I agree that comparing this season to the last few seasons is a bit simplistic when there are other factors. The 2 key points are that we are playing better football and are in a better league position now than we have been for the last 3 sessons at least, and secondly the price cap for away fixtures has significantly reduced the cost of away trips. Havent got the figures but I'm guessing United & Everton (a) were in the region of £40-45 for adults, £15-20 for kids before this season?
Well said mate!
Albion seem to be basing these regular requests for reduced allocations on ticket sales over recent seasons when as you say, things have changed this season with the price cap and of course the fact that for the first time in several seasons we've got a realistic chance of hitting a record points haul (in the Premiership era) and are, for the most part, playing decent football.
I'm sure I'm not the only Albion fan who sometimes has to delay going for away tickets (even though I've got a HST) due to various reasons, work patterns, family commitments or in the case of a couple of people who sometimes travel to away games with me, running businesses, where there's no problem planning around home games, but with away days when you're away for up to 12 hours, tending to be a lot more problematic and needing forward planning and sometimes, due to various issues, having to hold fire for a few days before purchasing the away tickets.
It's not always straightforward for many of us to get the tickets on the first day they go on sale.
This viewpoint doesn't seem to get much sympathy from some of the regular travellers, who presumably have Monday to Friday 9-5 jobs (or as in the case with so many of our away fans these days, are presumably retired).
So it's frustrating for many who would have liked to have gone to Everton but have missed out, and also irritating to see we've taken yet another reduced allocation for Man U, when for the first time in years the tickets are not between around £45 and £55.
Just because the tickets don't sell out within a few days doesn't mean they'll not eventually be sold (or that the majority of tickets will be sold) and surely in the event of Albion having to pay out for a few unsold tickets now and then, it's a price worth paying to encourage Albion supporters to follow the team away from home.
I'm sure Albion are not deliberately trying to make life difficult for life long Albion fans and HSTHs like myself and family members and friends who like to go to away games now and then, but it just feels that way at times.