Have Standing- need sitting !!!

[Been a Long Time]

Posted on Monday- got 3 standing tix but due to my stupid bloody osteo in my spine I am useless at standing, it is agony for more ten 15 mins.

My boys will have to stand but PLEASE SAINTERS can someone let me sit in exchange for my standing ticket. I know I am asking alot but I do know some men like to stand at the footy, I see and hear them every week at our games!

My standing tix are in M12 so that's a good spot and yes I am a longtime saints member, SC and reserved seats on level 1 and used to post under Saint Julia on here along time ago.

I love my team- come and see my desk at work, its like a shrine to my boys.

Would appreciate your help in exchanging standing for sitting. I should have requested disabled but coz I am not old I dont like to think i have a problem but my body knows I have.

Cheers, Julia

[SaintDebi]

I guess your last line answered my question.
Not meaning to be picky, and I know some have offered fair enough explanations, but I can't help wondering why so many opted for possible standing room, only to then say that standing room is unsuitable for them.
I know you would all just have been eager for the best chance of getting a ticket, but if you know there's a good chance you will have to stand, why select this option if you can't physically do it?

[Been a Long Time]

That's very easy to answer- you had to purcahse the tickets in one booking for 3 members. Because I didnt want to let my boys down I said I would take anything and that's what I got. I also didnt think in my wildest dreams that a full SC member would get standing when people who just joined up at the last minute would get seats- sorry, but I live in a fair world and this is crap.

Good on St Kilda FC for putting me in this position, after being a member for so many years and only recently being diagnosed with osteo arthristis, I cannot go and I know i am not alone here.

I hope I show more allegiance than I have received. No support at all. So, if I GIVE my ticket to a Cats friend I take it nobody will mind.

[St Fidelius]

That's very easy to answer- you had to purcahse the tickets in one booking for 3 members. Because I didnt want to let my boys down I said I would take anything and that's what I got. I also didnt think in my wildest dreams that a full SC member would get standing when people who just joined up at the last minute would get seats- sorry, but I live in a fair world and this is crap.

Good on St Kilda FC for putting me in this position, after being a member for so many years and only recently being diagnosed with osteo arthristis, I cannot go and I know i am not alone here.

I hope I show more allegiance than I have received. No support at all. So, if I GIVE my ticket to a Cats friend I take it nobody will mind.

Just how has the Club put you in this position?

There are a few full Social Club members that are standing why is it the Clubs fault?

They only guaranteed a ticket and not a seat

[saint patrick]

Julia I can understand your predicament and disappointment but I'm afraid you must appreciate the chance of someone swapping a seat for a standing room are very slim.

I are fortunate to have 3 seats for myself and 2 daughters which probably means my wife will miss out as any type of ticket is getting harder by the day.

Please don't give your ticket to a cats supporter.Unless you do decide to go at least sell it to a saints supporter.There are St.Kilda people here looking for any type of ticket believe me

[Batnoe]

so, you say you dont want to let your boys down then why didnt you put down what you wanted? now you say you dont want to go because no one here is willing to trade?

Will that be letting your boys down?

I think you could have then in hindsight elected disabled seating if needed and you and your sons would have been happy, dont come on here and say you will give your ticket away just because someone wont give you their ticket.

I have a bad back too or i would be happy to trade my ticket, if i were standing i would find away- rest at qtr time leaning against a wall, there might be a seat right near standing room where someone no longer wants to sit and they stand, you may ask them if you can sit for 20 mins and then get up and then sit again?

[Been a Long Time]

yes, of course I understand that nobody would choose to stand if they had a choice. I cannot see how else i can do this, if i am at the back of rows of standing men (i am a 5 foot 4 woman) how am i going to go and ask someone to sit down ? do i crawl under legs to get near the seats ?

I do blame the club as feel the club should not have taken on so many new sc members in september when they would have clearly known they would not have enough seats for the sc members they already had.

Also, when i applied there was nowhere to put i want 3 but 1 must be sitting. Its not a matter of leaning against a wall cos that is still standing. When the joints in your lower spine are rubbing together with no cartlidge, the most painful position is to stand.

I dont expect you to understand because until this recently happened to me i didnt relaise either how painful it could be. yes, its my own fault i cannot go to the GF because something has suddenly happened to me that is out of my control.

[Goose is king]

Take a doctors certificate explaining your problem. Then complain like hell to the workers at the G. You will end up with a disable seat some where. If the disable factor is going to deter you enough to not want to go then I hope the players have more heart than you.

[Been a Long Time]

not a matter of not wanting to go- if that were the case i wouldnt be upset would I ?

Boys will still go even if i cant. I would be a bloody hindarance to them if i did go and try to stand. we'll see how many players can play with a disability, it's not about heart it's about bare facts.

[Tom_Aus]

Must be a terrible decision to make. Load up on painkillers i say, whatever decision u make, hope u enjoy the game regardless

[Been a Long Time]

Thanks, Tom. Still praying for a miracle. Already loaded up with lots of medication- not a nice thing to happen when you are not old (or to anybody).

Hope to see all the fat cats standing in agony on the day.

[SaintDebi]

Been A Long Time, please note that I was asking a genuine question, not having a go at anyone, and certainly not at you specifically.

Firstly, I understand you not wanting to disappoint your boys, but it is still a fact that you knew your circumstances when you ticked that box. It was a decision you made in order to give your boys a chance to be at the GF. Thats a great sacrifice for you to make for them. Well done.

Secondly, There is nothing wrong with you taking a chance and asking if someone is willing to swap, as long as you realise its a long shot, and I'm sure that you do. (just a point to consider though, even if someone swaps one ticket with you, it may not be right where your boys are standing. Are they old enough to fend for themselves in a crowd?)

Next, the club will never be able to keep 100% of the people happy 100% of the time. A lot of people are not thrilled with how the tickets have been allocated, but its a complex issue which the club is only partly responsible for, and I'm sure they are doing the best job they can.

Finally, I can assure you that I know just how painful and debilitating arthritis can be. My husband has suffered from both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis for the past ten years or more. He had surgery a few years ago now to completely fuse his ankle and rebuild/reinforce bone in his leg. It was a last resort option before they considered amputation. He still has pain and a permanent limp, but thankfully it is a big improvement on how it was.
I can appreciate the pain you must put up with, and the frustrations you must have. I sincerely wish you all the best in your quest to find the most suitable management for your condition.
Take it easy if you do manage to go to the game. I know with my husband that adreniline often gets him through an event, then he suffers and pays for it later.

I really hope you can get to the game and have an exraordinary and exciting experience with your sons.

[saint66au]

In defence of Julia, I reckon many of us "rolled the dice" when it came to ticking that standing room option..thinking that we'd worry about it on the pretty slim chance we were allocated them..it was always gonna be better than not ticking and potentially missing out

Whats looking more obvious now is that the AFL very kindly made standing room a far greater % of the Clubs total allocation that they originally intended. First I heard it was 950 out of 11500, but now Ive heard 15% of the total, which is nearly double that.

[Iceman234]

In defence of Julia, I reckon many of us "rolled the dice" when it came to ticking that standing room option..thinking that we'd worry about it on the pretty slim chance we were allocated them..it was always gonna be better than not ticking and potentially missing out

Whats looking more obvious now is that the AFL very kindly made standing room a far greater % of the Clubs total allocation that they originally intended. First I heard it was 950 out of 11500, but now Ive heard 15% of the total, which is nearly double that.

I feel for them but I asked the same question the other day.

Due to a couple of our group, we opted out of standing room completely, because we knew what would happen - if we'd been allocated standing we would have been in a similar predicament.

We had committed to watching it elsewhere if we didn't get seats as it was one in all in, or one out all out.

A mate couldn't stand for the whole training session yesterday so it was a correct decision.

But I maintain my stance in that longer serving members should be prioritised. Whether this is a club/AFL/Ticketing problem, it is an issue that needs to be sorted.

[ace]

That's very easy to answer- you had to purcahse the tickets in one booking for 3 members. Because I didnt want to let my boys down I said I would take anything and that's what I got. I also didnt think in my wildest dreams that a full SC member would get standing when people who just joined up at the last minute would get seats- sorry, but I live in a fair world and this is crap.

Good on St Kilda FC for putting me in this position, after being a member for so many years and only recently being diagnosed with osteo arthristis, I cannot go and I know i am not alone here.

I hope I show more allegiance than I have received. No support at all. So, if I GIVE my ticket to a Cats friend I take it nobody will mind.

It is not the St Kilda football club that has put you in this position.

It is Andrew Demetriou.

He has deigned to give competing club supporters table scaraps from his banquet.

There are not 15,000 standing room places at the MCG as 15% standing room would imply.
There are only approximately 1,500 official standing places in the MCC reserve and I would assume a similar number in the AFL reserve.
The approximately 3,500 standing room places shared between the competing clubs would have to constitute ALL the public area standing room places.

I look forward to Plugger66's defence of the AFL.
He may try "you should be grateful to be considered worthy to be admitted to an event at which the AFL commissioners and the Prime Minister will be present".

[saintbrat]

ground dimensions and statistics say 95,000 seats and 5,000 standing

It would be interesting to do an actual count of how many were offered standing
it seems like quite a few - but in reality it may be THE %
being a forum we are HEaring it.. many others would nOt be aware of it..

difficulty with Prioritising to yearss, age, what ever, you will get mixed groups\
a 40 yr member with 2 year grandchildren- will they then accept being split?
or when your booking as a group who just got together as a group who sit near at the football generally- one has been memebr for 50 yr
other for 1 or 2 or 5

No system is ideal or fool proof-
the tickets were allocated "To a confirmation number" with the only info involved being' the number of tickets required'
we had been warned -thanks golden hawk" that 8 person groups which did not fit the number of seats left may be then put down to the next selection mor the bottom of the selections - there was no face to the number, and no face drawing the tickets

the AFL maybe should guarentee that CLUB members who get into the right category- IE Social club - get sitting/ seats
and then the give aways in the last week be the Standing room tickets

St pat may be able to answer - BUT where are the give away tickets which seats and which area of the ground are the Herald- Sun or SEN tickets?

[Been a Long Time]

I think I may go and have a plan of action to either;) stand until I fall down or my back locks up (which it does) then get First Aid ie-a seat OR keep on going in and out of the ground and sit outside and listen to the game on the radio. At least I will be there.

[saintbrat]

thats what I actually suggested to someone else who was debating due to ahving two young children- break the day- go out sde etc

check your pm's sending asuggestion.

[SaintDebi]

I think I may go and have a plan of action to either;) stand until I fall down or my back locks up (which it does) then get First Aid ie-a seat OR keep on going in and out of the ground and sit outside and listen to the game on the radio. At least I will be there.

I hope it works for you, Julia, and that you don't suffer with pain as a consequence.
Enjoy being there (I'd love to be!).
Hopefully we'll win. I think that might somehow make the pain a little bit easier to bear.

[barks4eva]

That's very easy to answer- you had to purcahse the tickets in one booking for 3 members. Because I didnt want to let my boys down I said I would take anything and that's what I got. I also didnt think in my wildest dreams that a full SC member would get standing when people who just joined up at the last minute would get seats- sorry, but I live in a fair world and this is crap.

Good on St Kilda FC for putting me in this position, after being a member for so many years and only recently being diagnosed with osteo arthristis, I cannot go and I know i am not alone here.

I hope I show more allegiance than I have received. No support at all. So, if I GIVE my ticket to a Cats friend I take it nobody will mind.

Just how has the Club put you in this position?

There are a few full Social Club members that are standing why is it the Clubs fault?

They only guaranteed a ticket and not a seat

The current administration has put some people in this position when they chose not to respect the 8,500 foundation membership cap that the Butters administration already had in place.

Social club memberships sold after the 8,500 cap should have been second cabs off the rank, so to speak, meaning ALL of the FOUNDATION status members would have received seats!

This is how the club put some people in this position!

Social club members of 20 years had an equal chance at a seat with people who only joined up two months ago for one reason only, they thought we'd make a Grand Final this year!

I know someone who joined up a few months ago just because he thought we would make the Grand Final and he has a seat on level 2.

I also know of Social Club members who have been loyal and paid up regardless of where we are on the ladder for 10 and 15 years and were given standing room!

The current administration's decision to not continue with the initiative of the Butterss administration in capping the social club at 8,500 which would have guaranteed ALL foundation members a seat is exactly why some have been put in this position!

[Bernard Shakey]

For once I agree with barks4eva.

The St Kilda Football Club have shafted long term Social Club members in search of the almighty dollar.

[saint66au]

For once I agree with barks4eva.

The St Kilda Football Club have shafted long term Social Club members in search of the almighty dollar.

How does the almighty dollar come into it? If we wanted to make maximum cash, we;'d have just kept on selling SC memberships all year then said "Well sorry only 11500 of you get a GF ticket..into a ballot you all go"

I can see the argument with the Foundation status, but maybe the TM/TT computer system couldnt handle the extra tier? who knows..we are all speculating unless you are a Club or Ticketing company employee

The only thing the Club could have perhaps done a little better, and maybe in hidsight they agree, is to state from the get-go "Being in the 11500 assures you of either a seat OR standing room ticket at the 2009 GF. (Subject to AFL allocation)"...totally transparent and then noone gets a shock when they do get a Standing Room ticket.

When the dust settles on the 2009 season (and weve all sobered up lol) there will be a time to ask questions and maybe improve the system for the next time it applies to us..but for now Im just happy to be in the big dance, at the ground...and being able to do my lil bit to get the boys over the line!

[Bernard Shakey]

For once I agree with barks4eva.

The St Kilda Football Club have shafted long term Social Club members in search of the almighty dollar.

How does the almighty dollar come into it? If we wanted to make maximum cash, we;'d have just kept on selling SC memberships all year then said "Well sorry only 11500 of you get a GF ticket..into a ballot you all go"

I can see the argument with the Foundation status, but maybe the TM/TT computer system couldnt handle the extra tier? who knows..we are all speculating unless you are a Club or Ticketing company employee

The only thing the Club could have perhaps done a little better, and maybe in hidsight they agree, is to state from the get-go "Being in the 11500 assures you of either a seat OR standing room ticket at the 2009 GF. (Subject to AFL allocation)"...totally transparent and then noone gets a shock when they do get a Standing Room ticket.

When the dust settles on the 2009 season (and weve all sobered up lol) there will be a time to ask questions and maybe improve the system for the next time it applies to us..but for now Im just happy to be in the big dance, at the ground...and being able to do my lil bit to get the boys over the line!

Obviously you've got seats.

[saintspremiers]

In defence of Julia, I reckon many of us "rolled the dice" when it came to ticking that standing room option..thinking that we'd worry about it on the pretty slim chance we were allocated them..it was always gonna be better than not ticking and potentially missing out

Whats looking more obvious now is that the AFL very kindly made standing room a far greater % of the Clubs total allocation that they originally intended. First I heard it was 950 out of 11500, but now Ive heard 15% of the total, which is nearly double that.

Indeed.

F*** THE AFL!

I heard on SEN someone (Saints fan) who is considering legal action.

Sounds like an AFL rat to me.

Let's hope our club, and Geelong for that matter - let's face it their members will have been screwed over also, same as us, go into bat together and try and make it a fairer system for next year. (when we are again in the Granny!).

[saintbrat]

you would be wrong B S
I think you will find Saint66au is Standing