Oxford 2022

[Ovalman]

Would definitely recommend a visit to Oxford for those fans that dont have a local speedway team to watch. Quite a few Robins fans there from Swindon and district, plus other former nearby clubs such as Reading and Coventry. A few from London and south-east as well. Good stadium, easy access, good facilities, some good racing, and big crowd around 2000 with noisy atmosphere. With Newcastle closing with crowds of less than 400, and general negativity surrounding British league speedway it's good to see this success story in central-southern England.

Edited July 6, 2022 by auntie doris

[Gtech]

Totally agree it's as quoted speedway out of the top drawer and regarding the moaners complaining that you can pay on the gate it's easy to book tickets almost self explanatory on the ticket site come see the cheetahs regenerated you'll definitely return 

 

[baiden]

On 7/11/2022 at 1:57 PM, Gtech said:

Totally agree it's as quoted speedway out of the top drawer and regarding the moaners complaining that you can pay on the gate it's easy to book tickets almost self explanatory on the ticket site come see the cheetahs regenerated you'll definitely return 

 

As far as I know, you can buy tickets on the gate - just have to pay with card and not cash. Haven't tried it myself, mind.

Oxford themselves state: "Tickets will also be available on the gate for each fixture, providing we have not reached capacity through online sales"

Don't see why you just wouldn't buy a ticket online beforehand though (guess the £1 booking fee is a sticking point). Not worth the risk that it sells out and you can't get in.

[Fromafar]

19 minutes ago, baiden said:

As far as I know, you can buy tickets on the gate - just have to pay with card and not cash. Haven't tried it myself, mind.

Oxford themselves state: "Tickets will also be available on the gate for each fixture, providing we have not reached capacity through online sales"

Don't see why you just wouldn't buy a ticket online beforehand though (guess the £1 booking fee is a sticking point). Not worth the risk that it sells out and you can't get in.

Is it likely to sell out though.What is crowd capacity.

Edited July 13, 2022 by Fromafar

[baiden]

2 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Is it likely to sell out though.What is crowd capacity.

Capacity is 2,000 - although it will increase once all the work on the stadium has finished. They've sold out a few fixtures I believe (Scunthorpe, Poole and Glasgow come to mind), and have been close to capacity on most of the others. Redcar at home in the league was probably the worst crowd of the season.

[Gtech]

You can pay on the night however the person at the gate will explain that you need to scan a QR code that will take you to the ticket site where you go through the same process as any one else there are no card payments other that through the ticket web site 

[baiden]

6 hours ago, Gtech said:

You can pay on the night however the person at the gate will explain that you need to scan a QR code that will take you to the ticket site where you go through the same process as any one else there are no card payments other that through the ticket web site 

Good to know...not exactly paying at the gate is it?! Hopefully they get that sorted out for next season.

[Fromafar]

On 7/13/2022 at 11:02 AM, baiden said:

Capacity is 2,000 - although it will increase once all the work on the stadium has finished. They've sold out a few fixtures I believe (Scunthorpe, Poole and Glasgow come to mind), and have been close to capacity on most of the others. Redcar at home in the league was probably the worst crowd of the season.

Certainly didn'tT  look anywhere near a sell out judging by the terraces last night.This pushing online tickets gimmick could backfire on them.It not rocket science to open a cash turnstile.

[steve roberts]

11 hours ago, Fromafar said:

Certainly didn'tT  look anywhere near a sell out judging by the terraces last night.This pushing online tickets gimmick could backfire on them.It not rocket science to open a cash turnstile.

Personally I think it odd that cash/card appears not to be acceptable on the gate? Booking for an attraction online became the norm during COVID but surely things should be getting back to some sort of normality? It's only recently that an arboretum near where I live has again accepted cash/card payments at the door which was madness in that they continued with the policy of booking online for so long...an arboretum for goodness sake!

Edited July 15, 2022 by steve roberts

[baiden]

11 hours ago, Fromafar said:

Certainly didn'tT  look anywhere near a sell out judging by the terraces last night.This pushing online tickets gimmick could backfire on them.It not rocket science to open a cash turnstile.

I didn't go last night, but the amount on the terraces can be a little deceiving. They are limited to only 2,000, so the terraces never look full even when it's sold out.

That said, it wouldn't surprise if the crowd was a little down, chances of reaching the playoffs dwindling/non-existent etc. It will be interesting to see if it picks back up for the Jubilee Trophy.

The online gimmick is still definitely a factor, though. I couldn't go last night, and my old man would have gone on his own if he could have paid on the gate with cash. He didn't fancy buying a ticket online as he's not that comfortable doing it. I'm sure he's not alone in that feeling.

Edited July 15, 2022 by baiden
typo

[George Dodds]

1 hour ago, baiden said:

I didn't go last night, but the amount on the terraces can be a little deceiving. They are limited to only 2,000, so the terraces never look full even when it's sold out.

That said, it wouldn't surprise if the crowd was a little down, chances of reaching the playoffs dwindling/non-existent etc. It will be interesting to see if it picks back up for the Jubilee Trophy.

The online gimmick is still definitely a factor, though. I couldn't go last night, and my old man would have gone on his own if he could have paid on the gate with cash. He didn't fancy buying a ticket online as he's not that comfortable doing it. I'm sure he's not alone in that feeling.

But it's not a "gimmick" is it?

To accept cash they would have to build turnstiles,  find/employ volunteers/staff comfortable with or willing to handle cash, security to protect them. Someone has to find a bank branch open and queue to withdraw cash for a float. 

Somewhere secure has to be provided overnight to secure the cash or arrangements made for it to be collected by securicor or similar. 

Then another queue at a bank to deposit the next morning. 

All against downloading an app onto a phone and scanning a QR code.

Card payments are probably down to the charges from the collecting systems - between  around  £1.50 per transaction as they are based around volume - the charges start to fall dramatically once you handle 250,000 transactions. 

I think a lot of clubs envy Oxford's position of handling minimal amounts of cash and the fact that tickets are available online until 15 minutes before start should accommodate last minute decisions. 

2021 post Covid proved the numbers unable to buy tickets online were minimal. Anyone genuinely struggling should contact their clubs directly and I would suggest that in 99% a solution could be found. 

 

[baiden]

17 minutes ago, George Dodds said:

But it's not a "gimmick" is it?

To accept cash they would have to build turnstiles,  find/employ volunteers/staff comfortable with or willing to handle cash, security to protect them. Someone has to find a bank branch open and queue to withdraw cash for a float. 

Somewhere secure has to be provided overnight to secure the cash or arrangements made for it to be collected by securicor or similar. 

Then another queue at a bank to deposit the next morning. 

All against downloading an app onto a phone and scanning a QR code.

Card payments are probably down to the charges from the collecting systems - between  around  £1.50 per transaction as they are based around volume - the charges start to fall dramatically once you handle 250,000 transactions. 

I think a lot of clubs envy Oxford's position of handling minimal amounts of cash and the fact that tickets are available online until 15 minutes before start should accommodate last minute decisions. 

2021 post Covid proved the numbers unable to buy tickets online were minimal. Anyone genuinely struggling should contact their clubs directly and I would suggest that in 99% a solution could be found. 

 

So what do you think they do with all the cash that is taken from programme, bar and food sales? All of what you say is already in place (bar the turnstiles, but they are hardly a necessity). There's plenty of handling of cash going on by employees inside the stadium.

I'm not against downloading an app onto a phone. In fact you don't even need to do that as it can all be done in a browser. But as I stated, there are people not comfortable doing that (or even not able to do that), so why not provide for them as well?

Edited July 15, 2022 by baiden

[Fromafar]

28 minutes ago, George Dodds said:

But it's not a "gimmick" is it?

To accept cash they would have to build turnstiles,  find/employ volunteers/staff comfortable with or willing to handle cash, security to protect them. Someone has to find a bank branch open and queue to withdraw cash for a float. 

Somewhere secure has to be provided overnight to secure the cash or arrangements made for it to be collected by securicor or similar. 

Then another queue at a bank to deposit the next morning. 

All against downloading an app onto a phone and scanning a QR code.

Card payments are probably down to the charges from the collecting systems - between  around  £1.50 per transaction as they are based around volume - the charges start to fall dramatically once you handle 250,000 transactions. 

I think a lot of clubs envy Oxford's position of handling minimal amounts of cash and the fact that tickets are available online until 15 minutes before start should accommodate last minute decisions. 

2021 post Covid proved the numbers unable to buy tickets online were minimal. Anyone genuinely struggling should contact their clubs directly and I would suggest that in 99% a solution could be found. 

 

What a load of rubbish,as the previous Poster explain.It’s really just a case of Speedway shooting it’s self in the foot again.Berwick at least have cash turnstile,but not to take Cards as a method of payment is poor in this day and age( every other business adapted to suit during Covid).To say it’s due to poor internet connection at Stadium is OK,but surely there is a solution to this.

[George Dodds]

4 minutes ago, baiden said:

So what do you think they do with all the cash that is taken from programme, bar and food sales? All of what you say is already in place (bar the turnstiles, but they are hardly a necessity). There's plenty of handling of cash going on by employees inside the stadium.

I'm not against downloading an app onto a phone. In fact you don't even need to do that as it can all be done in a browser. But as I stated, there are people not comfortable doing that (or even not able to do that), so why not provide for them as well?

Fine I'm not getting into an argument. 

I genuinely would love to know why, apart from sheer bloody mindedness why anyone would refuse to attend because they cannot pay cash.

Are these people who still get paid weekly in brown envelopes, take their pension books to the post office on a Monday, pay their electricity bills with pound notes and wait for the rent man to call every Friday or have they successfully adapted to change over the years?

As for apps on your phone -great idea and once the cost of developing one has been clawed back potentially a moneymaker but pointless if people then insist on paying cash 

[George Dodds]

2 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

What a load of rubbish,as the previous Poster explain.It’s really just a case of Speedway shooting it’s self in the foot again.Berwick at least have cash turnstile,but not to take Cards as a method of payment is poor in this day and age( every other business adapted to suit during Covid).To say it’s due to poor internet connection at Stadium is OK,but surely there is a solution to this.

Not like you to try and stir things. 

We don't  have a card turnstile it's a situation which will  be addressed for next season.  The fact that you don't accept an explanation of fact is neither surprising or especially relevant. 

 

[Triple.H.]

27 minutes ago, baiden said:

So what do you think they do with all the cash that is taken from programme, bar and food sales? All of what you say is already in place (bar the turnstiles, but they are hardly a necessity). There's plenty of handling of cash going on by employees inside the stadium.

I'm not against downloading an app onto a phone. In fact you don't even need to do that as it can all be done in a browser. But as I stated, there are people not comfortable doing that (or even not able to do that), so why not provide for them as well?

I was actually surprised that the bars and food outlets in the stands weren't card only payments. Obviously the outside bars and food outlets would be a decision down to the owner of each one.

Programmes could easily be an option to choose when buying the ticket and you pick it up on entry

[baiden]

13 minutes ago, George Dodds said:

Fine I'm not getting into an argument. 

I genuinely would love to know why, apart from sheer bloody mindedness why anyone would refuse to attend because they cannot pay cash.

Are these people who still get paid weekly in brown envelopes, take their pension books to the post office on a Monday, pay their electricity bills with pound notes and wait for the rent man to call every Friday or have they successfully adapted to change over the years?

As for apps on your phone -great idea and once the cost of developing one has been clawed back potentially a moneymaker but pointless if people then insist on paying cash 

As much as you're trying to make a joke, some of the older generation simply haven't adapted. My father doesn't have a smartphone and has never paid for anything online. The only way he has attended any of the Oxford Cheetahs fixtures so far, is because I've bought him a ticket and have gone with him. I couldn't go this week, so he was unable to attend.

I live 50 miles away from him, so what was I supposed to do? Make a 100-mile round trip so he could go? Post it to him? How are any of these options better than paying at the gate? Sure, it's his loss if he doesn't want to pay online, but at the end of the day it's also Oxford's loss. It's £18 less they've made, and I doubt my father was the only one.

I'm really not sure why you have such a problem with people paying on the gate? There are people there checking QR codes when you arrive (so definitely enough staff), and plenty of employees handling cash inside the stadium. Just make every option available, and everybody will be happy, no?

Edited July 15, 2022 by baiden

[Fromafar]

5 minutes ago, George Dodds said:

Not like you to try and stir things. 

We don't  have a card turnstile it's a situation which will  be addressed for next season.  The fact that you don't accept an explanation of fact is neither surprising or especially relevant. 

 

Not stirring in the least just pointing out what my opinion  is.You always seem to think everybody else’s opinion is wrong if it differs from yours.

Edited July 15, 2022 by Fromafar

[baiden]

2 minutes ago, Triple.H. said:

I was actually surprised that the bars and food outlets in the stands weren't card only payments. Obviously the outside bars and food outlets would be a decision down to the owner of each one.

Programmes could easily be an option to choose when buying the ticket and you pick it up on entry

If the stadium is going to go completely cashless, then fair enough. But it's not, so don't understand why they can't take cash on the gate.

[George Dodds]

2 minutes ago, Fromafar said:

Not stirring in the least just pointing out what my option is.You always seem to think everybody else’s opinion is wrong if it differs from yours.

As you so eloquently point out opinions can be wrong.  So your opinion that I was lying about the reason we don't take card payments at the turnstile could be wrong.