Cambridge United Football Club Limited
Customer Charter

Customer Service

The Customer Service contact is the Club Secretary, who can be contacted on (01223) 566500 between 9.00am and 5.00pm during the normal working week (Monday to Friday).

Customer reports are encouraged for both positive and negative aspects of the business and activities of Cambridge United Football Club.

The Club will make an initial response to any contact from a customer within a maximum of five working days. If the initial contact from the customer is in a written format then a telephone call may be made to acknowledge receipt and to establish any further facts required. An outcome will then be communicated within a further ten working days from the date of acknowledgement.

Any responses may be in the form of a telephone conversation, a fax or an e-mail with all such communication confirmed in writing by post.

All customer contact will be recorded in a register held by the Club and reported to The Football League as required on an annual basis. Customer Reports will be categorised into relevant headings (ie. Match Day Experience, Ticketing etc.) and will also be identified as justifiable and non-justifiable reports. The Club will endeavour to publish the annual results on the website, detailing any reports still outstanding and highlighting any common reporting topics.

Staff Conduct

The Staff endeavour to be courteous and helpful to customers at all times, offering them the best possible service and information available at any given time.

Anti-discrimination policy

Cambridge United Football Club is committed to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability.

Cambridge United Football Club is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to equal opportunity within our own organisation.

Equality of opportunity at Cambridge United Football Club means that in none of our activities will we discriminate against, or in any way treat less favourably, any person on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, ethnic origin, colour, religion or disability. This includes:

• The advertisement of jobs
• The selection of candidates for employment or promotion
• Job location or working environment
• Pay and employment terms and conditions
• Internal training and development activities
• External education activities and awards
• Football development activities
• Selection for Centre of Excellence

Cambridge United Football Club will not tolerate sexual or racially based harassment or other discriminatory behaviour, whether physical or verbal, and will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with appropriate disciplinary action in whatever context it occurs.

Cambridge United Football Club supports The Football League and The Football Association in its commitment to develop a programme of ongoing training and awareness-raising events and activities in order to promote the eradication of discrimination.

Consultation and Information

The Club actively consults supporters on a regular basis through a variety of forums, Supporters' Groups and questionnaires.

The Club publicises its position on major policy issues in the Match Day Programme and on the Official Club Web Site.

The Club issues information in the Match Day Programme, on the Official Club Web Site as well as on local radio, newspapers and via the Press Association.

The Club has and continues to develop ways to consult with the following stakeholder groups as follows:

Fans' Director - Cambridge Fans United, our Supporters' Trust, are represented on the Cambridge United Football Club Limited Board of Directors by an elected Fans' Director. The Fans' Director will be largely responsible for developing communications with all supporter groups to enable increased interaction between the Club and its supporters.
Supporters - Provision of at least two Fans' Forums during the course of each season. Occasional special meetings are arranged to discuss particular projects or events. Regular meetings are held with Cambridge United Supporters' Association and Cambridge Fans United.
Shareholders - Open forum with Directors and Management following formal business at Annual General Meeting
Sponsors - Continual dialogue during season and annual networking function involving all sponsors of the Club
Local Authorities and other local community groups - Work undertaken in partnership with Cambridge City Council and Cambridgeshire Football Association.

The Club gives the earliest possible notice of any changes to its ticketing policy and the reasons for the changes.

The Club will consult with supporters' group representatives on the design and number of new strips.

The Club welcomes constructive input from Supporters regarding customer improvement and satisfaction.

Ticketing

Pricing

The Club continues to strive for wider access to matches by offering a broad range of ticket prices and initiatives in order to attract new supporters or specific target groups.

The Club currently operates, and will make its best endeavours to continue to operate, a scheme to enable supporters to pay for Season Tickets by instalment at a reasonable rate of interest.

All people entering the ground must have paid for admission or have a valid ticket.

The Club identifies and reduces the price of partially restricted view tickets by £1.00. Partially and fully restricted view tickets are not generally on sale, but if requested will be sold at a discounted rate.

The Club reserves the right to and may increase general admission charges at any point throughout the season.

Sales

In the case of an all-ticket game, the last opportunity for purchasing tickets, subject to availability, will be before the close of business, as publicised, the day prior to the game.

Ticket Office opening hours will be adjusted for increased accessibility for all-ticket fixtures. Details of opening hours will be publicised in the Match Day Programme, Official Club Web Site and local media.

The Club reserves the right to charge an administration charge for processing telephone bookings for tickets for all fixtures.

Tickets booked over the telephone can be posted out to customers, but will be left for collection if the booking is made any later than two clear working days before the date of the fixture.

Tickets will not be reserved for collection without prior payment.

The Club reserves the right to withdraw Season Tickets from supporters whose conduct is not in keeping with that stated in this Customer Charter under Supporters' Conduct.

Allocation

At least 5% of tickets for each game will be made available to non Season Ticket holders.

Concessions

Concessionary prices are available to junior supporters (under 16 on 31st August of the current season), senior citizens (age 60 and over at the commencement of the current season) and full-time students possessing a current and valid NUS card or proof of full-time education. The Club reserves the right to charge normal match day admission prices in the absence of proof of qualifying for a concessionary rate.

Children under three years of age will be admitted to the ground free of charge. If entering the Main Stand or Family Enclosure they will be issued with an allocated seating ticket. The Club recommends that supporters should refrain where possible from bringing children of such a young age to the game and for safety reasons will not permit this policy to be used on the terraced areas. Any supporters wishing to bring children aged three and under onto the terraces will be encouraged to use either the Main Stand or Family Enclosure.

The Club provides an area of the ground for the exclusive use of family groups and junior supporters, which has been designated a no-smoking area of the ground. The Club reserves the right to extend the no-smoking policy to other sections or areas of the ground.

The Club provides accommodation and assistance for disabled spectators and their carers. Tickets should be booked in advance, as admission cannot be guaranteed on the day of the game. Please contact the Ticket Office for details of our disabled facilities, admission prices and ticket allocation. From August 2004 the Club will have a written policy detailing its commitment to disabled supporters in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

Away Matches

Season Ticket holders and Away Travel Club Members are given priority on the sale of tickets for away fixtures or matches played on a neutral venue for a publicised period of time. Any remaining tickets then go on general sale.

The home Club or organising body determines the cost of these tickets.

Cup Competitions

The Club reserves the right to decrease or increase the price of admission to home Cup fixtures.

Season Ticket holders are guaranteed admission to home Cup fixtures and will be given priority over the general public for ticket sales for a publicised period of time.

Returns/Refunds

Refunds are issued on unwanted tickets provided they are returned to the Club at least 24 hours in advance of the advertised kick-off time of such game.

If a match is postponed before kick-off and after entry to the Stadium, tickets will be valid for the re-arranged fixture. For those supporters not issued with a ticket upon entry, vouchers will be issued on exiting the ground that will enable free admission to the re-arranged fixture.

If a match is abandoned after kick-off, but before half-time, spectators will be entitled to up to 50% reduced-price admission to the re-arranged match on production of an original ticket or voucher issued on exiting the ground. The Club reserves the right to set the reduced price of admission.

If a match is abandoned after half-time, spectators will be entitled to reduced-price admission to the re-arranged match on production of an original ticket or voucher issued on exiting the ground. The Club reserves the right to set the reduced price of admission.

Main Stand Tickets bought for the original fixture, to include also Terrace Tickets in the case of an all-ticket game, or vouchers issued on exiting the ground must be retained in order to qualify for the above.

Accommodating Away Supporters

The Club abides by Football League and Football Association Regulations governing the allocation of tickets to visiting Clubs.

The Club does not charge admission prices to supporters of a visiting Club, which are higher than those charged to our own supporters for comparable accommodation. In particular, our concessionary rates offered to senior citizens, students and junior supporters also apply to supporters of a visiting Club.

The Club reserves the right to charge normal match day admission prices in the absence of proof of qualifying for a concessionary rate.

The Club endeavours to ensure that all replica strip designs shall have a minimum lifespan of two seasons, subject to the kit suppliers and shirt sponsors remaining unchanged.

The Club will display a sign, and detail on the website, stating the launch date of replica kit sold in the Club Shop and via the on-line Shop. Club Staff are also expected to inform the customer of this information, especially in circumstances where the introduction of a new replica kit is imminent.

Details of the next intended change of kits will be available from the Club Shop and publicised in the Match Day Programme and on the Official Club Web Site.

The Club carries out its obligations under Football League Regulations to prevent price fixing in relation to the sale of replica strip.

The Club offers refunds on merchandise returned unsoiled in accordance with its legal obligations.

Community Activities

Cambridge United is proud of its increasingly developing role in the local community and is currently very active on several fronts including:

• Linking into Schools at Primary, Secondary and Special levels as well as with Out of School Units
• Working in partnership with the statutory Youth Service and Community Development Departments involving various disenfranchised groups of young people
• Collaboration with City and County Council staff in targeting priority groups within the community whether young or old
• Supporting and assisting in raising the profile of local charities and worthwhile causes within the community
• On-going participation in anti-racism initiatives and with both local and national football based activities and events.

In all these activities there is a commitment from all the various sections of the Club, especially the Football in the Community Scheme, Youth Development Scheme, Management and Playing Staff.

Supporters' Conduct

The Club strives to ensure that The Trade Recruitment Stadium is a safe and pleasant environment in which to watch professional League football. The Club requests that supporters co-operate with this policy.

• Entry to the ground is subject to Football League Ground Regulations
• There is a No Smoking policy in the Family Enclosure
• Foul, abusive and racist language and behaviour will not be tolerated
• Anti-Social behaviour will not be tolerated
• Any problems should be reported to a Match Day Steward
• CCTV Cameras are in operation at the ground and may be used in accordance with Football League Ground Regulation 16

Attention is drawn to Football League Ground Regulation number 9, which is as follows:
"Nobody may stand in any seating area whilst play is in progress. Persistent standing in seated areas whilst play is in progress is strictly forbidden and may result in ejection from the Ground".

Cambridge United Football Club in conjunction with Cambridgeshire Police has agreed guidelines of a policy to deal with any serious offences relating to supporter misconduct. Two members of the Board of Directors of Cambridge United Football Club Limited will sanction all bans regarding supporters' conduct. The following policy guidelines were agreed on August 1st 1999 and will be reviewed ahead of the 2004-05 season:

These are guidelines and each case will be judged on the known facts. The action taken for any other anti-social behaviour which may fall outside of these policy guidelines will be determined following discussions between representatives of Cambridge United Football Club and Cambridgeshire Police. Warning letters and or entrance restrictions may be placed upon supporters whose offences may fall outside the scope of the policy guidelines. Such entry restrictions may include the signing of an attendance register, purchase of a known seat in the Main Stand and the provision of a recent passport sized photograph..

Cambridge United Football Club Limited
Updated March 2004.