This was the first time this year I’d had luck on return tix.
Just to explain the whole Wimbledon malarkey:
1) You queue… you maybe camp… or you get there at stupid o’clock all for the chance of one of those little wrist bands… but in some way you join this MAHUSVE queue and get in that way… Pros: you get in before some people and quite often get first call on the non-show courts; Cons: did you not SEE above about queueing?
2) You get tickets in either the public ballot, the LTA members ballot or via the allocations to tennis clubs where THEY have their own ballot. Basically the word here is BALLOT! Pay attention at the back!
3) Technology. Namely Ticketmaster. Returns tix that haven’t been redistributed by way of the ballot are flogged on Ticketmaster – but as we found out when we got in to get ours today – there were just 20 tickets that were returned and we got 2 of them. Special. And Brutal! In addition, Ticket master have a few hundred of the “in-the-gods” tix from where they added additional rows for the roof. These go on sale a couple of times in the day – the returns for two-days hence, and the evening ones for the next day. Logisitically – the returns favour travellers – the evening ones for people who can get there.
To get into Wimbledon you are really talking about every other day unless (like me) you have friends who offer you half of a pair or a spare pair! But this is the last year that’s likely to happen as my great mate in the AELTC is losing his job – so the pair of complementary groundies (I normally take Thursday) is no longer – sadz for him as having just escaped the same fate – and being of a similar age – I can totally relate to how this must feel – to give a shed load of effort for this amazing project that the AELTC has, and then it’s all over. Literally. I hope he sails through his planned interviews and get something lined up soon.
This year’s tally was:
1) Internet Tix for the Gods on Sunday night
2) Pair of tix for Court 1 from ballot allocation
3) Complementary Groundies
4) Queue
5) Accompanied a mate on her ballot tix
6) Internet Tix for the gods on Sunday night
7) Returns via the internet
It’s an expensive hobby- this… as I have been lucky enough to have one set of complementary groundies since 2008 to start me off. The rest as been just a case of luck.
And plastic. I have seen murmurings of “alright for some” and “ok for those who can” and yes – I am fortunate to
a) Live close enough to Wimbledon to be able to do this
b) Be able to use two weeks of my five to indulge in this.
c) Be able to AFFORD to be flexible in buying tickets.
This is just how it’s turned out for me – damned if I am going to apologise for it.
But there is another aspect to this – when the spectre of redundancy was hanging over my little self – my ex helped me with my CV – and he asked me two things.
a) what do we NEED to write to get you an equivalent job…
b) if you could do ANYTHING… what would it be…
… and that would be… Sports Writing in this stylie! There may be a couple of irons in the fire to help me indulge in this Sports Blogging… but… meanwhile back at the ranch…
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