After allowing season ticket holders to buy two tickets for the game at Anfield, tickets went on sale for the Quarter-Final tie with Chelsea today.
After the fiasco with the Anfield tickets and the fact the Chelsea game is at Oakwell where Barnsley fans will receive around 18,000 tickets the club decided to do a "raffle" as the queues inevitably grew. One disgruntled fan on the BBC 606 messageboard sums it up perfectly:
7.45am I arrived at Oakwell, and the queue was round the front of the Ponty end, and at the front of the car park. Piece of cake I thought, but no, the club had other ideas. After an hour waiting for the ticket office to open, and another hour queuing they had served around 50 people. So they decided to hand out raffle tickets, whoever thought up this brainwave deserves a medal. The tickets started at number 1, and I was number 134. They called out 20 at a time but by the time it got to 12.00 noon (roughly), they had handed out 465 tickets. Cue mad panic by the staff (as they didn't want to do any overtime), they decided that everyone who had a ticket numbered 300 or more should go home :-) WELL DONE BFC.
So they kicked 165 fans who had queued for up to three hours away, and told them that their magic tickets would give them special rights tomorrow. It's like Willy Wonka and his Chocolate Factory - honest. As well as this all the fans with magic tickets were seated in the Ponty end, so it made the queue at the box office look small. This meant that people were coming home for their dinner, thinking that they could get their tickets in a jiffy, calling at Oakwell, being informed that they had no chance, and being turned away. The best is yet to come.....
When I got served, I asked rather nicely for my own seat, and one of the one's next to me as I know that they are not season tickets, for my wife. The ones next to me had sold, so fair enough I said. I then asked to move my seat and have two together anywhere in the ground. THEY WOULDN'T DO THAT!!! So please don't expect to be able to have two seats together if you are a season ticket holder wanting to swap your seat. You have NO chance.
PR - is a disgrace at Barnsley FC. They treat people like cattle, and don't care about putting people together.
I hope you have enjoyed my story - I wish it was fiction, but it is TRUE. I have two tickets on different rows, 9 seats apart, maybe I'll be able to flog the 2nd ticket, cos my wife doesn't want to sit with strangers.
This story coming from a fan who HAS got his tickets shows the complete lack of respect Barnsley Football Club has for its fans. I personally think season ticket holders should be able to order thier tickets over the phone and should not have to queue. I mean what advantage is a season ticket holder getting at the moment? The glory-hunters stay at home whilst Mr Season Ticket Holder goes and queues for a ticket for them both! Im beginning to think this cup run just isnt worth the hassle.....