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Stolen from those goody two shoes on KUMB
West Ham United have today revealed important details of the process and timetable for selecting seats in the club’s new Stadium on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the 2016/17 season.
The key points of the process are as follows:
• Each 2015/16 Season Ticket Holder to be given individual appointment at Reservation Centre in Stratford.
• Process to take place between April 2015 and February 2016, starting with price Band 1 through to price Band 4.
• Non-refundable deposit of 25 per cent of 2016/17 Season Ticket cost due upon selecting new seat at the Olympic Stadium.
• Remaining balance of 2016/17 Season Ticket cost to be paid by June 2016.
• Season Ticket prices at the Olympic Stadium will be "comparable to those for the final season at the Boleyn Ground".
• Olympic Stadium seat allocation dependent upon 2015/16 Season Ticket Band.
• Anyone wishing to downgrade a Band will be able to select their seat only when all existing Season Ticket holders in the new chosen band have selected theirs.
• A waiting list for seats opens later this year; tickets go on General Sale only when all existing Season Ticket holders have been invited to choose their new seat.
The club's first priority is to offer every Season Ticket Holder a comparable seat in the new stadium to the one they have for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
Additionally, Season Ticket Holders are able to group their seats together with friends and family and have the opportunity to bring with them up to two new Season Ticket Holders.
In devising a process to meet those priorities, the club had three guiding principles: that the process should be fair and transparent to all supporters, with the efficiency to accommodate 40,000 supporters coming through the Reservation Centre doors.
The Process
Every Season Ticket Holder who renews their ticket for the final season at the Boleyn Ground will receive an invitation to attend a personal appointment at West Ham United's Reservation Centre at Westfield Stratford City. The appointments will take place between April 2015 and February 2016.
At the Reservation Centre, an adviser will present the various ticketing options available for the big kick-off in August 2016. Supporters will be shown the surroundings and views from different seats in the stadium using state-of-the-art Virtual Venue technology.
The club is committed to ensuring Season Ticket Holders have the opportunity to select seats at the new stadium in an equivalent price band and location to their seat at the Boleyn. They will therefore be allocated their appointment based on the price band and seat location of their 2015/16 Season Ticket.
They will have a choice of seats in their existing price band or from any available seats in price bands above. If Season Ticket Holders wish to choose a seat in a lower price band they can do so, but only after all Season Ticket Holders in that price band have had the opportunity to select their seats. This is to protect the rights of Season Ticket Holders in lower price bands and ensure that they are in no way disadvantaged by the process or their fellow supporters.
Each Season Ticket Holder will also have the opportunity to bring up to two new Season Ticket Holders with them to the new stadium, and – subject to availability – choose the additional seats together. Larger groups wishing to sit together will be able to register for a group Reservation Centre appointment. For further information on the ‘grouping’ process and the seat selection process as a whole, please refer to the FAQ below.
Season Ticket prices for the new Stadium will be comparable to those for the final season at the Boleyn Ground, further details of which will be released in April 2015. Upon visiting the Reservation Centre, supporters can secure their 2016/17 Season Ticket with a 25 per cent deposit and the remaining balance is then due in June 2016.
Once all 2015/16 Season Ticket Holders’ appointments are complete, and the new stadium waiting list has been serviced, any remaining Season Tickets will be made available for general sale.
The waiting list for new Stadium Season Tickets will open later this year. Until then, the only way to guarantee your priority in the seat selection process is by holding a Season Ticket for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
Further important information on the seat selection process and timetable can be found can be viewed in the following Q+A.
New Stadium seat selection FAQs
This FAQ covers the following topics:
• New Stadium seat selection plans
• Selecting seats at the new Stadium
• Buying Season Tickets
• Sitting with friends and family
• Attending the Reservation Centre
New Stadium seat selection plans
How will Season Ticket Holders be allocated seats at the new Stadium?
The Club have worked carefully to ensure that the seat allocation process works in the interests of all our loyal Season Ticket Holders. The priorities are:
• That every existing Season Ticket Holder is offered a comparable seat in the new Stadium to the one they have for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
• That they are able to group their seats together with friends and family.
Additionally, Season Ticket Holders will have the opportunity to bring with them up to two other individuals as new Season Ticket Holders.
In planning a process to meet those priorities, the Club have had three guiding principles:
Fairness – the process must be fair, so the rights of Season Ticket Holders in each band are equally protected.
Transparency – The process must be clear to all supporters, so that all can understand what is happening, when and why.
Efficiency - The process must be efficient, so that the 40,000 supporters expected through the Reservation Centre doors have enough time to enjoy their appointments and make a fair decision in good time before August 2016.
On the basis of those priorities and principles, the process will work as follows:
• Every Season Ticket Holder will be offered a comparable seat at the new Stadium, based on the price band and location of their seat for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
• Season Ticket Holders will receive their Reservation Centre appointments and select their seats in order of price band, from band 1 to band 4, so it is clear at each stage what seats are available in higher price bands, should supporters wish to upgrade.
• Every Season Ticket Holder will therefore be offered first refusal on the best available seats in their equivalent price band, before those seats are made available to supporters in any other bands.
• Subject to availability, all Season Ticket Holders will be given the opportunity to upgrade their ticket in the new Stadium to a seat in a higher price band.
• Supporters who wish to move down a price band will be able to do so; however only after all supporters in that price band have had the opportunity to select their seat.
Selecting seats in the new Stadium
How do I select my seat for the new Stadium?
Each Season Ticket Holder will be offered a personal appointment at the New Stadium Reservation Centre in Westfield Stratford City, where they will select their seat with the help of a Club adviser. Using state-of-the-art Virtual Venue technology, supporters will be shown the views from the seats available to them and the advisers will be able to answer all their questions, from sightlines and transport to Stadium access and facilities.
How will the order of appointments within each price band be decided?
The order of appointments for Season Ticket Holders within each band will be based on the quality of the current sightline for each seat at the Boleyn Ground, working from the half way line in the Alpari and East stands and directly behind the goal in the Bobby Moore and Sir Trevor Brooking stands, and then out towards the corner flags. Appointments will work from the back to front of each stand in the lower tiers – with the exception of the area surrounding the tunnel – and from front to back of each stand in the upper tiers.
What is meant by a ‘comparable seat’?
A comparable seat is one in an equivalent price band and similar location to the seat occupied for the final season at the Boleyn Ground. However, given the obvious difference in the shape, seating layout and capacity of the two grounds, no two seats will be exactly comparable and the quality of each seat and sightline is subjective.
Where will each price band be located within the Stadium?
Supporters will be able to see the location of all seats in the price bands available to them at their Reservation Centre appointment.
Can I choose a seat in a lower price band?
Any Season Ticket Holder wanting to choose a seat in a lower price band than their equivalent at the Boleyn Ground may do so, but they will have to wait until all current Season Ticket Holders from that band have had the opportunity to select their new seat. This is to protect the rights of Season Ticket Holders in lower price bands and ensure that they are in no way disadvantaged by the process or their fellow supporters.
As a disabled supporter, how will the seat selection process work for me?
All disabled supporters, both wheelchair users and ambulant, will be entered into the same system as all other Season Ticket Holders and the scheduling of their Reservation Centre appointment will be based on their location at the Boleyn Ground for the final season.
The new Stadium boasts excellent disabled access, facilities and seating options, all of which can be discussed with the Club adviser at the Reservation Centre, along with guidance on the best location within the Stadium in relation to access and transport links.
Will the Virtual Venue software allow me to experience view from the wheelchair platforms?
Yes, the technology will offer sightlines from all the wheelchair platforms at the new Stadium.
I’m a visually impaired/ambulant disabled supporter, can I sit anywhere in the Stadium?
Visually impaired and ambulant disabled supporters are free to select any available seat in a comparable location at the new stadium. However, Reservation Centre advisers will be able to offer guidance on the areas that are best suited to the supporter’s individual access needs.
Will I need to move seats for any game at the new Stadium?
Season Tickets seats will not be offered in any sections of the new Stadium which will potentially be affected by the allocation of visiting supporters, even for domestic cup games.
Can I visit the Stadium before I select my seat?
The Stadium itself will be an active construction site while it undergoes the transformation into football mode and the Club’s new home. It is not, therefore, possible to facilitate any Stadium visits before the Club takes up residence.
The CGI visualisations and the Virtual Venue system used for seat selection will give supporters a real sense of their new matchday surroundings.
Buying Season Tickets
How much will Season Tickets cost in the new Stadium?
Season Ticket prices for the new Stadium will be announced in April 2015 but the Club can confirm they will be comparable with prices for the final season at the Boleyn Ground.
When will I need to pay for my Season Ticket?
At the end of their appointment at the Reservation Centre, once they have chosen their seats, Season Ticket Holders will be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit of 25 per cent of their total ticket price. The remaining 75 per cent will be due by June 2016, in line with the normal window for Season Ticket renewals.
Why do I need to pay a deposit at the Reservation Centre?
At all times, the Club need to know precisely which seats have been allocated, to ensure that supporters who are still to select their seats have access to the best seats still available. Without some form of financial commitment from Season Ticket Holders, this would prove exceptionally difficult. The Club is therefore asking supporters for a 25 per cent deposit to secure their chosen seat, which is payable at the Reservation Centre with the remainder not due until June 2016.
Will I still be able to pay for my Season Ticket on finance?
Supporters can purchase 2016/17 Season Tickets on finance under the same terms and conditions as currently available at the Boleyn Ground. Once a Season Ticket Holder has selected their seat in the new Stadium, it will be reserved for them, pending credit approval. Upon confirmation of the finance agreement, their seat will be secured.
What are the options for supporters without a Season Ticket for the final season at the Boleyn Ground?
Anyone not holding a Season Ticket for the final season at the Boleyn Ground will need to register on the new Stadium waiting list if they wish to buy a Season Ticket for the 2016/17 season. The new Stadium waiting list opens in the spring of 2015.
Sitting with friends and family
1) Existing groups
I already sit with a group at the Boleyn Ground and we want to sit together in the new Stadium. Can we sit together in the new Stadium?
Yes. Season Ticket Holders who currently sit together at the Boleyn Ground will also be able to move as a group. When supporters receive details of their appointment, they will be able to create and register their group online and attend the Reservation Centre together.
2) New groups
i) I want to ‘group’ with Season Ticket Holders who sit in my price band, but do not currently sit with me. Can we sit together in the new Stadium?
Season Ticket Holders in the same price band are welcome to group together. When supporters receive details of their appointment, they will be able to create and register their group online and attend the Reservation Centre together.
The Club will look to allocate the seats that most closely fit the group’s requirements, though the area selected may not be directly comparable for members of the group with the best seat location.
ii) I want to ‘group’ with Season Ticket Holders who sit in different price bands. Can we sit together in the new Stadium?
Season Ticket Holders currently in different price bands are also welcome to group at the new Stadium, but will be required to group with the individual in the highest band. This is to protect the rights of Season Ticket Holders in lower price bands and ensure that they are in no way disadvantaged by the process or their fellow supporters.
The Club will look to allocate the seats that most closely fit the group’s requirements, though the area selected may not be directly comparable for members of the group with the best seat location.
iii) Will I still be able to sit with friends who are also wheelchair users, as I do now?
Yes, provided the group agree on location and there is space available.
How will introducing new Season Ticket Holders work?
Subject to availability, every Season Ticket Holder renewing for the 2016/17 season will have the opportunity to bring up to two new Season Ticket Holders with them to the new Stadium. Any new Season Ticket Holder will be able to choose their seat along with the existing Season Ticket Holder at their Reservation Centre appointment.
Attending the Reservation Centre
When will I be informed of my appointment at the Reservation Centre?
Season Ticket Holders will be contacted between April 2015 and February 2016 with details of their Reservation Centre appointments. The Club aim to give supporters a minimum of two weeks’ notice of their appointment.
What if I can’t make my appointment?
With over 40,000 supporters expected to visit the Reservation Centre, the Club ask that all supporters stick to their allotted appointment time. If for any reason supporters cannot make the time slot offered, they should contact the Reservation Centre using the contact details provided and the appointment will be rescheduled. However, rescheduling an appointment to a later date will inevitably reduce the supporter’s choice of seats because other supporters will be making their selections in the interim.
Should any Season Ticket Holder be unable to make their appointment in person, they are welcome to nominate someone to attend the Reservation Centre on their behalf.
What are the Reservation Centre‘s opening hours?
To accommodate the vast number of appointments, the Reservation Centre is open seven days a week (including matchdays): Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 21:00, Saturday 09:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 18:00.
Is the Reservation Centre wheelchair accessible?
Yes.
Can I conduct the appointment over the phone or online?
While supporters can select their seats over the phone if necessary, they are strongly advised to attend their appointment in person to take advantage of the Virtual Venue technology, which will help them to select the seats, sightlines and surroundings that are right for them. The Club will not have the flexibility to relocate Season Ticket Holders once the 2016/17 season has begun, so it is important that supporters are happy with their seats before they choose them. Supporters cannot select their seats online.
While all reasonable endeavours have been made to ensure that the contents of these FAQs are correct, West Ham United will not be held responsible for any inaccuracies or omissions. West Ham United Football Club reserves the right to amend the information contained in these FAQs at any time and from time to time.
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