SAFC - Fan Ban & Ticket Cancellations

[AC Mack]

Because that's life. I've just spoke to one lad about tomorrow and he's been off work with a bad back all week so isn't sure if he's going. If he decides not to go and forwards his ticket to someone else , why should I get my season ticket taken off me for that?

I've been going to away games for 20 years with this lad. I always buy ours together. Doesn't mean that at some point he might pass a ticket on when he can't go for what ever reason.

You are absolutely mental if you think I deserve banning from home and away games if my mate passes his ticket on tomorrow

Where have I said you should get your season ticket taken off you or deserve banning?

If you're just gonna keep making things up to try and strengthen your argument then let's not bother.

 

[Provider]

Sounds like you're talking about an isolated incident. Does this happen regularly? Again, we seem to be going down the straw-man argument road.

No, I don't wake up on the morning of games feeling like shite regularly. And you talk about strawman arguments.

The lad in question bought tickets for a massive group of people. Its inevitable that things will happen to that group many times a season which means that a few in that group can't attend.

There's currently no way to resell away tickets. Would you prefer them to go to waste?

 

[AC Mack]

If someone was doing it regularly I wouldn't be buying there's as part of my order. Why would I?

There you go.

No, I don't wake up on the morning of games feeling like shite regularly. And you talk about strawman arguments.

The lad in question bought tickets for a massive group of people. Its inevitable that things will happen to that group many times a season which means that a few in that group can't attend.

There's currently no way to resell away tickets. Would you prefer them to go to waste?

Aye, so should he be buying them? As a I said earlier, it's a perfectly reasonable question.

And no, I wouldn't want them to go to waste. But you know that, as does everyone else.

 

[SPUFF]

One things for sure, what an absolute fuck on getting to away days nowadays!

 

[Disco_Pants93]

Cheers mate. He's okay by the way (I know that you know my dad) but he's had a couple of operations to get his heart beating at the correct rhythm again but they haven't worked unfortunately. At the moment even the walk from Sunniside can take it out of him.

Aye mate, lovely bloke. His health is the most important thing although I’m sure it’s been an incredibly difficult decision for you all. Hope he gets sorted out mate.

 

[AC Mack]

One things for sure, what an absolute fuck on getting to away days nowadays!

Absolutely mate. I've felt a bit stuck this season on my points, been a bit disappointed that I haven't been able to get to many aways.

 

[FoldingStars]

If someone was doing it regularly I wouldn't be buying there's as part of my order. Why would I?

I buy me and my mates tickets so we can stand together at the match

I wasnt hinting that your mates are, sorry. I was just saying that’s probably the only reason to justify such action.

Of course I wouldn't want it empty, I'd want it to be bought and used by someone on the correct number of loyalty points.

Why are people comparing a one-off scenario where one of your mates is ill on the day of the game, to a branch buying 65 tickets? It's all just straw-man nonsense.

They are all bought by people with the correct loyalty points. The chances of 1 or 2 out of 65 either having a family member sick or work issue is I’d say is pretty decent, not every match but still it’ll happen. The ticket has already been purchased by a person who deserves it so the option is either an empty seat or they ask a mate or a friend of a friend if they want to use it.

I may have missed the post where people have said I just bought tickets and gave them to anyone so apologies if I have but from what I’ve read that’s not the case. Again though the club were fine for this to happen for a good story to post online.

 

[Botchie]

Sounds like you're talking about an isolated incident. Does this happen regularly? Again, we seem to be going down the straw-man argument road.

People duffing away games on the morning of the match has been a regular occurrence since Adam was a lad.

 

[Provider]

There you go.


Aye, so should he be buying them? As a I said earlier, it's a perfectly reasonable question.

And no, I wouldn't want them to go to waste. But you know that, as does everyone else.

If you don't want people buying tickets in bulk then where does that leave branches? As that's what they do. And I guarantee the scenario I described up to will happen to them as well.

I think the question about them going to waste was fair given your apparent stance on this thread.

 

[AC Mack]

I wasnt hinting that your mates are, sorry. I was just saying that’s probably the only reason to justify such action.


They are all bought by people with the correct loyalty points. The chances of 1 or 2 out of 65 either having a family member sick or work issue is I’d say is pretty decent, not every match but still it’ll happen. The ticket has already been purchased by a person who deserves it so the option is either an empty seat or they ask a mate or a friend of a friend if they want to use it.

I may have missed the post where people have said I just bought tickets and gave them to anyone so apologies if I have but from what I’ve read that’s not the case. Again though the club were fine for this to happen for a good story to post online.

I think that's why we could do with a bit of clarity. Just how many of these 65 tickets were ending up in the 'wrong' hands? That's what doesn't seem to have been clarified yet.

Again, the bloke clearly lives and breathes Sunderland and that should be applauded. But things have changed now we're back in the Premier League in terms of ticketing.

People duffing away games on the morning of the match has been a regular occurrence since Adam was a lad.

Indeed.

 

[SPUFF]

Absolutely mate. I've felt a bit stuck this season on my points, been a bit disappointed that I haven't been able to get to many aways.

Feels like a word away from being took to villa park (tony daley) n annfield (lost 2-1 with 2 own goals ffs in the 80s, ticketless.

Only ever manage 2 or 3 a year but feels like those of us are now completely fecked

 

[Disco_Pants93]

There’s obviously a couple of scenarios here whereby people seemingly seem supportive of if tickets are bought for a large group then they can fall into the hands of whoever and people are fine with it. If the tickets have been bought in one transaction for a branch surely it’s the person who’s bought the tickets responsibility to make sure the person using the ticket is the correct member? Otherwise you’re basically saying if you’re in a branch you can do what you like. I could make any last minute excuse that I can’t make it and give my ticket away but that also could be seen as points farming.

The lads commitment and how many fans he’s helped can’t be brought into question but people are obviously right to question tickets regularly ending up in the wrong hands or people on less loyalty points when others have missed out.

 

[AC Mack]

If you don't want people buying tickets in bulk then where does that leave branches? As that's what they do. And I guarantee the scenario I described up to will happen to them as well.

I think the question about them going to waste was fair given your apparent stance on this thread.

It wasn't an issue when we weren't regularly selling out - that's where the branches can come into their own as they're getting tickets that might otherwise go unsold. It seems that's where safc2012 and his relationship with the club thrived.

That isn't the case though now we're in the Premier League, where demand is far greater and the games are selling out on 30, 40, 50+ points.

 

[FoldingStars]

I think that's why we could do with a bit of clarity. Just how many of these 65 tickets were ending up in the 'wrong' hands? That's what doesn't seem to have been clarified yet.

Again, the bloke clearly lives and breathes Sunderland and that should be applauded. But things have changed now we're back in the Premier League in terms of ticketing.


Indeed.

The demand has changed but have the rules/t&c’s? As you shouldn’t ban somebody for doing the exact thing you asked them to do when we were shite and skint.

 

[AC Mack]

Feels like a word away from being took to villa park (tony daley) n annfield (lost 2-1 with 2 own goals ffs in the 80s, ticketless.

Only ever manage 2 or 3 a year but feels like those of us are now completely fecked

I'm thinking back to Accrington, Rochdale, Morecambe, Shrewsbury, Crewe etc. which wasn't even that long ago!

Getting to those games was nice and easy, great memories even if the football wasn't always too great

There’s obviously a couple of scenarios here whereby people seemingly seem supportive of if tickets are bought for a large group then they can fall into the hands of whoever and people are fine with it. If the tickets have been bought in one transaction for a branch surely it’s the person who’s bought the tickets responsibility to make sure the person using the ticket is the correct member? Otherwise you’re basically saying if you’re in a branch you can do what you like. I could make any last minute excuse that I can’t make it and give my ticket away but that also could be seen as points farming.

The lads commitment and how many fans he’s helped can’t be brought into question but people are obviously right to question tickets regularly ending up in the wrong hands or people on less loyalty points when others have missed out.

Pretty much exactly what I said mate.

The demand has changed but have the rules/t&c’s? As you shouldn’t ban somebody for doing the exact thing you asked them to do when we were shite and skint.

I think the move towards digital tickets in the past few years has changed things somewhat...?

 

[Provider]

It wasn't an issue when we weren't regularly selling out - that's where the branches can come into their own as they're getting tickets that might otherwise go unsold. It seems that's where safc2012 and his relationship with the club thrived.

That isn't the case though now we're in the Premier League, where demand is far greater and the games are selling out on 30, 40, 50+ points.

And that's the exact point. It wasn't an issue, even for the club, when times were hard and it was a struggle to sell tickets. But now demand is high it's all of a sudden a problem. Tickets bought by branches (and the club themselves gave this group branch status) have been given to others when branch members can't attend forever.

I get that there will be additional pressure from the Premier League but the punishments given out are completely over the top.

It's exactly like what's happening with season tickets now. Because the demand is at all time high right now, the club are basically acting ridiculously towards it's own fanbase.

 

[Wakey ftm in Sussex]

It wasn't an issue when we weren't regularly selling out - that's where the branches can come into their own as they're getting tickets that might otherwise go unsold. It seems that's where safc2012 and his relationship with the club thrived.

That isn't the case though now we're in the Premier League, where demand is far greater and the games are selling out on 30, 40, 50+ points.

Obviously much more demand, no argument.

You accept the club have “used” him to their own ends.

But when & how did the club change the rules?..& when & how was this communicated?

 

[Keith S30S]

SAFC2012 statement of fact & position 23/3/2026...

I started supporting Sunderland AFC in 1990, with my first game being against Derby County at Roker Park on 1st December 1990.

Due to family circumstances, finances and undergoing heart surgery I didn’t have a season ticket until getting a part season ticket in the final season at Roker Park. I subsequently had a season ticket following the move to the Stadium of Light in 1997. This continued for a few years, until my grandfather became ill and subsequently passed away. As my father spent a vast amount of his time caring for his father, we naturally didn’t have the available time to attend games on a regular basis.

I did however get a season ticket for the second half of the 2006/7 season and have held a season ticket ever since.

As I got to know the supporters I sat with at home games we started to go to away games together very frequently from January 2012. I had previously attended away games with my father and a school friend and his father back in the late 1990s and I’d often travel alone to away games in the 2006-12 period.

As the group that I travelled all over the country to away games with grew, the club asked me to set up as a formal supporters club – The Philadelphia Branch - in September 2018 to help them with the administrative process. I agreed to this request and have acted in exactly the same way ever since. For the avoidance of doubt this was originally named the Gateshead Branch, however in September 2024 the club acknowledged there was already a Gateshead Branch & asked me to rename ours – hence the Philadelphia Branch.

In the league 1 and championship years 2018-2025 the club would contact me prior to virtually every away game and ask me if I would sell additional tickets following returns from players/staff/directors etc. I never once turned those down.

The club were in fact for 6 or 7 seasons actively promoting actions for which they have now banned me for !!

One example - at the request of xxxxxxxxx, xxxxxxxxx and other members of the ownership and senior leadership team I was asked if I could assist in providing 2 tickets for a father and son who had travelled over from Australia without tickets for the play off final in May. I provided those tickets and Sunderland were more than happy to publish that story on the club website prior to the 1st game of the season against West Ham.

Another - for the Checkatrade final v Portsmouth at Wembley in 2019, I sorted tickets for 293 Sunderland supporters with the full knowledge and support of the club.

The group would travel by train to every away game, I personally have not missed a home or away game since 2010, other than through illness or during the Covid-19 pandemic.

After many years trying to get a single point of contact with various train companies, I finally got an arrangement in place with LNER in September 2023. That arrangement has worked fantastically well and the loyalty shown by both parties has been highly beneficial to both parties and has enabled hundreds if not thousands of Sunderland supporters to travel at very favourable prices. Since the start of the 2024/25 season I have spent £265k with LNER on travel to away games. Sunderland supporters have also benefited from favourable travel deals outside of the football due to the arrangements I have in place with LNER. I have 3 senior members of customer relations staff at LNER who are on hand to assist me with the groups travel arrangements, prior to the travel, during the travel and post travel completion. This has proved absolutely vital to the Sunderland fan base in general when trains are delayed or cancelled etc as LNER are on hand to put alternative arrangements in place.

There are simply too many examples to list in terms of trains being held in conjunction with scheduling between me and LNER to ensure Sunderland supporters could make the last train home following engineering works, bus replacements etc etc. I have in my possession numerous emails between LNER & myself confirming the positive working arrangements & relationship we have built. These are available if required.

One of the other massive benefits for the younger generation of supporters is that when booked as a group of 10 or more on LNER services the age of a child ticket goes up from 15 and under to 17 and under. This results in the 16/17 year olds paying £25 for a return train ticket to London whilst adults pay £70. A normal return train ticket without the discounts would cost in the region £130 to London.

The numbers of people I have been assisting have been an average of 150 per game. eg for Brighton in December 2025 I had 195 people

If the club could meet with me to resolve this issue, accept my apologies for not being sufficiently diligent, and they apologise for their methods I would be happy to accept & get back to supporting SAFC and the loyal fans. I do not wish for this to be a long winded legal situation..

Yours faithfully

You sir are an absolute diamond (and there's many others within the SAFCSA branches). You have given up hours, weeks and months of your free time to facilitate the supporters and their needs following our great club the length and breath of this country. Saving fans large amounts of money along the way.

You have been sanctioned by full paid jobsworths who wouldn't know what true home and away dedication was if it hit them squarely in the chops. Clueless clowns.

I am not hopeful you get the decision reversed which is a massive black mark against the club. They have literally nothing in place to reimburse people who need to return away tickets, no help at all, money and gold dust tickets potentially going down the drain and wonder why people sell on to third parties? It's laughable.

Obviously if the ticket office get returns from players, staff etc. then those tickets are immediately made available for sale which proves it is doable but at present only if the club is likely to lose money. Individual fans? Who cares.

The ticketing at the club has been a shambles for several years and despite this yourself and branches have waded through the bullshit and got on with the job of providing a service to our fans.

As others have previously said, the club should be looking to employ clever people with dedication such as yourself rather than faceless, non supporting bureaucrats who don't care and make ridiculous decisions to score brownie points. f***ing wankers.

 

[FoldingStars]

I think the move towards digital tickets in the past few years has changed things somewhat...?

in the clubs mind maybe but unless you tell people then we aren’t mind readers. It’s just a complete mess by the club which could have been dealt with 100 times better.

This group are some of the loyalists fans we have and got screwed before the biggest game of the last 10 years. Statement by the club since has been vague and questionable with holes in it and since then even more mistakes have been made by the ticket office.

There was an easy simple way to solve it, send every season ticket holder and email saying this is now banned and from next season anyone found to be doing it will have their season ticket cancelled and banned for the season. Or say away tickets cancelled be sent to a mate but you don’t get the loyalty point so the ticket doesn’t go to waste. Now we will just have wasted tickets and annoyed fans, great work Sunderland.

It wasn't an issue when we weren't regularly selling out - that's where the branches can come into their own as they're getting tickets that might otherwise go unsold. It seems that's where safc2012 and his relationship with the club thrived.

That isn't the case though now we're in the Premier League, where demand is far greater and the games are selling out on 30, 40, 50+ points.

So let’s use the branches when we are shite and skinny but ban them mom when we are in the top league, great business sense that as we will be relegated one day and be back begging those branches to help sell tickets for Swansea on a Tuesday night in January. Again you can’t just pick when a rule is worth having and then when you want to ignore it.

 

[AC Mack]

And that's the exact point. It wasn't an issue, even for the club, when times were hard and it was a struggle to sell tickets. But now demand is high it's all of a sudden a problem. Tickets bought by branches (and the club themselves gave this group branch status) have been given to others when branch members can't attend forever.

I get that there will be additional pressure from the Premier League but the punishments given out are completely over the top.

It's exactly like what's happening with season tickets now. Because the demand is at all time high right now, the club are basically acting ridiculously towards it's own fanbase.

Yeah, I'm not suggesting for a second that the punishments are fair. It all seems to have been handled rather poorly. The season ticket thing is a joke with those fans who have been moved to the back of the line.