Wisdom on the queue

Spectator · All-time great

Wisdom on the queue

goldfish · Futures qualifying

if you are on twitter, Liz Curran is usually pretty aware of these sort of details - try asking her @lizcurran

Spectator · All-time great

In case anyone else is interested, the official answer from the source itself is that early Sunday morning (roughly 6 AM) should suffice. Don't know if that's accurate - and it may depend on who's playing - but offered for what it's worth.

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Clubs can apply for extra tickets for finals day ( not centre )

Ratty · County player

Making people queue for hours, how much more British than simply selling them on the internet.

And fascinating in economic terms, in that it's an egalitarian way of selling to the highest bidder, except that the currency is time and not money. But what's to stop one paying someone to queue for you?

paulisi · Tennis legend

I think the whole system of ticket sales at Wimbledon is antiquated and unfair.

The ballot system, queuing, tickets through LTA clubs etc - proper fans ,especially from afar, struggle to get to go.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

True. I can't go at all now, but the years when I did, we only queued the day before or the day after we had tickets. It's far too far and expensive, in fares and hotel accommodation, to go down just to queue. And if it is the day after, you even have to miss your (paid for) hotel breakfast to get there early enough.

It must be nice to live near enough to look at the OOP and then decide to go and queue.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

paulisi wrote:
I think the whole system of ticket sales at Wimbledon is antiquated and unfair.

The ballot system, queuing, tickets through LTA clubs etc - proper fans ,especially from afar, struggle to get to go.

The couple of club presidents that I've talked to at Tour events or wherever have also said, effectively, that tickets through the LTA clubs creates a real problem in that the members are 100% obsessed with getting tickets (as it's the only way you be sure of getting some).

The LTA therefore uses them as leverage i.e. one president said that they never hear from the LTA month in, month out, and then suddenly the LTA wants their cooperation in some scheme it's doing and offers a few extra tickets if they play ball (or to withhold a few if they don't).

And so the scheme, whatever it is, automatically gets (half-hearted) support because the committee members would sell their own mothers for a few more tickets.

Spectator · All-time great

I'd agree that it's heavily biased towards London: you could indeed get up at 6:00, look at the OOP and decide to queue, and still get there in time ... whereas from outside London, you are talking about overnight or peak trains in order to make the cutoff on the really good days. But having said that, I'd hate to see it go in its entirety - and suspect there are people who would be excluded by the alternatives, also.

embee · Junior player

I think the Wimbledon queue system is about as good as it could be.

Imagine if they put all sales on the internet. It would be an absolute nightmare - it would be as much of a lottery as the ballot because you'd be reliant on your internet connection, how quick the servers are, etc etc - remember how quickly tickets for the Olympics sold out when they went on internet sale.

At least with the queue system, as stated above the primary currency is time. And if you really, really want to go and get tickets for Centre Court, Court One etc the queue system means you've got an excellent chance.

paulisi · Tennis legend

How about a voucher system for attending other GB tennis events in the previous year to get first preference for Wimbledon tickets?

Spectator · All-time great

That's a great idea, Paulisi. Really like it (although I would exempt Queens - it doesn't need more patrons, and its patrons, on the whole, don't need more advantages) Would both ensure that the most ardent fans of tennis had a better chance and also help to generate audiences at smaller events. Why not suggest it to someone!

indiana · Tennis legend

Yes, seems to me a really good idea.

paulisi · Tennis legend

I've found a couple of LTA contacts from the website - lets see if I get a response.....(don't hold your breath)

Spectator · All-time great

Good on you for trying!