HOW THE BUCS UK TICKET ARRANGEMENT WORKS The Buccaneers currently have a waiting list of over 70,000 for season tickets at Raymond James Stadium. They do allow a limited number of single-game tickets to go on sale around June each year, but these are very quickly sold out too. The Bucs have now had sell-outs at every regular and post-season game since they moved to their new stadium in September 1998. But the Bucs UK are able to obtain game tickets for their members thanks to our excellent relationship with the Buccaneers’ front office. We had over 300 tickets for last season and expect a similar arrangement and number of orders for the 2008 season. The system we use for ticket ordering is very simple and non-negotiable. The NFL schedule is produced around early April which is when most UK-based fans begin planning their holiday around a trip to one or more home games. Bucs UK members are then invited to apply for tickets in writing to Phil Jones. No monies are paid at this time, but any requests for tickets are treated as guaranteed orders. After the stated closing date for requests (31 May), Phil contacts the Bucs’ ticket office and places a bulk order across the club. Once this has been done, he requests payment for the tickets from club members. Anyone delaying in payment will find their tickets being lost for good. Phil and I produce a ticket brochure which states the game being attended, number of tickets held and the name of the Bucs UK member associated. This is taken either before or on the day of the game to the Will Call ticket window at Raymond James Stadium for collection of the tickets. You will need to have your passport with you to prove your identity – no passport, no tickets, no game! What you need to do now if you want to order tickets 1. Send a letter to Phil Jones stating the games you want to go to and the number of tickets you require. 2. You must enclose your Bucs UK 2008 membership number and a stamped address envelope. 3. Forget either of these and your order will be ignored. 4. Phil's address is Sycamore Farm, North Rode, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 2NS. This system has worked extremely well over the past few years and will continue again for 2008. It does take a lot of work for Phil to co-ordinate all the ticket requests, hence why we cannot have people mucking him around changing their minds over games and delaying sending cheques. It also stops people not in the Bucs UK trying to take advantage of our ticket arrangement with the Buccaneers. We have a limit of two tickets per member to stop bulk orders for profit, and the passport requirement ensures the tickets are being used by real Buccaneer fans. This service is part of the Bucs UK but we do ask any member who has tickets through the club, to bring back at least a Game Day magazine as a competition prize for club members. Only a mere handful of people leave it at this of course, and we have had T-shirts, playing shirts, jackets, caps, calendars, magazines and numerous other prizes donated this past few months. If we do have a restriction on the number of tickets for a game, as we did for a couple of games in 2002, then they will be allocated on a length-of-membership basis. Tickets are also available for people who have renewed or joined the Bucs UK by 31st January 2008. This prevents people simply joining the club midway through a year, grabbing some tickets and then disappearing off again. The whole ticket arrangement is one that the Buccaneers’ front office takes as seriously as us. Phil and I have built up a fantastic working relationship with the people at One Buc Place and we will not allow one or two idiots (as we have had in the past) to spoil it for everyone else.