Tottenham Trust meeting Thursday 7 February

[BoringOldFan]

But that's a completely different issue to the speed at which credit cards can be processed. If the problem is the time that people spent logged in it doesn't matter if they could process a million transactions a minute if they can only have 10 people logged in at a time and each of the 10 stays logged in for half an hour.

So the issue is how many people can be logged in at the same time. Obviously a tricky one, because you can't have a free for all, but rather than yammering on about the number of transactions they can make in a minute they should look at a way of easing the congestion caused by this bottleneck.

OK I'll give it another go :grin:.

The system has a gateway server. That means that people queue to log on and buy their tickets. The reason for this is so that once they are logged in, the booking system doesn't crash. As a member who used seatbooker last season and ticketmaster before they introduced the gateway server, I can tell you it has improved this aspect.

So the number of people that can be logged in and booking tickets is limited so the system won't crash. Now if those people (say 250) take 15 to 20 minutes to book their tickets, that means that those waiting will have to wait longer than if those in the booking system only took 5 minutes with their booking.

I don't know how to explain it any more plainly than that. Perhaps it would be easier if you joined the Trust and went along to the next meeting!

 

[Chris12345]

So the number of people that can be logged in and booking tickets is limited so the system won't crash. Now if those people (say 250) take 15 to 20 minutes to book their tickets, that means that those waiting will have to wait longer than if those in the booking system only took 5 minutes with their booking.

That's not what you said the first time tho... you said it could only handle 250 credit card transactions per minute... not that only 250 people could be logged on at the same time :wink:

 

[PT]

Pedancy rules ok.

 

[camaj]

Pedancy rules ok.

pedantry :razz:

I'm not sure I by their excuses, last season we didn't have these problems even at the busiest times. If the bottleneck it creditcard processing, why not let people reserve a ticket, THEN put them in a queue for the payment server?

 

[JJetset]

Cheers for the info BOF and a good insight and read.

Have met Barber a while back and he is a genuine nice guy.

Actually quite a few of the internal people are nice as my sister worked there in the 80's and some are still there always help out with favours tickets etc when i come back.
John Fennelly, Mike Rollo and the photographer who limps(John i think) are all nice blokes.

 

[MarkinJapan]

Great work. Always good to hear about the club's view.

Not sure on the stadium as I'm sure they said an announcement would be made in January (or is that my imagination and they actually said the start of the year?)
Anyway, hopefully they'll make a decision quick smart!

 

[CosmicHotspur]

Thank you for providing the info - always nice to hear what's happening.

 

[paul_1979yid]

Interesting reading. Cant believe none of you have filpped out about the allocation of UEFA and FA cup final tickets. I know the FA cup does not now effect us (fingers crossed for the UEFA) but how shocking!!!!

All so the suits and sponsers can get to see the game :bang:

 

[Kendall]

why would we flip out? it ALWAYS been the case, the fact that we're in the running makes no odds, it's just unfortunate.

 

[Real_madyidd]

Interesting reading. Cant believe none of you have filpped out about the allocation of UEFA and FA cup final tickets. I know the FA cup does not now effect us (fingers crossed for the UEFA) but how shocking!!!!

All so the suits and sponsers can get to see the game :bang:

But they are the ones who pay to see the game. They Sponsor the matches. If you payed millions into something would you like a ticket for the final?

 

[paul_1979yid]

But they are the ones who pay to see the game. They Sponsor the matches. If you payed millions into something would you like a ticket for the final?

Well are you suggesting its fair then????? Season ticket holders pay into the football club and the fact that some would nt get to see a cup final should we get there just does nt seem fair to me. My opinion.

 

[chrissivad]

Well are you suggesting its fair then????? Season ticket holders pay into the football club and the fact that some would nt get to see a cup final should we get there just does nt seem fair to me. My opinion.

All season ticket holders could get a ticket if they wanted.

They got the chance to get tickets before being offered to Members

 

[BoringOldFan]

All season ticket holders could get a ticket if they wanted.

They got the chance to get tickets before being offered to Members

As we have 23,500 ST holders, the Carling Cup final is the only competition where we get a large enough allocation to guarantee they all get a ticket. Had we got to the FA Cup final - and especially if we get to the UEFA Cup final, the tickets for ST holders will go to loyalty points.

 

[paul_1979yid]

As we have 23,500 ST holders, the Carling Cup final is the only competition where we get a large enough allocation to guarantee they all get a ticket. Had we got to the FA Cup final - and especially if we get to the UEFA Cup final, the tickets for ST holders will go to loyalty points.

That is what i was refering to Chris. I know all season ticket holders can get tickets for Carling cup. I was talking about FA and UEFA cup finals!:bang:

 

[BigRed]

OK I'll give it another go :grin:.

The system has a gateway server. That means that people queue to log on and buy their tickets. The reason for this is so that once they are logged in, the booking system doesn't crash. As a member who used seatbooker last season and ticketmaster before they introduced the gateway server, I can tell you it has improved this aspect.

So the number of people that can be logged in and booking tickets is limited so the system won't crash. Now if those people (say 250) take 15 to 20 minutes to book their tickets, that means that those waiting will have to wait longer than if those in the booking system only took 5 minutes with their booking.

I don't know how to explain it any more plainly than that. Perhaps it would be easier if you joined the Trust and went along to the next meeting!

Yes, but what I'm saying is that they need to fix it! Either the dwell time is too high or the limit to the number of people in at one time is too low.

The problem is that the current system is a bit halfway between an application system, as used for season tickets / away tickets, and the old seatbooker where you could actually choose your seat. I don't see the point in sitting in a long queue like that when you can't even choose a seat at the end of it:

The club's website itself can clearly handle the load of 20,000 requests or whatever, or the actual queue mechanism would fail. Here's an alternative: have applicants fill out a form on the club's website detailing their first choice, second choice etc. for tickets. The request sits in a queue and sends an email back with a link through to a payment system when it's ready.

Your ticket can be held in reserve for 24 hours and if you don't pay by then you've forfeited your right to get one.

I don't think joining the Trust is the answer for me. I think the club should hire me to build them a better ticket system

 

[rez9000]

With the UEFA Cup allocation thing, I agree with RMY that it's only fair that sponsors get some tickets for sponsoring the game. BUt there are a couple of points that should be looked at:

1) How many do they need? This years UEFA Cup final is at Eastlands. If Spurs get through they have an allocation of 13,000. I would assume the opposition team would get a similar number, so 26,000 tickets to fans. Eastlands capactiy is 47,724. So the sponsors receive 20,000 tickets while each club's fans only receive 13,000?

2) They make money from the event, which isn't what sponsorship is supposed to be about. Being a sponsor means it's supposed to be done for free. If I sponsor an OAP to run a marathon, I don't demand that she gives me her false teeth, so I can sell them on, do I? 20,000 tickets at let's say £50 a pop is £1 million.

Anyway, this is off-topic, so I'll leave it there. Thanks for the info, BOF.

 

[BigRed]

With the UEFA Cup allocation thing, I agree with RMY that it's only fair that sponsors get some tickets for sponsoring the game. BUt there are a couple of points that should be looked at:

1) How many do they need? This years UEFA Cup final is at Eastlands. If Spurs get through they have an allocation of 13,000. I would assume the opposition team would get a similar number, so 26,000 tickets to fans. Eastlands capactiy is 47,724. So the sponsors receive 20,000 tickets while each club's fans only receive 13,000?

2) They make money from the event, which isn't what sponsorship is supposed to be about. Being a sponsor means it's supposed to be done for free. If I sponsor an OAP to run a marathon, I don't demand that she gives me her false teeth, so I can sell them on, do I? 20,000 tickets at let's say £50 a pop is £1 million.

Anyway, this is off-topic, so I'll leave it there. Thanks for the info, BOF.

It's not just sponsors. For every cup competition each club in the competition get a few tickets to the final. That's why there are less tickets for fans for the FA Cup final than the Carling Cup final.

 

[rez9000]

It's not just sponsors. For every cup competition each club in the competition get a few tickets to the final. That's why there are less tickets for fans for the FA Cup final than the Carling Cup final.

OK, so 90 teams. How many do they get? 10? That's 900 tickets. 20? That's 1,800. Still doesn't make up the 20,000 that don't go to the finalist clubs.

 

[BoringOldFan]

With the UEFA Cup allocation thing, I agree with RMY that it's only fair that sponsors get some tickets for sponsoring the game. BUt there are a couple of points that should be looked at:

1) How many do they need? This years UEFA Cup final is at Eastlands. If Spurs get through they have an allocation of 13,000. I would assume the opposition team would get a similar number, so 26,000 tickets to fans. Eastlands capactiy is 47,724. So the sponsors receive 20,000 tickets while each club's fans only receive 13,000?

2) They make money from the event, which isn't what sponsorship is supposed to be about. Being a sponsor means it's supposed to be done for free. If I sponsor an OAP to run a marathon, I don't demand that she gives me her false teeth, so I can sell them on, do I? 20,000 tickets at let's say £50 a pop is £1 million.

Anyway, this is off-topic, so I'll leave it there. Thanks for the info, BOF.

Regarding the UEFA Cup final, as we found at last year there is a ballot of 13,000 tickets for members of the public. I entered and didn't get one (just as well) but a mate did and had to flog it as he had no interest in going to Glasgow midweek to watch Spanish clubs.

Your point about the sponsors is a bit naive. Yes they pay to have their name on the ball/shirt/hoardings/TV breaks but they buy a package which includes tickets to games. The number of CC Final tickets available to members will be reduced as Spurs will be doing the same for their commercial partners.

 

[rez9000]

Regarding the UEFA Cup final, as we found at last year there is a ballot of 13,000 tickets for members of the public. I entered and didn't get one (just as well) but a mate did and had to flog it as he had no interest in going to Glasgow midweek to watch Spanish clubs.

Your point about the sponsors is a bit naive. Yes they pay to have their name on the ball/shirt/hoardings/TV breaks but they buy a package which includes tickets to games. The number of CC Final tickets available to members will be reduced as Spurs will be doing the same for their commercial partners.

I know it's naive BOF. I'm just so tired with the whole situation. If it wasn't for the fanaticism of my Spurs support, I would have abandoned following football a long time ago.