I bid for dozens of tickets in the Commonwealth Games 2014 ballot and received only three for one athletics event. I am better off than many others, and not as fortunate as some who received a bumper lot. But the system was meant to be “fair”, wasn’t it?

So now I have read that people who did not get any tickets in the ballot will be treated to an “exclusive” pre-public sale opportunity. I’m not sure what to think about this news.

To start with, I thought that the ballot was for all “public sale” tickets. I didn’t realise that there were tickets kept back. Surely the fairest process would be to have all tickets up for a share-out in the ballot. Reports say there were 2.3 million applicants for one million tickets, but why not release all of the tickets in this ballot and satisfy more people in the first place?

Or perhaps all the tickets were up for a ballot share out and the public sales tickets are those that are left that no-one wanted. I am confused, if I’m honest. Are you?

Also, doesn’t this priority treatment now run roughshod over a “fair” ballot system. When applying in a ballot you are told you have the same chance as anyone else to receive tickets. Like any gamble, you win some and you lose some. If you didn’t receive any tickets this was surely just down to “bad luck”. It’s not nice and when I received only one set of tickets for one event I was sorely disappointed but I believed the system had been about chance and luck.

Now if you received no tickets you will get what seems to me to be an “unfair” chance to buy up the next round of tickets. Anyone who receive even just one ticket will have to wait for those who lost out in the “fair” ballot to take their pick.

I can see why the Commonwealth Games organisers might be going down this road in the name of good PR but I still don’t think it is fair. Please, all friends and acquaintances, who did not win any tickets in the ballot, do not think I’m against you having tickets. I simply think that it should be done fairly.

So, if there are only one million tickets to be won in the ballot  (why didn’t they make it all the tickets?) that was the first “chance” to gain tickets. After that the tickets should be on a first come first served basis for all.

Anyway I doubt that anything I say will make a difference. It’s just my opinion.

Another point of view

I consulted others about my view. Their thoughts differ and are perhaps more cynical than mine!

One said: “What’s the problem? The popular tickets got shared out in the ballot. Now the Games are left with the ones nobody wanted first time and are getting you to think you are being favoured by getting to buy them at the original price.”

However, is this the case? Is it only the less popular tickets that now go on sale to the public?

Another view: “What are the organisers aiming to do? Generate revenue, fill venues and generate positive PR in advance of the games. This last is particularly affected by the perception that there is a demand for tickets and they want press stories (including yours) that convey the impression that people are desperate to get their hands on any available space.

“In reality, they can have no confidence that 2.3 million tickets can be put on the market and sold. Surely it’s better to launch a ballot, have people bid blindly and then wait nervously for the result. Everyone gets excited and they can have a look at the response.

“No doubt there are popular events and unpopular ones. The unsold tickets are then highly desirable because people were disappointed in the ballot, and even more so if only a minority of people get first chance to buy them.”

Again, is this the reality? Is it only the less popular tickets that will now go on public sale?

Sale dates for “no tickets” at Games 2014

So the dates to mark in your diary if you didn’t receive any tickets are Monday and Tuesday October 21 and 22. From Wednesday October 23 applicants who received some of their requested tickets in the application period will also be able to access the ticketing website.

On Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October everyone who applied for tickets will have an exclusive second chance to top-up their ticket account before all remaining tickets go on general public sale.

All those who participated in the application process will be told of the news by email or letter.

Glasgow 2014 said that the demand for tickets confirmed the Games as one of the most popular events in Scotland’s history with 17 sports on offer across 11 days of elite competition.

Buying more Glasgow 2014 tickets than you need

Also, I am confused about the people who say they got more tickets than they need and will now sell or give them away. I presumed there would be guards against such activities. Otherwise, what was to stop people bidding for masses more tickets than they needed and then selling them on? I would have thought that when you arrive at the Games with your tickets you need to prove that they were bought by you. If not, I suggest that you find all the people who didn’t receive tickets in the first round and give them money to buy you tickets during their exclusive two-day public sale jamboree.

The whole ticket selling process is starting to upset me.

All that I have written is my opinion – or that of friends – and I have not sought to ask the view of the Games 2014. I hope they might answer my blog, though!