FAQs
The following are answers to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) by our members:
How much is it to join the branch and what do I get for my membership?
Branch membership costs £30 (sterling) for Adults and £5 for children under 16. Memberships are due each season and will expire on 31st May (regardless of when you join). As a member you are entitled to apply for match tickets for any home game, apply for travel on any trip arranged by the branch and attend any of the branch meetings.
You will also receive a membership card and pack (containing application forms for trips/tickets, a copy of the branch rules, and branch information). You will also receive regular newsletters through the season, providing you with all the information relating to trips, tickets and fixtures that you will need. Members also receive free emails and text messages with the latest trip/ticket and meeting information.
How do I join?
Just complete the Membership Application Form and return it to the address on the form, along with the appropriate remittance (£30 for Adults, £5 for Under-16). You can obtain the membership form from the download section of this website: http://www.lfcdonegal.com/downloads/
Where and when are meetings held?
Most meetings are held in the Ramada Hotel, Letterkenny and are held on an as required basis, depending on the issues that need to be addressed and trips that are being organised. However, meetings can take place in other areas of the county upon request and if there is sufficient interest. Our intention is to serve the needs of the county so feel free to let us know if you would like us to attend a meeting in your area.
What is discussed at meetings?
Branch meetings usually last around an hour and the agenda usually consists of:
• Minutes from previous meeting with updates on any resulting actions
• Memberships – the committee will accept all new applications and will also ratify the applications received since the last meeting
• Ticket Applications – the committee will accept ticket applications from members wishing to apply for up & coming fixtures
• Trips – any aspect of official trips that requires discussion, accepting applications & payments, communication trip details and clarifying any issues
• AOB – any other issue that anyone wishes to raise that hasn’t already been covered above, including deciding the date of the next meeting.
Is it essential to attend branch meetings?
No, although it does help with building your loyalty points in the event that ticket demands are greater than they number available. However, there are also other ways to build your points also (see club rules)
Why are all membership applications subject to ratification?
We don’t believe that it has ever happened, but the possibility exists for supporters of other teams to join the branch so that they can acquire tickets to see their own team at Anfield. The process of ratification involves revealing the name and address of all applicants to our existing members and to invite them to raise any objections. If there are no objections, membership is accepted.
Where can I get information about trips, matches, etc…?
Branch meetings are the best place to find out what’s happening. We also communicate as much information as possible (including dates and times of meetings) in regular newsletters, SMS text alerts, email and our notes are published in the local media (Donegal News & Donegal Democrat).
How many branch trips are arranged each season, and what is included in the package?
We usually travel to around 2 or 3 games as a group each season. The preference is for a 2 night stay in a city centre location, so this is what we have always provided. Last season we used the Britannia Adelphi Hotel, which is a quality city centre hotel and travelled from Belfast to Manchester, with coach connections transferring our group to/from each airport. We will also arrange a stadium tour if there is sufficient interest.
How much do the trips usually cost?
We would hope to use the same schedule this season for a similar cost (around £270-£280). When planning trips, we always take into account the cost that other travel operators are advertising so that we can provide a cheaper option for our members. Alternative methods of travel (e.g. Ferry) and hotels (reduced quality and/or outside of the city centre) are always available, but the inconvenience and length of journey usually mean that it isn’t worth the savings. Members can available of cheaper deals if they arrange their own travel by booking in advance and applying for match tickets only through the branch.
Is Travel Insurance included in the price?
No. We would recommend that members acquire their own travel. The branch will not be held liable for any losses as a result of damages or theft so please ensure you have your own travel insurance in place.
I’d like to travel on a trip and wish to bring a friend or family member, who isn’t a member of the branch. Is this possible?
Only if the friend or family member is a member of the branch. Our rules require each traveller to be a fully subscribed member.
If I wish to arrange my own travel and apply for match tickets through the branch, can I apply for any game?
Yes, although it must be a home game (we don’t normally accept applications for away game). To apply, just complete the match ticket application form and submit it to the secretary before the stipulated closing date (which you can find from the reverse of the form). Please remember to include payment.
The match ticket application requires a £3 administration charge. What is this for?
The cost of processing applications can sometimes be excessive. This includes postage (sometimes next day delivery of registered are required), telephone calls (the duration could be considerable if the ticket office staff are busy) and postage to our applicants. The £3 levy is to ensure that the branch do not suffer financially with dealing with members ticket requests.
Where do I get a match ticket application form?
These are included in your membership pack at the start of the season and are available from branch meetings. You can also also download this from the downloads section of this website.
What are the chances of my application being successful?
This is a difficult question to answer as there are so many factors to consider. If you meet the selling criteria (which usually applies to away fixtures, cup fixtures and league games with Man. Utd. And Everton), then you should your application to be successful.
If there is not selling criteria, you will need to wait until the ticket office have processed our request. We usually receive enough tickets to satisfy demand so your chances are quite good. However, there is always the possibility that demand will exceed supply and in these situations there will always be disappointment. You may wish to refer to the match ticket analysis for last season to provide you with an idea what the success rate is.
What happens if there are too many people looking for tickets for the same game?
Rule 17.10 is deployed with the allocation of tickets which ensures that those members that meeting the LFC selling criteria are guaranteed to receive their tickets.
If there is no criteria published, tickets are allocated according to the number of loyalty ranking points that have been built up by the each application. This ensures that those that regularly attend matches and meetings are given priority.
If I am successful, when can I expect to receive my tickets?
The branch will usually receive match tickets around 10-14 days prior to the game, however for cup games or rearranged games it may be a lot later due to there being less time to deal with the applications. Match tickets will be circulated at branch meetings where possible, or posted out if the recipients aren’t present to collect them.
If the branch receive tickets in different stands as part of their allocation, how is it decided which tickets get allocated to the various applicants?
If you applied using your fan card, you will be allocated the ticket that has been assigned to your fan card. The exception to this is if you wish to be seated along with the others in your group, then you may be allocated another area if there is not sufficient tickets located next to the seat that has been allocated to your fan card.
What happens if my tickets don’t arrive before I am scheduled to travel?
The ticket office has a record of all tickets and can arrange for duplications to be made. These can be collected at the ticket office on match day.
I want to go to the same game that the branch is travelling to as one of their official trips? Can I apply for tickets only and arrange my own travel?
You can do this if you wish, but you need to be aware that tickets for these games are reserved for those travelling on the trip – unless there are more tickets available than people travelling on the trip. Any remaining tickets will be made available for general sale to branch members and will be allocated according to rule 17.10.
Why does the branch not normally accept applications for Away games?
Tickets for away matches will always go on sale initially to fan card holders who meet the selling criteria that is announced (e.g. Man Utd away might require attendance at 12 away games during the previous season). Very rarely will any of our fan card holders meet the selling criteria for away games.
However, occasions have arisen where we have had members meeting the selling criteria. Clubs that do not always have their home games sold out (e.g. Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough) may give visiting clubs an increased an allocation and the ticket office might place these on general sale if they have not sold out from the initial sale to those that met the selling criteria. However, this might only happen a few days before the game which leaves it virtually impossible for the branch to administer.
Our recommendation to anyone wishing to avail of match tickets for away games to check the ticket news section of www.liverpoolfc.tv and react accordingly, i.e. if the game does go on general sale, purchase tickets online or through the credit card line.
What are the chances of getting a ticket for “big game”, e.g. Man Utd, Everton, Inter Milan or a cup final?
If you meet the selling criteria, then you should have no problems. For these games, the selling criteria will usually insist on you having attended specific games from earlier in the season.
Eg. For the Everton game on 30th March, the selling required applicants to have had BOTH the Portsmouth (played on 22nd December) and Wigan Athletic (2nd January) recorded on their fan cards (or have had attended these games having acquired your tickets through the branch). A 2nd sale may transpire where tickets would be sold to those that had attended at least ONE of the specified fixtures.
For cup fixtures, members would have had to attended the majority (if not all) of the previous games in that competition. Eg. For the Inter Milan game on 19th February, tickets were sold to those that had attended the home games in the group phase against Marseille (3rd October), Besiktas (6th November) and Porto (28th November). The same logic would apply to cup finals.
I want to apply for tickets, but have left it too late to apply through the branch. Is it OK to apply directly to the ticket office?
Yes, we have no objections to any of our members doing this. The ticket office telephone numbers are as follows:
Premiership Home: 0044 870 220 2151 European Line: 0044 870 220 0034
Premiership Away: 0044 870 787 2000 Domestic Cup Line: 0044 870 220 0056
PTS Line: 0044 870 220 0408 24 Hours Information: 0044 870 444 4949
If you are successful, please let the branch know so that know that your fan card has the credit.
