For those affected by the decision to ignore 19/20 credits, here are my thoughts on counter arguments to things the Club may say:
Argument:
It would be unfair on members who have enough 18/19 credits but not enough 19/20 credits.
Counter argument:
We have no idea of the numbers in this situation, but it's likely to be very low. No-one willingly throws away their position on the ladder unless personal circumstances mean they no longer want or are able to go to games in the future (and that would likely include next season). People who didn't buy enough tickets in 19/20 wouldn't reasonably have expected to be allowed into the 13+ sale in the following season.
Moreover, these people do NOT have to be excluded. The Club could use the higher of:
- 18/19 credits
- 19/20 credits pro-rated
- 19/20 credits including tickets purchase for cancelled games
Argument:
The Club never give credits for matches not attended and where the tickets have been refunded.
Counter argument:
That is conflating two separate things. It's quite right that if you as a supporter choose to cancel a ticket or give your ticket to someone else, you don't get the credit. This fits in with the ethos, that is broadly supported, that in the future, you only get a credit if you attend a match. But here we have the unprecedented situation of the Club being forced to cancel attendance at games. That's not the same thing. There is no reason why the Club cannot choose to treat this situation differently and honour credits for those cancelled games. People bought 19/20 tickets reasonably expecting loyalty credits on those purchases. Many will have bought 13 matches in 19/20 to get up the ladder. Which 13 of the 19 matches they bought should not be relevant.
Argument:
Including 19/20 credits would mean there are too many qualifying members for the guaranteed members' sale.
Counter argument:
I've seen various figures in this thread from 300 to 1,100 extra qualifying members. I don't know what the source of these figures is or how accurate they are. I do know that some members who failed to complete the Fan Update got knocked off the ladder and that brought down numbers. Whatever the actual numbers, let's contemplate would have happened if the 19/20 season had been played out with full crowd attendance? Those 300 to 1,100 would have qualified for the next seaon's 13+ members' sale, so the Club would have had to deal with those numbers. I don't know what they would have done. Maybe they would have set the qualifying bar at 14 games. They could still do that. Or maybe the numbers aren't as big as claimed. Or they could just accept the higher number of qualifying members for next season, and adjust the bar from 13 to 14 games the season after.
Argument:
The Club has consulted the Fan Forum and agreed this approach.
Counter argument:
RAWK member Harinder, who is one of the people selected by the Club to be on the Fan Forum, seems to suggest this isn't what happened. When I asked, he didn't confirm that any alternative ideas, such as those I put forward above, were ever discussed. I am not aware of the wider membership being consulted on this at all.