Yesterday, I published an article about the Emerald City Supporters’ allegations that the Timbers charged the supporters group $45 tickets for a $27 ticket. That article was based on several tweets from the supporter group’s official Twitter account, and the picture they posted which clearly showed a $27 ticket.

The increased ticket price was actually the result of several factors that are a the way that the Timbers handle ticket sales to supporter group from opposing teams.

According to several people, the opposing supporter groups are put in section 223 and according to Portland’s official website tickets in that section have a base price of $25-$35. After that base price, there is a processing fee that ranges from $3.50 to $7 per ticket…depending on where you are sitting. And on top of that, according to this redditor, there is also a $10 fee for big games — like a rivalry:

Normally in that section of Providence Park there are a number of seats that receive an “obstructed view” price which is lower than the standard price.

Because ECS is a large group and buys the entire section they do not sell them one set of 45 dollar standard tickets and a second set of 27 dollar obstructed view tickets. I’m assuming this is because they don’t want to police where each member of ECS is allowed to sit and instead treat it as a GA section.

Why then did they still print 27 on some tickets? I’m guessing the ticketing system was not adjusted to account for this somewhat unique situation and thus the tickets that are normally “obstructed view” showed that price instead of the ostensibly “GA” price.

This explanation is not only entirely reasonable but probably could have been easily explained to ECS had they taken the time to look into it before going mental.

That means that the Timbers have some bizarre ticket practices, but as long as they enforce it evenly across the MLS…then there really isn’t much to be too upset about if your an opposing fan at Providence Park. And that this entire controversy could have been avoided if the organization properly communicated these standards, bizarre as they are, to the ECS.

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