Karl Oyston on Blackpool tickets (Blackpool Gazette)

[Trumpet Trousers Hammer]

What he fails to appreciate is that between 2004 and 2006, we had 3 conscutive journeys to Cardiff, which is not 'just around the corner' for us, and still managed to sell out our allocation!!!



By Steve Canavan
Published on Wednesday 23 May 2012 09:37


KARL Oyston believes West Ham showed “a lack of judgment and grace” to make a fuss over the Wembley ticket sales.


Pool sold just under 30,000 tickets for the play-off final on Saturday – 8,000 short of their allocation.

West Ham, meanwhile, sold their full 38,000 and – with many Hammers fans still wanting to snap up tickets – made several complaints about not being allowed to use the Seasiders’ spare tickets.

The nature of those complaints – including comments made by West Ham’s co-chairman David Gold – were deemed by many at Pool to be disrespectful and patronising.

And it seems Oyston wasn’t too pleased either.

“The support from our fans was unbelievable at Wembley, and I thank every one of them for making the effort to be there,” said the chairman.

“There was a bit made of the ticket situation by West Ham, which was disappointing.

“If they think that in the present economic climate, a skip across London by tube can compare with a round trip costing a lot of money – and tickets costing a lot of money – for people who, in some cases, would probably struggle to afford it, then I think it is disingenuous of them at best.

“It lacks a bit of judgment and grace.

“I don’t want to start some war of words with West Ham, because it sounds like sour grapes and it isn’t.

“But I think it is ill-advised to make that sort of comment when we had such wonderful support, and when things are so difficult economically – particularly in our part of the world.

“It is not much of an achievement to get a tube across London as it is to get a train or a bus and bring your family back to Blackpool.”

[Antwerp_Lad]

Sour grapes.

[Smokemeakipper]

Also making the assumption that all west ham fans live in London....

[neilbob]

clearly doesn't use the tube at weekends...

[Iron Mark]

So because Blackpool were unable to sell out, Mr Oyston believes that it was right to have about 10,000+ empty seats?

And I'm certain there are West Ham fans who travelled further to get there than some Blackpool fans.

The simple fact is there were thousands of seats available that West Ham would have gratefully accepted and they would have been sold.

[Headtheball]

He fails to appreciate that a lot of our supporters travelled to Wembley from outside London as well.

[The Gibbins]

I dont think West Ham fans have any issue at all with how many Blackpool fans brought. They are not a big club and i think its good to see a club come that far and actually bring 30,000 to Wembley. My main beef is that it was never likely to sell out in their end and it could have been arranged better so that tickets were handed back and sold to the opposition who had a high demand for tickets.

[RichieRiv]

Northerners in "didn't have two pennies to rub together" shocker.

I also forgot that that all West Ham fans live on the District Line.

I hate people from the North West (all got chips on their shoulders).

[Whitters]

And I'm certain there are West Ham fans who travelled further to get there than some Blackpool fans.

According to Google Maps it was 1200 mile round trip for me, which by my reckoning is a lot further than Blackpool

[Ticket 2 Ryde]

This guy is having a laugh! I traveled from the isle of wight and friends and family traveled from the ROI.
I noticed support from all over the world New York Dubai Belgium Norway Sweden ...
They need to lose the huge chip on their shoulder and realise we are a bigger club than them simples!
Our support is world wide and not localised like the tangerine queens... Get over it already, the support Blackpool had was nothing short of sad.. Practily half of their top tier allocation was left empty. Shocking!

[Hammer_Up_North]

He obviously doesn't understand. West Ham were not disputing the support or comparison in travel costs to Blackpool. We were just stating Blackpool should have sold their seats block by block, allowing any completely empty blocks to be filled the West Ham fans.

or it could just be sour grapes

[bubbles1966]

10,000 empty seats.

£400k more as a minimum that they would have had in their pockets as the loser takes all the gate money.

Would imagine that's a first team player's annual salary for them.

[gegsy]

He seems well aware of how the "current economic climate" and the sheer vast distances involved made it tricky for them to sell their allocation.

So why did he ask for 38,000 tickets? I haven't noticed the country getting bigger or the recession getting worse in the past month. The guy's an idiot.

[Paddy O'Hammer]

Incredibly naive

[Up the Junction]

Can anyone who travelled some considerable distance to the game on Saturday reply to this thread with their story please. With view to a KUMB article that we'll be composing.

[wizzo_66]

Can anyone who travelled some considerable distance to the game on Saturday reply to this thread with their story please. With view to a KUMB article that we'll be composing.

I am sure you noticed it - but the OP's point about selling out our Cardiff allocation 3 years running is also a really good one to include.

[Captain Slaphead]

10k empty seats.
Average price of (say) £60.

Lost revenue = £600,000

As the losers take the gate money (unwritten rule), that's your loss Mr Oyston

[farmergiles]

Don't know if my journey from Chester is a considerable trip however it's only an hour from Blackpool.

Cost me £75.70 for my match ticket and return travel journey (£38 ticket, £37.70 train incl all day travel card). Train was booked in the week before the game as only found I could get a ticket last minute so not cheaper as booked in advance.

On train home we met people that had travelled from Ireland and were staying overnight in Chester before getting the ferry back on the Sunday.

[wizzo_66]

National Rail Train from Blackpool North to London Euston takes 2:43.

My train journey home from Clapham to Bournemouth took 2:46.

- And I am convinced a vast number of supporters came a lot further than I did.

[Clacton-ammer]

Don't think that my travelling is anything, but anyways..

2 hours by car there, left early to beat the traffic, 2 3/4 hours back, 3/4hr in fairness was doing 3 miles getting out near Wembley, funny enough that would have usually wound me right up but I was in a good mood

Poorly written piece in my humble, if the rule unwritten or not that the losers take the money then they handled the situation very poorly. Agree as well, how many times do have to here that we are in a more affluent area??? Things are tough down this way as well, perhaps, not as tough as our poor Northern friends, but tough all the same.