THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

That’s spot on and I agree entirely with both yours and Pete’s reasoning about “you don’t announce what you’re not getting in any literature”. I was probably one of a small number of fans who did spot the lack of mention of the 5% discount in the ST brochure, but that was mainly through weighing up the pros and cons because of the changes to Club Red and almost expecting things like that., but I can understand the frustration from many that it’s been done though the back door.

I get the desire to increase revenues and tighten up expenditure, as for too long the club has let so many issues slide, but I’ve spent many years in meetings with key officials there as part of various focus groups and it’s always been acknowledged that the club had a problem with “ghosting” (passing around Season Tickets), multiple entires on the same tickets, adults buying family ST tickets then sneaking their mates from the pub or work in on the kids one, buying in the Cowshed then sitting in East Premium, repeated failed direct debits not being chased up but the owner still getting in etc.. but was always met with an attitude of “well, it’s more important we grow the fanbase than alienate one individual”. I suspect that’s going to change too. I’d sooner issues like that where historically we’ve leaked potential income like a sieve are addressed than the cutting back of matchday staff, minor price increases and cuts affecting the matchday experience.

But as Pete rightly pointed out, when you sign up for something, you don't get a list of the things you are not getting anymore.

'Thank you for renewing/becoming a season ticket holder, you will no longer be entitled to a discount on food/drink'. You'd not see this in any business.

The whole discount thing made little sense. The football club was losing out on revenue and the discounts were not enough to entice people to buy a season ticket, so it was lose lose for the club.

The staff not knowing is poor though, I agree. They should have been informed well before.

I don't agree with him on this one. If they change my terms legally they need to inform me. If BT chamge my sports package for example, I need & want to know and I'm sure they would.

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Disclaimer: All my comments are my opinions unless stated otherwise. I'm just a fan following my club.

By not having it in the letter/guide that you get with your ST (if you have it that is) tells you what you need to know, plus its a benefit as in its not why you signed up to a ST. It's different to paying for a ST that includes cup games and then take those games away but still charging you for them. That's the analogy you are using

Not true. We don't sign up for 5+ year contracts. Our season tickets are yearly and you have the option to renew or not to renew. Every year you are essentially signing up to a new 1 year contract. If terms are changed or benefits removed during that term, the club would have to inform you, but not at the end of the term. Every time you sign up for another year, you are agreeing to pay as per the new agreement and if you are not happy with the benefits or what you're getting for your money, you just don't renew.

How does that work with automatic renewals?

Not that I'm complaining or anything, just interested to know how it works from a legal standpoint.

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It's Pete's train set, and we should all feel honoured to be granted the privilege of paying to play with it.

"Shut the fuck up, you sausage!"

Not sure legally, but I'd suspect it makes no difference, as an automatic renewal benefits both the customer and business. The customer benefits by not having to get involved with any renewal and the business benefits by hoping you forget to cancel if you were planning too..

But either way, both the customer and business can decide whether they want the renewal to go ahead or not. So you can cancel and if you don't you're auto renewed into a new agreement.

The club would also have sent reminders out to any season ticket holders on a renewal plan, that would have had a link to the benefits (or lack of) etc. So everyone would have known exactly what they were getting with their renewal and then could have decided that they want to let it proceed or pull the plug.

I've been away for a couple of days and largely tried to ignore the Winky interview as well as Twitter and here.

I actually understand a lot of the decision making at the club and sympathise with certain aspects. Any decisions will be financially or data driven, and most of us will have no access to these. And whilst the club may have to make these regrettable decisions for their sake it does not make me any less displeased with certain aspects of the club. I'm still waiting on multiple season tickets from last year, goalkeeper kits are not on sale, the food is beyond shit and there was still no apology or proper explanation (other than from a few posters on here) to those sitting in the corner as to why we were getting kicked out of our seats.

Just for some perspective - I was interested to see that Sunderland fans are having similar grief with their clubs admin, comms and cost-cutting / cost-increasing: https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/2022/8 ... erland-fan

Seems that there, as at MK in my humble opinion, the main problem is one of communications and transparency. I understand why some decisions were made but they should have been better communicated earlier - rather than letting everyone's piss boil and then wheeling out Winkie to try and defuse it all.

And I disagree with Winkie and some on here: if you used to offer something, then take it away or change it, you really should be more open about that - especially for returning / continuing "customers". Not just leaving them to deduce it themselves from the small print or omissions. Its basic courtesy.

I've always thought that PW is an excellent businessman, but not only does he not really understand football fans, he doesn't want to, either.

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It's Pete's train set, and we should all feel honoured to be granted the privilege of paying to play with it.

"Shut the fuck up, you sausage!"