Ticket Chaos at SJP

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Recently back from SJP after queuing for 2 hours to collect a pre-paid Ticketmater ticket - yes believe it or not 2 hours!

The choas at SJP has prompted the FA to issue a statement about the kick off, as follows:

FA Confident of Prompt Start

The FA has played down fears that the kick-off in tonight's World Cup qualifier between England and Albania could be delayed.
Huge queues formed at St James' Park as fans turned up to collect tickets for the crucial game.
But as concern grew that the problem could worsen as supporters converge on Tyneside, the FA remained confident that the game would start as scheduled.
"We have advised everyone to travel as early as possible to give themselves as much time as they can to get themselves to the stadium," said spokesman Adrian Bevington.
"The collection points are in action and have been active all day, and thankfully, we have seen a lot of people at the stadium very early this morning.
"We anticipate the game still kicking off at 8pm

The situation at SJP this morning was as choatic as I've ever known it with them clearly being entirely unprepared to the workload that has transpired.

People were arriving from all over the country to collect their tickets, and rapidly becoming disgruntled with NUFC's organisational ability. Whether this is all the fault of NUFC I really don't know, but we will inevitably get the bad PR.

This high-profile game has provided the perfect occasion for NUFC to display their ritual incompetence to the nation - and sadly it has to said they appear to have grasped it with both hands and both feet!

Anyone who still has to collect tickets, I would suggest getting yourself up there RIGHT NOW.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

Answers

They mentioned getting in early on TalkSport but intimated that it was because of the 1 minutes silence for Brian Moore, they didnt want it interupted.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

The town is really busy - never seen so much traffic! Obviously continuing the disorganisation from Monday.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

According to the Chronic, United are not to blame in any way, it's all down to the lateness of the tickets being despatched to SJP.

This is going to be of no consolation to anybody who's going/gone through what you've just described Clarky, and it looks like we're going to have to carry the can, because people will go with what they see.

We just can't win.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001


The shambles at SJP today for the apparently simple task of collecting pre-paid tickets was unreal.

People who were buying NUFC tickets, or who had purchased England tickets through the SJP Ticket Office had initially 3, and later 2 windows that were essentially unused throughout my 2 hour wait.

However, those collecting ticketmaster tickets were initially told at 9am that those with names beginning N-Z should collect them at a portacabin near SJ Metro, while those A-Z should collect them at SJP. For whatever reason - lack of staff, according to the Safety Stewards who were unfairly taking the brunt of the stick flying around - the 'portacabin' never opened, so those people then had to make their way back to SJP to find themselves at the back of a bloody great long queue - moving at snail's pace.

At this point there were only 4 windows (out of 9, or possibly 10) dealing with this queue. Eventually, two more were opened, but one of these then closed again.

When I got near the front it was apparent that it was taking several minutes to serve each person. When I got to the window I saw countless boxes of envelopes that the staff were rummaging amongst to find tickets - arranged numerically by Confirmation Number, not names. It was clear that some people didn't have their Confirmation Numbers, which was adding to the delays.

When I got my ticket at ca.1pm there appeared to be several thousand tickets left to be collected - with most people from far away presumably still to arrive in NCL.

The age of technology!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001


I feel sure that the late rush for tickets engendered by Saturday's wonderful performance significantly contributed to this mornings chaos. However, was is entirely beyond the wit of NUFC Management to ensure that all 9 ticket windows were both manned, AND equipped with accurate signs above them to indicate what they were actually doing?

The windows signed "Pre-Paid Ticket Collection" actually weren't being used for "Pre-Paid Ticket Collection", they were being used for NUFC ticket sales and England tickets for those who had ordered them through the NUFC TO. The windows signed "Home Sales" were actually being used for pre-paid ticketmaster ticket collection!!

Does it take Einstein to figure that out?

In addition, there are maybe 6 or 7 additional ticket windows on the Gallowgate mezzanine - where the TO was relocated during construction. Could these not have also been manned - perhaps for NUFC sales, to keep these entirely separate?

Yet again, a saying regarding 'breweries' and 'booze-ups' springs readily to mind!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001



Clarky - this always happens at England games. It isn't just us. I bought two tickets for an England game on the day of the match at Wembley and was still queuing at 3.15.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

I hear thecouncil have called the game off due to the lack of Park & ride arrangements

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

Act of God then, Dougal? Understood.

As usual, and unlike any other business I'm aware of, the very last people to get ANY consideration whatsoever are the paying customers. Could you imagine what would happen if the players had to queue for 2 hours for their dinner, or Shepherd had to wait 2 nano-seconds for his 2nd G&T?

They should all be burned at the bloody stake for "gross, eye-bleeding incompetence". Tossers!

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001


Radio 5 seemed to think the game would be delayed

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

DaveLeF,
I can assure you that the queue I was in could not in any way have been mistaken for The Love Parade - most people left looking like they were "hunting bear!"

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001


No force majeure, Clarky - the FA routinely make a vast tranche of tickets for England games available at the last minute, meaning chaos wherever England play. This one isn't just NUFC's fault.

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

No doubt SJP's own incompetence is only adding to a bad situation, but it's not unusual for back-ups at the Will Call window to collect Ticketbastid tickets. Part of the problem is that folks don't believe when they're told to arrive early and have their confirmation number ready. I used to think it was B.O's just being incompetent, but have seen it in too many places. Or maybe all B.O's really are incompetent, but I just like to have more excuses to despise Ticketbastid. ;-)

Still SJP will bear the brunt of the bad publicity. :-/

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001


Tee hee.Picture the scene Fa commitee "Where shall we play the next England match?" "How about St James' Park?" "No they couldn't get Supermac p*ssed in a brewery!" Tee hee

-- Anonymous, September 05, 2001

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