This season, in a departure from previous practice, Liverpool Football Club has opened up its Auto Cup Scheme (ACS) to non-season ticket holders who have joined the club’s Official Membership scheme.

SOS has no objection to non-season ticket holders gaining priority over season ticket holders, or anybody else, if this priority is obtained on the basis of games attended. In principle, so long as access to tickets is still based upon attendance at prior matches, the expansion of the ACS appears to be a logical extension of the “loyalty” system operated in previous seasons.

Regrettably, the announcement of ticket selling details for the League Cup Semi-Final home tie against Manchester City proves that this is far from being the case.

Members of the ACS who have attended a mere THREE home Premier League games have been given priority access to tickets over non ACS members (including Season Ticket Holders, Official Members and Fan Card Holders) who have attended ALL home Premier League matches and ALL of this season and last season’s League Cup ties.

This is a clear contradiction of the term “loyalty”. Long-standing and loyal match-going supporters are being pushed to one side in favour of people who may be attending their fourth Liverpool game ever!

Liverpool FC is determining “loyalty” upon attending a few home Premier League games and being willing, and able, to pay for tickets direct from a bank account or credit card. Effectively dismissing supporters’ efforts, and the great expense incurred, in attending the less attractive League Cup ties and paying up front for, or otherwise attending, a whole season’s worth of home Premier League matches.

Whilst supporters may query the introduction of “cross-competition loyalty”, if home Premier League games are being used as a pre-requisite for the League Cup Semi-Final,  then why has the club not applied the same condition to the new Official Member ACS as to the Season Ticket ACS, i.e. attendance at all home Premier League matches?

SOS regrets that Liverpool Football Club has seen fit to prioritise ease of collecting payment above the loyalty of those supporters who have attended earlier League Cup ties and purchased tickets for more than the pitiful pre-requisite of three Premier League home games. We are also deeply disappointed that this development threatens the tremendous amount of goodwill that has been built up between supporters and the club’s owners and executives since the FSG takeover our club.

However, we feel we are vindicated in stating our opposition to this policy and our firm belief that supporter “loyalty” should be based upon matches attended not upon the way we pay for tickets.

We ask supporters to let us know their views on this communication via our social media:

Twitter: @spiritofshankly

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/spiritofshankly