Match Preview/Thread - Airdrieonians vs Morton (Playoff Final 18th/21st May)

[pink_panther]

The other 100 tickets have now gone. I might have to sneak in under a banner tomorrow and stay the night. 

[The Bewilderedbeast]

Let me try and clear things up a bit.

The "Blazer" and "Fkn Moron" some of you refer to is actually a founder member of MCT. So there is no chance that he'll be "emptied" at the beginning of June.

It was actually me that instigated the conversation with him by saying that I thought the club would have held the general sale of tickets before Tuesdays game to try and get some guaranteed revenue, all be it a maximum of £1500. Because, had Airdrie won 2/3 nil, the likelihood was that no one would have wanted to go on Friday in those circumstances. Therefore the club would have had our money on their pocket irrespective of people turning up or not.

He then went on to say that the reason they did not do that was that no matter if they sold 500 or 1000 tickets, this particular game would run at a loss. 

He mentioned the sale of season tickets based on a return of fans in October, that was delayed by the government rules (not by the club) and we were then told fans would return in January. Again, that was delayed by government restrictions, not by the club.

Now that they are allowed fans back in, in very limited numbers, they took the decision to press ahead with the ticket sales to do just that, get fans back through the turnstiles. He also confirmed that it would have been much cheaper, and far less work to run the game with no fans.

I have no idea what the costs of running this, or any other game are, or has been and what losses are being incurred tomorrow night.

Now whether all of that is true or not I have no idea. I agree that the costs are the costs (for example, player testing etc etc) will have to have been paid anyway, whether there were fans there or not. So like others, I can't see how this game will run at a total loss, but as I said I have no idea what the running costs for this or any other game is.

[Ton4life]

20 minutes ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

I have no idea what the costs of running this, or any other game are, or has been and what losses are being incurred tomorrow night.

Now whether all of that is true or not I have no idea. I agree that the costs are the costs (for example, player testing etc etc) will have to have been paid anyway, whether there were fans there or not. So like others, I can't see how this game will run at a total loss, but as I said I have no idea what the running costs for this or any other game is.

One of the biggest winners will be the VAT man at 20%

Seats will have to be cleaned.

Stewards will be around for much longer with the phased entry system.

So costs may be higher but as said this is a get the fans back involved and onboard initiative.

The real question is why has the Scottish  Gov. imposed such restrictions while in England they set reduced capacities but no evidence of social distance restrictions.

As for all "we didn't get value for season tickets" sorry I don't  agree. Been in fkin lockdown and was more than happy with the deal.

[The Bewilderedbeast]

4 minutes ago, Ton4life said:

One of the biggest winners will be the VAT man at 20%

Seats will have to be cleaned.

Stewards will be around for much longer with the phased entry system.

So costs may be higher but as said this is a get the fans back involved and onboard initiative.

The real question is why has the Scottish  Gov. imposed such restrictions while in England they set reduced capacities but no evidence of social distance restrictions.

As for all "we didn't get value for season tickets" sorry I don't  agree. Been in fkin lockdown and was more than happy with the deal.

Yeah that's the most likely increase, agree with your point on the numbers, if we can get 600 into Cappielow, why is the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden restricted to just 600.

I also agree with the point about season tickets we all wanted back in earlier but it was the government that prevented that, not the club.

[ChampTon]

11 hours ago, ChampTon said:

Any boozers in Greenock going to be showing this? Rather not sit in the house for it. 

Messaged a few places as it'd be good to have a few pints. Any usual venues have said no. Have I missed something in the level 2 restrictions or are places just not showing it because it ain't the ugly sisters? 

[cmdc]

13 minutes ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

 if we can get 600 into Cappielow, why is the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden restricted to just 600.

One of the BBC reporters said that - due to work on Hampden ahead of the Euros - the actual working capacity of Hampden on the day of the cup final was closer to 5000 than 52,000, which explains why - with social distancing - you get to 600.

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

 

He mentioned the sale of season tickets based on a return of fans in October, that was delayed by the government rules (not by the club) and we were then told fans would return in January. Again, that was delayed by government restrictions, not by the club.

 

There was no roadmap for fans to return in the first place, so it wasn't 'delayed' by the government. Morton, as much as many other SPFL clubs, simply assumed that it would be no bother to get fans in despite predictions of an autumn/winter second wave being heard loud and clear.

Nobody put a gun to the club's head and told them to sell season tickets on that unrealistic basis. They could have sold tickets or indeed packages for streaming, with a priority for attendance if fans returned. By choosing to sell it as a season ticket for when fans return, the club has absolutely no right to gurn about the costs of its belated fulfilment of that contract.

 

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

 

Now that they are allowed fans back in, in very limited numbers, they took the decision to press ahead with the ticket sales to do just that, get fans back through the turnstiles. He also confirmed that it would have been much cheaper, and far less work to run the game with no fans.

They would also have been eviscerated and lost all goodwill for deliberately shutting fans out of a playoff and only live spectator game of the season because it was just too much hassle to let them in, so let's establish that this was a complete non-starter all along. A football club is not an old man's pub that can tell punters to come back next week or whenever restrictions are eased further.

[pink_panther]

The fact that season ticket holders had to pay for a ticket is a joke as well

[The Bewilderedbeast]

8 minutes ago, pink_panther said:

The fact that season ticket holders had to pay for a ticket is a joke as well

Sorry I disagree.

Season ticket holders have always had to pay for extra games (Cup games etc) and we're given the stream of second leg against Montrose for free, so I don't think it's unreasonable to have to buy a ticket for this game

 

[pink_panther]

Yes but this wasn't an ordinary season and season tickets holders haven't always had to to pay for extra games. Maybe in recent years but I remember getting into EVERY  home game with a season ticket

[vikingTON]

9 minutes ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

Sorry I disagree.

Season ticket holders have always had to pay for extra games (Cup games etc) and we're given the stream of second leg against Montrose for free, so I don't think it's unreasonable to have to buy a ticket for this game

 

They haven't had 'extra games' this season: they paid under Diamond Dave's pledge of 'fans back soon' and this is the only one that took place.

It should have been free (possibly with an option to donate) as a goodwill gesture to ST holders. 

[The Bewilderedbeast]

Two home games in the Betfred Cup, one in the Scottish Cup.

These would not normally have been included in the season ticket due to the rules about splitting the gate receipts.

 

[Jamie_M]

1 hour ago, pink_panther said:

The fact that season ticket holders had to pay for a ticket is a joke as well

I didn't think it was allowed to give it to season ticket holders for free due to the gate being split between both clubs and the SPFL but Brechin have announced that theirs will be free.

Selling season tickets was a nonsense this season.

[EanieMeany]

1 hour ago, vikingTON said:

They would also have been eviscerated and lost all goodwill for deliberately shutting fans out of a playoff and only live spectator game of the season because it was just too much hassle to let them in, so let's establish that this was a complete non-starter all along. A football club is not an old man's pub that can tell punters to come back next week or whenever restrictions are eased further.

Aye, this idea is a piece of nonsense. The club aren't doing fans any kind of favour by allowing them into this game and if MCT have any notions at all that it is then they should be disabused of it quickly.

As far as season tickets go, the comparison with cup games is a weak one: relegation games only happen because a club has made a total cunt of the previous 27 (or 36). Season tickets should never have been sold on the premise of including access to games. 

[HamCam]

I am disappointed, I was expecting someone to randomly identify the suit in charge of the queue as Salty.

[Jamie_M]

21 minutes ago, EanieMeany said:

Season tickets should never have been sold

FTFY

[EanieMeany]

44 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

FTFY

 

There wouldn't have been anything wrong with a streaming package based on the stream price which gave you a couple of free games. I can't remember many home league games we had, but even if it was the 14 then that would have been £196*, whilst season tickets were £220.

Free tickets for those who made that significant commitment last summer wouldn't be a give-away, it'd merely be giving them what they paid for.

 

*Edit to correct this.

[vikingTON]

48 minutes ago, HamCam said:

I am disappointed, I was expecting someone to randomly identify the suit in charge of the queue as Salty.

The description didn't involve a Matalan suit and a pair of Rockports so no chance of that. 

[TRVMP]

4 hours ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

Let me try and clear things up a bit.

The "Blazer" and "Fkn Moron" some of you refer to is actually a founder member of MCT. So there is no chance that he'll be "emptied" at the beginning of June.

It was actually me that instigated the conversation with him by saying that I thought the club would have held the general sale of tickets before Tuesdays game to try and get some guaranteed revenue, all be it a maximum of £1500. Because, had Airdrie won 2/3 nil, the likelihood was that no one would have wanted to go on Friday in those circumstances. Therefore the club would have had our money on their pocket irrespective of people turning up or not.

He then went on to say that the reason they did not do that was that no matter if they sold 500 or 1000 tickets, this particular game would run at a loss. 

He mentioned the sale of season tickets based on a return of fans in October, that was delayed by the government rules (not by the club) and we were then told fans would return in January. Again, that was delayed by government restrictions, not by the club.

Now that they are allowed fans back in, in very limited numbers, they took the decision to press ahead with the ticket sales to do just that, get fans back through the turnstiles. He also confirmed that it would have been much cheaper, and far less work to run the game with no fans.

I have no idea what the costs of running this, or any other game are, or has been and what losses are being incurred tomorrow night.

Now whether all of that is true or not I have no idea. I agree that the costs are the costs (for example, player testing etc etc) will have to have been paid anyway, whether there were fans there or not. So like others, I can't see how this game will run at a total loss, but as I said I have no idea what the running costs for this or any other game is.

Couple of points there in bold.

1) You really think Morton can't get 500 fans through the gate - admittedly following distanced protocols - to try to overturn a 2-0 deficit?

2) I don't care and nor should any regular paying customer off the street. If the club is selling tickets there shouldn't be someone outside going on about what a favor they're doing them. It's just a bad look. If it's a concern for the medium-term viability of the club to keep doing this indefinitely, then that's definitely a discussion to be had among the Board and, if needed, the MCT membership.

But to say so - not particularly quietly - outside the ground when people are queuing up is just the same old pathetic Morton hard-luck story. The punters in that queue, I know for a fact that at least two of them had took time off work to be there. Don't act like you're doing them a fucking favor by putting on a game. If it costs you money to put the game on, make a decision whether or not the game's going to be open to fans and then commit to it and do it without complaint. Don't put the game on then whine about it, it's absolutely pathetic and it is utterly contemptuous of the fans.

I couldn't give a fuck if the guy founded the club itself, much less MCT, he needs to learn when to keep it zipped. The correct answer to your question would be: "We've obviously done all the sums and it's quite a challenge to get this game going ahead, but as a club we've been eager to welcome the fans back for months and we're just delighted to have you back, even if it's just a few hundred. So our first priority wasn't to maximize sales; rather it was to get fans back through the turnstiles and to see how we can handle these ground restrictions going forward. We'll see how it goes on Friday and hope to have even more supporters back soon, government guidelines permitting."

That's an answer that's 100% truthful, acknowledges the difficulties, but doesn't blame the fans for having the temerity to want to go to a game and cost the club so much money.