contact the ticket office to resell the seats so that would of been 3 empty ones.

I got my daughter a season ticket who is just coming up 15 months, took her to the Partick game and Motherwell but trying to get her to sit for 90minutes is impossible so doubt I will be taking her much this season, More than happy to contact the ticket office so the seat can be re sold

[iwasthere1972]

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I didn't know until late on Saturday that I couldn't go so would of been to late to contact the ticket office to resell the seats so that would of been 3 empty ones.

I got my daughter a season ticket who is just coming up 15 months, took her to the Partick game and Motherwell but trying to get her to sit for 90minutes is impossible so doubt I will be taking her much this season, More than happy to contact the ticket office so the seat can be re sold

So she's 14 months then.

That's just too young as far as I'm concerned. Can't imagine that they will have a Scooby...a bit like the ref on Saturday. Don't take it the wrong way but it wouldn't have been me. Need too much attention at that age.