Cherries Trust Comment On Hospitality Initiatives

Cherries Trust Comment On Hospitality Initiatives

The Cherries Trust are pleased that the club have remained engaged and transparent regarding ticketing issues. It’s important that we are able to keep that dialogue going and continue our relationship.

However, together with our member’s feedback, we have growing concerns for the latest hospitality initiative and the impact this will have on home supporters. Many are already scrambling to get tickets and are now missing out unless they can afford to pay 3.5x the standard ticket pricing. Given that the hospitality will continue through the points drop once all standard price tickets are sold, the potential has been created for somebody with 1+ point, but a large budget, to bypass somebody with higher points but a lower budget. Add in that there is now a larger pool of those with 1+ point, due to receiving points for friendlies, this will only further exacerbate the issue.

As well as this, the 1910 hospitality initiative also saw a number of away fans now able to purchase tickets that were previously allocated to home supporters. With these two new hospitality schemes, home supporters now have a reduction in tickets in a time where demand is already very high and supply very short. We don’t feel this is fair to AFCB supporters.

Whilst we acknowledge that other clubs have a larger percentage of hospitality, we must be clear that others aren’t also playing in such small capacity stadiums, and that their hospitality numbers have grown organically or have been delivered through stadium rebuilds.

The Cherries Trust have devised some ideas on how to mitigate the impact of home supporters and will be communicating these with the club. We will be seeking to work with them on any issues and ensure that all concerns are addressed, and that the loyalty of fans who have kept the club afloat at times, is met with the fairness and respect that it deserves.