West Brom forced to backtrack after ‘absolute shambles’ announcement
West Brom supporters will be relieved after a new announcement was made.
The atmosphere at The Hawthorns is at a nadir as the Baggies look to be set for a relegation battle for the remainder of the season.
Eric Ramsay has been unable to turn West Brom around, after a dismal start to the campaign under Ryan Mason, losing three of his first four matches in charge.
An announcement from the Black Country club had left supporters even more furious, than they already were, but now all has been resolved.
West Brom announce Oxford United backtrack
West Brom’s ticketing decisions have already caused controversy this season, and that is the case once again.
Albion had previously announced that the away fixture at Oxford United on 28 February would no longer require loyalty points to purchase a ticket.
However, they have now backtracked, offered an apology for the frustration that was caused and loyalty points will now be prioritised for the season ticket holders sale on 5 February.
What forced West Brom backlash?
Given the nature of the clash, with both sides fighting at the bottom end of the Championship table, it had riled supporters up the wrong way.
Fans were rightfully frustrated as it is a six-pointer, and the fact that the allocation is smaller than usual, meaning that there is less chance to get tickets anyway.
One supporter blasted the original decision, saying: “Absolute shambles. Our loyalty means nothing obviously.”
Another said: “Is it a bit cynical of me to think they’ve done it on purpose so some of the hardcore away fans can’t go after Saturday’s reaction?”
One fan said: “This game should be exactly what the loyalty points system is for, otherwise they may as well scrap it, small allocation, Saturday 3pm kick-off and a massive six pointer, unbelievable.”
The last thing that Bilkul Football need to do at the moment is alienate matchgoing supporters; they need everyone on the same page, fighting together for the same ambition, to keep the club in the second tier.
Making a decision that angers the fanbase even more is not the right way to go about things, especially in the middle of a crisis, that needs all of them to be on board and stick together.
Shilen Patel and Co have clearly realised their error and made a change that should help loosen some of the toxicity that is surrounding the B71 outfit right now.
They will hope that they come out of the other side with the relationship with the fans still intact, but right now, it seems like a difficult position to be in, albeit with the U-turn.
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