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Herald Article (fan refused coach seat)
- Thread starter liamkite1
- Start date
Could 'dad' not have paid for the coach in person at the office and details then left with the coach steward prior to the game?
Bit harsh on the travel club.
Bit harsh on the travel club.
It has been many years since I commented on here but seems as though this articles is about me I wanted to come on and clear up some facts,
Firstly, the fact that I was travelling alone, that I am registered blind or any other factor is totally irrelevant. I have travelled unaccompanied home and away (and over to Holland this pre-season) almost every week for many years now. I am hugely embarrassed by all this fuss and it certainly wasnât my idea to go to the herald. I will say though for all their faults I was very touched by the reporter Sarah Waddington who having been given my number by my dad text me in the early hours of Sunday morning in a non work capacity to check on my safety & to offer me a lift If i needed to get around Plymouth yesterday. A very thoughtful gesture that was above and beyond the call of duty. If you read this Sarah - thank you!
Secondly, Martyn Starnes and Nikki Errington both came over and spoke to me last night to offer their apologies. Although I felt this was somewhat unprofessional to be dealing with it at a social event, where neither were there in an official work capacity and had been drinking, I appreciated that they took the time to acknowledge the situation. Nicki has also tried calling me this morning but as I am travelling all day I have emailed her to say I will call her tomorrow. As far as I am concerned that is the matter dealt with and closed.
Now to clarify what happened.
I am based in Lancashire and generally I will travel to home and away games via train (alone or with me young child). I am fiercely independent and take full responsibility for my own safety. On occasions if an away game isnât easy to get to by train or involves crossing London on the tube I will travel down to Plymouth on the Friday night, get the supporters coach to and from the match and then return to Blackpool on the train on the Sunday. This works well as in the past Nikki from the box office has booked me on the coach and Mark from the travel club is happy for me to pay cash on the day. This is what I had hoped would happen on this occasion except I would only be travelling back on the coach.
Having worked in the club offices for a number of years and been secretary of the supporters club for a couple seasons prior to moving up north I was fully aware of the cash/cheque only booking policy for coach travel. I totally respect that the ticket office staff have a job to do and have no authority to overide the travel club policy.
This is why I chose to go directly to Nikki. I called the box office on the day the Bradford tickets went on sale. Nikki was on another call so I left a message for her to call me back. I heard nothing so called again early last week. Still no call back. Tried for a third time, once again she was busy and would call back but no call had come by the time I booked my ticket online towards the end of the week.
In the meantime I also tried contacting Mark from the travel club, who is a good friend of mine. No luck getting hold of him either. He has since informed that his phone must be playing up as the club had also had issues getting hold of him.
So, having tried the box office and the travel club with no success I made alternative travel plans as back up but In the hope that once I had seen Mark before the match he would allow me to pay and travel back with them. This was unfortunately not the case and I was basically told canât help this time but call me next time if your in the same situation.
I was informed by a friend who was on one of the coaches that there were 2 free seats on coach 1 and roughly 10/15 spare on coach 2 so more than enough space for them to allow me to travel back with them.
As a result i had an absolute mare getting back to Plymouth. 3 trains, 2 hour wait in Bristol temple meads before having to make my way to Cabot Circus where I totally lost my bearings and ended up having to call 999 and get the police at 2am to help me as I was completely lost. Finally got on a mega bus just after 2am (having missed the coach I was due to get because of getting lost) and arriving in Plymouth at 5:15 (eventually having waited for a taxi I git to where I was staying at 5:45am)
This was of course my choice. I chose to come down to Plymouth, I chose to take the risk of getting a number of trains and coaches, i chose to travel less than 24 hours after having major eye surgery, it was my fault i got lost. I take full responsibility for all
If that BUT it could have been avoided had calls been returned and common sense being deployed. Forgetting the fact that Iâm female, disabled, whatever I would hope the club value the supporters enough to never leave any supporter in an avoidable situations like this in the future.
But like I say it happened, itâs been dealt with, I got back to Plymouth safely (albeit slightly stressed, knackered and in a lot of pain) but it wonât put me off doing what I love most-following the greens!
Firstly, the fact that I was travelling alone, that I am registered blind or any other factor is totally irrelevant. I have travelled unaccompanied home and away (and over to Holland this pre-season) almost every week for many years now. I am hugely embarrassed by all this fuss and it certainly wasnât my idea to go to the herald. I will say though for all their faults I was very touched by the reporter Sarah Waddington who having been given my number by my dad text me in the early hours of Sunday morning in a non work capacity to check on my safety & to offer me a lift If i needed to get around Plymouth yesterday. A very thoughtful gesture that was above and beyond the call of duty. If you read this Sarah - thank you!
Secondly, Martyn Starnes and Nikki Errington both came over and spoke to me last night to offer their apologies. Although I felt this was somewhat unprofessional to be dealing with it at a social event, where neither were there in an official work capacity and had been drinking, I appreciated that they took the time to acknowledge the situation. Nicki has also tried calling me this morning but as I am travelling all day I have emailed her to say I will call her tomorrow. As far as I am concerned that is the matter dealt with and closed.
Now to clarify what happened.
I am based in Lancashire and generally I will travel to home and away games via train (alone or with me young child). I am fiercely independent and take full responsibility for my own safety. On occasions if an away game isnât easy to get to by train or involves crossing London on the tube I will travel down to Plymouth on the Friday night, get the supporters coach to and from the match and then return to Blackpool on the train on the Sunday. This works well as in the past Nikki from the box office has booked me on the coach and Mark from the travel club is happy for me to pay cash on the day. This is what I had hoped would happen on this occasion except I would only be travelling back on the coach.
Having worked in the club offices for a number of years and been secretary of the supporters club for a couple seasons prior to moving up north I was fully aware of the cash/cheque only booking policy for coach travel. I totally respect that the ticket office staff have a job to do and have no authority to overide the travel club policy.
This is why I chose to go directly to Nikki. I called the box office on the day the Bradford tickets went on sale. Nikki was on another call so I left a message for her to call me back. I heard nothing so called again early last week. Still no call back. Tried for a third time, once again she was busy and would call back but no call had come by the time I booked my ticket online towards the end of the week.
In the meantime I also tried contacting Mark from the travel club, who is a good friend of mine. No luck getting hold of him either. He has since informed that his phone must be playing up as the club had also had issues getting hold of him.
So, having tried the box office and the travel club with no success I made alternative travel plans as back up but In the hope that once I had seen Mark before the match he would allow me to pay and travel back with them. This was unfortunately not the case and I was basically told canât help this time but call me next time if your in the same situation.
I was informed by a friend who was on one of the coaches that there were 2 free seats on coach 1 and roughly 10/15 spare on coach 2 so more than enough space for them to allow me to travel back with them.
As a result i had an absolute mare getting back to Plymouth. 3 trains, 2 hour wait in Bristol temple meads before having to make my way to Cabot Circus where I totally lost my bearings and ended up having to call 999 and get the police at 2am to help me as I was completely lost. Finally got on a mega bus just after 2am (having missed the coach I was due to get because of getting lost) and arriving in Plymouth at 5:15 (eventually having waited for a taxi I git to where I was staying at 5:45am)
This was of course my choice. I chose to come down to Plymouth, I chose to take the risk of getting a number of trains and coaches, i chose to travel less than 24 hours after having major eye surgery, it was my fault i got lost. I take full responsibility for all
If that BUT it could have been avoided had calls been returned and common sense being deployed. Forgetting the fact that Iâm female, disabled, whatever I would hope the club value the supporters enough to never leave any supporter in an avoidable situations like this in the future.
But like I say it happened, itâs been dealt with, I got back to Plymouth safely (albeit slightly stressed, knackered and in a lot of pain) but it wonât put me off doing what I love most-following the greens!
I'm surprised that the travel club don't accept card payments yet do take cheques in an age where it is now the norm for cheques to be turned away.
IJN":1p1zxzfb said:
Agreed. If Martyn and Nikki had ignored Jo at the function, that would have been another story for the Herald. I'm glad Jo believes the matter is dealt with now. Hopefully now the travel club can arrange to take card payments. This would greatly assist non-Plymouth based fans when making bookings with them.
Ok unprofessional was probably the wrong choice of word but that was the general veiw of those sat with me last night. It could have waited until this morning when they were back in the office. It certainly wouldnât have concerned me one bit had they ignored me. I wouldnât have even known they were there had they not come over. But anyway like it say itâs dealt with so nothing further to discuss.
Just a slightly off subject suggestion, how about an exiles directory on Pasoti?
Quick list of names, username and location, perhaps frequency attended.
If ever wanting to go to a game but need to car share etc quick and easy to find somebody nearby and make arrangements.
Quick list of names, username and location, perhaps frequency attended.
If ever wanting to go to a game but need to car share etc quick and easy to find somebody nearby and make arrangements.