Carling Cup Ticket Draw Details

Surely this smacks of the same scenario as the Champions League Play Off debate. There are Villa Fans who will go to games who cannot get tickets for Wembley, but who will then see somebody win tickets on the back of sending their name in. These people may never have been to a game before and could well be taking tickets from fairly regular supporters. Forget the competitions and ensure tickets go to real supporters.

Why do I usually find myself agreeing with VOTH? This does seem wrong when fans can show a booking history - why not work down that until all tickets are sold?

I enterd only being to 6 games so far this season, you have to put a reference down, so you would least need to be to one game?

seems a strange one, I'm not over bothered as at least there are trying new things but must admit, I'd rather people who have been to the most games get there instead of someone who has only been to one. Ho hum, I've got my tickets... selfish, but I can't be worrying due to the fact I'm there already!

What ever AVFC plc do regarding tickets someone will feel agrieved that they have been favoured / disadvantaged. At least the majoratary (spelling?) of fans at the Carling Cup Final are season ticket holders. God help us if we get to the FA cup final where the ticket allocation will be less than our quantity of season ticket holders. i know that not all Man U season ticket holders have got Carling Cup tickets, so be thankfull that we can in this case supply tickets to our season ticket holders.

I have to say at least they are TRYING. You do have to have a booking reference which means that you do have to have been to games. There are supporters who through economic disadvantage, work or other reasons can't get to games but love the Villa as much as we do. I don't have tickets, but have been to 14 games so far this season and think this is a lovely gesture by the club to those who aren't as fortunate as me in terms of seeing my beloved claret and blue. We aren't talking about a huge number of tickets either. Yes if they were drawing 5k tickets this way I could understand the ire.

My first post guys and girls so I'll try and make it sensible. I think it's a good idea for 2 reasons: First of all, there are some folk who will have been regular attendees for years and years but who, for whatever reason, can't make games this season; I'd say they deserve a chance. Secondly, I suspect this is less about being 'nice' and more about good marketing. To enter you have to submit your contact details and accept that you will receive marketing info from the club. So, the club are developing a nice database of potential customers for the future. Good work by the commercial team!

I'm somewhat surprised that we've still got tickets left for distribution to be honest. Presumably there has to be a surprisingly large number of regular attendees who have decided to opt out of the opportunity to attend the final. If the club is reasonably convinced that all regular supporters have now had at least the opportunity to buy tickets, then I suppose that allocating a certain number to be sold via a draw, is as good a way as any to ensure that we sell out our full allocation. Its not a route that I personally approve of, but then again I'm not part of the Villa Park marketing team, so I probably aren't aware of, nor can I fully appreciate, their line of thinking. At both Fulham and again at Crystal Palace, we've been approached by travelling Villans seeking tickets for the Wembley showdown. I had mistakenly thought that they hadn't been able to get tickets through the normal channels, and so despite regularly following the team to most of the away games, they were going to have to miss out on the Wembley date. Clearly though, if tickets are now to be offered via this draw, that is not the case. I dont feel so bad now.