Well they didn’t mess about did they? Norwich City Official put out on Monday that they’d nip any rebate issues in the bud and at 09:15 today I received the same message as many of our MFW readers and writers doubtlessly did too.
“On Monday the club made the decision to begin the rebate process, after the government confirmed that owing to the current COVID-19 pandemic that no professional sport, even behind closed doors, will take place in the UK until June 1, at the earliest.
“Following a significant response and further feedback from supporters, the club can confirm that three options will be made available for 2019-20 season ticket holders and members to claim or donate their pro-rata rebate.”
And I must admit that I’m impressed with the speed and the timing. For those who haven’t seen said message there are three options:
Initially this left me in a dilemma. If I’d booked to see any of my favourite bands at the Nick Raynes LCR, The Waterfront or Norwich Arts Centre and they couldn’t perform or reschedule I’d want all of the money back. Deffo.
I am sure many generous folks amongst us will choose not to receive their rebate and make a donation to either the Academy or the CSF but everybody’s financial circumstances are different.
Why pay for a “service” you do not receive, despite the fact that in this case it is not the fault of the service provider, as in Norwich City Football Club?
Very many of us have hardly chased the Club on this issue, certainly not me. But some folks must have done or they wouldn’t have responded so quickly.
A return to my dilemma. I look at it this way – I’m by no means rich but I’m not particularly poor either so I intend to keep my Direct Debit to NCFC going until we can start season 20-21 safely. Loads of us will do the same I am sure.
I don’t want to lose my seat in the Barclay although I do feel we will lose some supporters when we eventually restart. I hope not but I fear it’s inevitable.
What I first thought was “yeah take the rebate it’s your money after all”.
But then I realised that with five home games left that I cannot go to that’s fifty quid in the bin. I always walk three miles to the ground but these days I get back courtesy of Courtesy Taxis at roughly a tenner a go.
So what I’ve decided to do is to contact NCFC and claim my rebate [£150? I dunno exactly] but give £50 back to be shared between the Academy and the CSF as the Club chooses.
Maybe it’s an unusual approach – for so many it will be all or nothing – but it satisfies my conscience and that’s good enough for me.
Of course, £50 means nothing to football but if it makes me feel happy so much the better.
I’d love to know the decisions our readers, their families and friends have made.
Maybe my approach isn’t unique after all?
No question at all for me, I’m taking it. Otherwise I’m just giving them money for stupidly high salaries for the executive team, players and coaches while they’re doing no work and getting no income.
Hi Stephen.
Yeah I know exactly where you’re coming from which is why I’ll take the lion’s share of my rebate, of course.
I’m not so sure that SW, Ben K, Zoe W and a few others are doing “no work” but I certainly know what you mean.
Stuart’s p*ssed off a few Leeds fans today so he’s still earning his crust 🙂
Could query some of those images, Stephen, but I’ll focus instead on the other options you seem to be ignoring.
I credit the club with doing two things: offering three different options, and not pressuring us towards any particular one. As Martin says, everyone’s financial position is different and I’ve absolutely no problem with anyone who takes the rebate. I’m fortunate not to need the money back; not everyone is so lucky.
I’m torn between the two other options, but will be giving mine to the excellent Community Sports Foundation. It’s pursuing ambitious plans to expand its already-impressive work; anything we can do to minimise the hit it’s taking from the crisis can’t be bad.
Hi Stew.
The CSF have being doing loads [and I mean loads] of stuff during the pandemic.
Only yesterday they were delivering food parcels to Hammond Court on Magpie Road. It’s now run by Vision [it used to be the NNAB] and allows partially sighted people to live independently.
When the van crew found out that three of the residents were big City fans they returned within a couple of hours with three signed NCFC shirts.
Having read about that I’m afraid to say the Academy will have to miss out on a share of my small donation
Cheers.
I really want NCFC to survive in as healthy (perhaps that’s the wrong word to use at this time) a financial state as possible so no, I won’t be claiming the refund. My focus at the moment is trying to get a refund out of Easyjet!
Hi John.
We might actually be a little bit better equipped to batten down the hatches than some I would guess. It’s the original wait and see.
I uses Sleazyjet loads 2005-20015 Stansted-Mallorca and never, ever had a problem.
Mind you, I never tried to claim a refund 🙂
Good luck with the claim and thanks.
Club: would you like option a,b, or c
Martin: Option d please
Take the money Martin and save someone at the club an accounting headache.
Hi David.
I’d thought of that too. All I will do is take the refund and donate £50 of my own money to what will now be solely the CSF [see my reply to Stewart, above].
I guess I didn’t express it very well in the article but it was option A all along!
Keep good.
I cover a number of my family tickets, and that would make it a significant amount to forgo, so I’ll wait till I get the confirmation of the amounts, then take a leaf out of Martin’s book and claim some, but also donate some to to the Academy, and some to CSF. I’m luckier than some in that I’m in a position to be able to do that, but not everyone will be able to.
Where we end up next season is currently anybody’s guess, but I’d like to put something towards our future.
P.S. Webber has given a good interview on Sky today, with some indication of our stance at the PL discussions, while not giving much away about the relegation issue. I hope Neal notes that we still aren’t whinging!
Hi Jim.
Despite my constant carping about Delia’s peculiar way of running a football club it looks increasingly like, whether by luck or judgment we should be better placed than some to ride out this storm. I sincerely hope so anyway.
Gary Neville’s “I’d stay out of Leeds Stuart” comment verged on the sublime when Webber replied that he’d had an Elland Road season ticket for 10 years a while back!
Stay well.
The last time something like this happened was when we got relegated to League One. There was a rebate available on season tickets but if you gave it up it was matched to go towards a player purchase. It was used to fund the transfer of Grant Holt. I gave up my rebate and I always felt a special attachment to Holty as I felt I part owned him!
Given the recent track record of the Academy I am tempted to give my rebate to them. However, as the Chair of Trustees to a local charity I know how tough it is for charities during this crisis. Many of them are really struggling. So I may chose to give my rebate to CSF. There is a fourth option, which is to take the rebate but to donate an equivalent amount to a charity of your choice, if you can afford it.
As a member my rebate will be really small so it is easy for me to give my rebate away. However, I do understand that many supporter are struggling financially during this awful pandemic and they will need the money for their families.
I hope everyone is staying safe. Good to see the new Government slogan is in Green and Yellow.
Hi Colin.
Which part of Holty did you own? 🙂
I did take the rebate that time and unashamedly too. This feels a bit different.
Long before that was the share issue. I chipped in £100 hoping I’d at least get an attractive certificate to frame and put on the wall. My hopes were in vain – it was awful. I gave the shares to the Canaries Trust a couple of years ago as they’ll hopefully be of far more use to them than they ever were to me.
Thanks as always.
Probably donate my Membership rebate to CSF. Just want this season ended one way or another — voided or Points Per Game — and start preparing for next season, whenever that might be.
Hi Andrew.
I think we’d all like to prepare for next season too. I know I would!
Trouble is we can’t even prepare for the end of this one yet!
Thanks.
I’d feel a lot more well disposed to support the club if they hadn’t cancelled all my 2018/19 away loyalty points last summer. Loyalty used to be a two-way thing…
Hi FASTH
Under those circumstances I would feel exactly the same.
Cheers.
Hi Martin nice to see youre still chipper i think i will be donateing my rebate to the local off licence and takeaway keep well mate
Ha! Big ha!
As the song goes, we’ll meet again 🙂
Can’t dispute that!
Ha!