Booking West Ham tickets this morning...

[jamestheimpaler]

There is no obligation to offer the away side terracing. Why couldn't we offer them the minimum allocation of tickets - all as seats in the East stand and have the whole South stand for Harriers supporters? It's our big day. Not theirs...

[stockley2]

What capacity are we allowed for this game,that’s one issue the ground holds approximately 6k why are we nearer 5k, plenty of spaces available at Reading game, I’ve no idea regarding the south stand but I do know we could of filled this so why not offer section of seating area only at their allocation limit and we use the south stand or do we have to offer standing facilities too.
All I’m saying is though some real fans will not have tickets and with the online system these fans could of had their history of purchase checked to allow them to buy a ticket with say 200-300 being kept on the open sale window.

[aberred]

I guess you could offer them the allocation in seats and then give the right hand side of the south stand to home fans.

I imagine opening the whole of the south stand to home fans would be tricky in terms of segregation - you'd then have West Ham fans walking past the home fans waiting to get in through one turnstile for the whole of the south stand, as they make their way to their entrance for the East stand, plus you'd then have a load of rival fans making their way out at once into a smallish space after the game as well.

Also, to my knowledge there's no segregation gate between the East Stand and the South Stand, could be wrong though.

[PIRATE OF ZARAGOZA]

My mate hasn't missed an home or away game for 33 years, goes to most youth team games and donated his season ticket money back to the club but missed out on a West Ham ticket as by the time he got to the ticket office it was sold out.

[BobGreenwoodsDad]

Feeling truly miserable. My lad was a season ticket holder for years until last year when he went to Uni. Couldn’t go to the Halifax game, so no ticket for West Ham. There will clearly be hundreds in the same boat. I am just annoyed that the ‘glory hunters’ who went to the Halifax game get special treatment.

[aberred]

My mate hasn't missed an home or away game for 33 years, goes to most youth team games and donated his season ticket money back to the club but missed out on a West Ham ticket as by the time he got to the ticket office it was sold out.

If he's a season ticket holder he'd have had two days ahead of non-season ticket holders to get one. Not a criticism but if you're a season ticket holder and you didn't think about getting one until today then their chances were always going to be much slimmer sadly.

[PIRATE OF ZARAGOZA]

My mate hasn't missed an home or away game for 33 years, goes to most youth team games and donated his season ticket money back to the club but missed out on a West Ham ticket as by the time he got to the ticket office it was sold out.

If he's a season ticket holder he'd have had two days ahead of non-season ticket holders to get one. Not a criticism but if you're a season ticket holder and you didn't think about getting one until today then their chances were always going to be much slimmer sadly.

He was a season ticket holder for over 40 years until this season and never bought one this season because he didn't like with how behind the scenes there is a disconnection with the fans.

[HarriersFan94]

Pretty sure general release of the tickets was PHASE 3! So why has the club decided to sell via the ticket office to anyone? And up to 5 tickets each!? Absolute joke, true fans that work didn’t have a chance.

[GloucesterHarrier]

Pretty sure general release of the tickets was PHASE 3! So why has the club decided to sell via the ticket office to anyone? And up to 5 tickets each!? Absolute joke, true fans that work didn’t have a chance.

Because the club have a duty to accommodate those fans who can't / won't purchase online. Not sure about it being general sale - I'd have assumed you'd have to demonstrate you'd been to Halifax game.

[Jasper]

My mate hasn't missed an home or away game for 33 years, goes to most youth team games and donated his season ticket money back to the club but missed out on a West Ham ticket as by the time he got to the ticket office it was sold out.

If he's a season ticket holder he'd have had two days ahead of non-season ticket holders to get one. Not a criticism but if you're a season ticket holder and you didn't think about getting one until today then their chances were always going to be much slimmer sadly.

He was a season ticket holder for over 40 years until this season and never bought one this season because he didn't like with how behind the scenes there is a disconnection with the fans.

Not quite sure what this has got to do with today? We all have differences of opinion on many issues in respect of the football club we've supported for decades (in my case 7 decades) but it's for occasions like the West Ham game and previous FA Cup games that I purchase a ST. It's quite simple really.

[Murphy]

After failing to buy on-line earlier this afternoon (yes - I attended the Halifax game) I went up to the ground to buy one single ticket. There was a lengthy queue in front of me and a woman came out to say there were only 11 tickets left with all seating sold out. Needless to say many of us were furious - particularly when we heard, from some in the queue and from facebook, earlier people were able to buy multiple tickets from the office and some even managed to buy on-line even though they weren't season ticket holders nor attended the Halifax game.
Some guy associated with the club, don't know who he was, came out and attempted to explain why there were fewer tickets on sale to fans than at the Halifax game. Some bloke attempted to video him, but was told in no uncertain terms that he would walk away if the videoing continued. He stopped videoing.
His explanation for the lower number of tickets was TV cameras taking away space, distribution of tickets to the FA (didn't know how many), tickets made available to players (again - didn't know how many) and the demand for corporate sponsorship and hospitality in the Aggy Suite and the Social Club (300 in East Stand).
Some stayed to add their names to a reserve/returns list in case some tickets became available. I didn't. As with others there, and reading comments on here and on facebook/Twitter, I'm disgusted by the club for allowing this situation to happen whereby genuine fans won't get to see their team for the first time in a generation. Inexperience is no excuse for this debacle.

[Swansea Harrier]

Must admit slightly disappointed with the fairness of this ticket allocation system, i am sure there will be a fair few genuine kiddi fans who haven’t succeeded in purchasing a ticket for this game who thoroughly deserve to be there.

How would you have done it?
We’ve had approximately 3500 tickets to shift amid stupidly high demand. We’ve been hamstrung by the away allocation but I don’t know what else could be done given the layout of the South Stand.

I suppose the question here is why have we allocated West Ham 200 tickets more than the already generous amount we gave to Reading?

I suspect the Hammers have been given half of the East Stand, the theory being they would buy more adult tickets, hence more money to be made.

I understand the disappointment and anger among Harriers fans. It doesn't look like your average home Dan was treated as a priority...

[Colgofray]

Being a Season Ticket Holder I bought mine on Tuesday. Having said that, I can't help but feel desperately sorry for other genuine Harriers fans who, in my personal opinion, even though they went to the Halifax game, have been sold so very short by the club and won't be able to watch their team on this very special occasion. This includes my son.

[Jasper]

Must admit slightly disappointed with the fairness of this ticket allocation system, i am sure there will be a fair few genuine kiddi fans who haven’t succeeded in purchasing a ticket for this game who thoroughly deserve to be there.

How would you have done it?
We’ve had approximately 3500 tickets to shift amid stupidly high demand. We’ve been hamstrung by the away allocation but I don’t know what else could be done given the layout of the South Stand.

I suspect the Hammers have been given half of the East Stand, the theory being they would buy more adult tickets, hence more money to be made.

Half of the East Stand equates to approx 1000, that leaves 690 to the South Stand. Doesn't add up.

[HarriersFan94]

Pretty sure general release of the tickets was PHASE 3! So why has the club decided to sell via the ticket office to anyone? And up to 5 tickets each!? Absolute joke, true fans that work didn’t have a chance.

Because the club have a duty to accommodate those fans who can't / won't purchase online. Not sure about it being general sale - I'd have assumed you'd have to demonstrate you'd been to Halifax game.

I understand for supporters without access to the internet, but to sell 5 tickets per person is very disappointing!